https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0321-7

Lung function is an important indicator of respiratory health and mortality. Measures of lung function show irreversible airway obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a progressive condition affecting 900,000 people in the UK. Smoking is a strong risk factor for COPD but not all smokers are equally susceptible. Genetic approaches to understanding the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of good lungs aim to reveal previously unknown molecular targets for drug development and to facilitate stratified approaches to treatment and care. This project aims to detect rare genetic variants associated with lung function. Once discovered, such variants tend to exert a large effect on disease risk and provide a means to translate findings from genetic studies of lung function to clinical relevant research and development. The proposed study leverages the power of Uk Biobank and respiratory genomics to advance understanding of lung function and COPD.