About Us

Head: Peter M.A. Calverley
Secretary: Wilfried De Backer

Clinical physiology is ideally positioned since the discipline is widely accepted as an important link between research and clinical medicine. This link is recognised by the additional title for the Assembly of Integrative Biology. The Gas Exchange and Exercise Group is particularly orientated towards the most integrative aspects of respiratory physiology, both in health and disease. In recent years, much attention has been paid to factors controlling oxygen transport, mechanisms of pulmonary hypertension and gas exchange in COPD. The Sleep and Control of Breathing Group has played a major role in the recognition of sleep apnoea syndrome as an important public health problem, particularly through a Task Force. The Respiratory Structure and Function group focuses on more basic physiology, from cellular and molecular to integrative physiology.

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Group 04.01 Gas Exchange and Exercise

Chair: Luis Puente Maestu
Secretary: Maria R. Bonsignore

This Group has a strong integrative focus which incorporates contemporary perspectives in both clinical and basic physiological research and education. The main themes of the Group are: 1) the clinical, physiological and pathophysiological aspects of pulmonary gas exchange, gas transport, muscle metabolism, exercise intolerance and exercise-based rehabilitation strategies with special focus on those related to pulmonary disease; 2) the management of gas exchange and exercise impairment related to pulmonary and nonpulmonary diseases; and 3) technologies for assessing pulmonary function, gas exchange and exercise intolerance.

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Group 04.02 Sleep and Control of Breathing

Chair: Stefan Andreas
Secretary: Renata L. Riha

This active and growing Group provides a forum where scientists and clinicians interested in how breathing is regulated during wakefulness and sleep can meet and share their ideas. Major interests include the nature of disordered respiratory control in disease and the causes and consequences of sleep-disordered breathing. There are many points of contact with the other Groups within this Assembly, which have led to a series of successful Symposia at successive annual meetings. Raising the awareness of sleep and breathing problems in the EU and encouraging better research funding in this area is a major priority and has been helped by the Task Force set up by the previous officers of this group. Active participation is encouraged and new ideas for group activities are always very welcome.

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Group 04.03 Respiratory Structure and Function

Chair: Giuseppe Miserocchi
Secretary: Andrea Aliverti

This Group was formed through a merger of two long-established Groups, Respiratory Muscles and Respiratory Mechanics. We aim to provide our members with a federative, integrative approach to the physiology and biology of the respiratory and skeletal muscles and the lungs, as well as closely combine structure and function from the perspective of a true clinical physiology. Group members are encouraged to propose projects, Symposia for the annual Congress, Task Forces of particular interest to the group goals, etc.

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Group 04.04 Pulmonary Circulation and Pulmonary Vascular Disease

Chair: Marc Humbert
Secretary: Andrew Peacock

The aims of this group are as follows:

1. to provide the link between basic research with strong physiological background and the physiopathology and the clinical settings of pulmonary arterial hypertension;
2. to develop postgraduate training on the physiology of pulmonary circulation and the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary vascular disease;
3. to promote pulmonary circulation as a physiological and clinical topic within members of the ERS and outside the society, with a special emphasis on joint meetings with other learned societies (e.g. the ATS, the AHA, the ESC, etc.); and
4. to generate consensus statements and recommendations that will be endorsed by the ERS (in conjunction with other learned societies) on pulmonary vascular disease.