The interview

theinterview

Respiratory consultant COLIN CHURCH

in conversation with Charlotte Goldthorpe

Dr. Colin Church is a consultant in pulmonary vascular and respiratory medicine at the Scottish Pulmonary Vascular Unit, based at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in Glasgow. He trained in Glasgow, Cambridge, Papworth and Sydney and has completed a PhD in understanding the basic mechanisms of inflammatory signaling in pulmonary vascular remodeling. He has a keen interest in both clinical and basic science research and is a principal investigator on a number of important clinical trials, including looking at novel anti-inflammatory strategies to treat pulmonary hypertension. His basic science research focuses on the interplay of inflammation and hypoxia on the pulmonary vascular cells, in particular the pulmonary artery fibroblast. Colin is one of three consultants in the Scottish Pulmonary Vascular Unit, the national referral centre for patients in Scotland and was appointed there in 2013. He is also one of the principal clinicians involved in the management of venous thromboembolic disease in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and sits on the Glasgow Thrombosis committee. .

Q. Tell us a bit about your career pathway – did you always plan to go into medical sciences? A. No. Originally, I wanted to be a teacher but then I did work experience at my local hospital and met some wonderful patients. I enjoyed the challenge of trying to diagnose patients and the great team environment that existed. They inspired me to get involved in medicine. I obtained my medical degree at the University of Glasgow and then undertook respiratory training in Australia and Cambridge. At Papworth I worked with Dr Pepke-Zaba and this is when I first became interested in pulmonary hypertension. I did my research in the field of pulmonary hypertension with professor Andrew Peacock in Glasgow and have remained in the field ever since.

Q. Tell us more about your current role. A. I am one of three consultants based at the Scottish Pulmonary Vascular Unit. This is located in Glasgow but looks after all the patients with pulmonary hypertension in Scotland. We already do outreach clinics in Aberdeen and will soon be providing them in Edinburgh.

Q. What inspires you in your work? A. Inspiration comes from three things: patients, colleagues and science. Patients because seeing them cope with day-today life while breathless, or having to balance taking their children to school and making up treatments, inspires me to live life to the full. Colleagues because I work with some great doctors, nurses and administration staff who actually make the unit function. And science, because trying to understand this disease and what makes it cause the narrowing of the blood vessels is how we will eventually be able to cure it.

Q. Are any two days the same? A. No. I am lucky enough to have two parts to my job. I am involved in pulmonary hypertension but I also work in general respiratory covering other respiratory diseases. This keeps me very busy as I work at two different hospitals and have both acute and long-term patients to care for.

Q. What major developments have you seen around PH? A. As a medical student I remember learning about pulmonary hypertension and that there was no treatment. How this has changed over such a relatively short time is amazing and testament to the fortitude of patients and their willingness to take part in clinical trials. Through this, and the incredible scientific and clinical research that has occurred, the drug treatments for patients are now much better and we see that daily in our clinics. >>>