About
About IMPACT
The International Multicentre Pleural Research Collaborative is a collaboration between medical practitioners with an interest in pleural medicine, which provides a platform for pleural disease research that has both global clinical impact and relevance to patients. IMPACT was established as a CRC in 2016, known then as the International Collaborative Effusion Database (ICE db). The collaboration was created by Rahul Bhatagar, Julius Jansen, and Nick Maskell, to bring pleural medicine experts and clinicians together to pool data on rare and neglected pleural diseases.
In the first phase, IMPACT (previously ICE db) created the largest international datasets on non- specific pleuritis, eosinophilic effusions, benign effusions, and chylothorax to date. Under the leadership of the new chairs since 2022, the second phase of IMPACT has an expanded mandate which includes pleural infection, pleural procedures, pleural fluid biomarkers, and other topics selected by the membership.
In Phase 2 the collaborative will transition from retrospective data collection to prospective
observational studies. This phase will focus on capacity building and setting up pipelines for future
multicentre prospective interventional studies.
IMPACT Chairs
IMPACT is led by four Chairs, two Senior and two Early Career members.
Uffe Bødtger
Consultant in Respiratory Medicine, MD, PhD
Clinical professor, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde & Naestved, Denmark
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1231-9209
Contact: ubt@regsj.dk
Special interests: endoscopy, thoracic ultrasound, pleural disease, obstructive lung diseases
Federico Mei
Consultant in Respiratory Medicine, MD
Clinical Professor, University Hospital, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1887-5377
Contact: f.mei@staff.univpm.it
Special interests: Pleural disease, Non-specific pleuritis, Thoracic Ultrasound, Thoracoscopy
Steven Walker
Pulmonologist. PhD
Academic respiratory unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1713-5484
Contact: steven.walker@bristol.ac.uk
Special interests: Pneumothorax, interventional trials.
Jane Alexandra Shaw
Pulmonologist, Clinician scientist
Immunology Research Group, Biomedical Research Institute, and Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9893-3073
Contact: janeshaw@sun.ac.za
Special interests: Tuberculosis, Ultrasound guided pleural interventions, biomarkers
IMPACT International Scientific Advisory Board
IMPACT is supported by the international scientific advisory committee, composed of some of the
most preeminent researchers and clinicians in the growing field of pleural disease. These individuals
provide strategic input on new projects and analyses, guiding the CRC in performing research which
is scientifically relevant and has meaningful impact on patients.
Rahul Bhatnagar
Academic Respiratory Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
Respiratory Department, Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK
Kevin Blyth
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, UK
Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
Marios Froudarakis
Department of Pulmonology and Thoracic Oncology, North Hospital, University Hospital of Saint‐Etienne, Saint‐Priest‐en‐Jarez France
Coenie Koegelenberg
Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
Christian B Laursen
Odense Respiratory Research Unit (ODIN), Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
Fabien Maldonado
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
YC Gary Lee
Respiratory Department, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth Western Australia, Australia
School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth Western Australia, Australia
Nick Maskell
Academic Respiratory Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
Respiratory Department, Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK
Mohammed Munavvar
Respiratory Department, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Preston, UK
University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK
Jose Porcel
Pleural Medicine Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital, IRBLleida, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
Najib Rahman
Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
Specific aims
The vision of the IMPACT is to provide an international platform for pleural disease research that has global clinical impact which is relevant to patients. With this purpose, IMPACT aims specifically to:
- to build an international network of researchers and experts in pleural disease to guide future research and clinical priorities to improve the life of people living with pleural disease globally;
- to establish the research priorities of patients suffering from pleural disease, to create a patient-centred approach to future pleural medicine research;
- to attract new researchers and clinicians to the field of pleural disease;
- to support and encourage early career researchers through involvement in network
activities, and provide fellowship opportunities through network-funded projects;
IMPACT administrator
Jenny Symonds
IMPACT is supported by an experienced research project administrator: Jenny Symonds,
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK
Contact: Jenny.Symonds@nbt.nhs.uk
Contact
If you are interested in more information about the CRC IMPACT or would like to join the network,
please contact jenny.symonds@nbt.nhs.uk