ResMed and the ATS Foundation have awarded a $100,000 Research Fellowship grant to advance the study of remote monitoring’s role in helping to improve the management of patients with COPD. 

The grant, which is the third provided by ResMed and the ATS Foundation, was awarded to Claude Farah, PhD, of the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Australia.


Farah’s research focuses on detecting early changes in lung function from daily recordings then notifying patients when to commence more intensive treatment or seek medical attention. In his application, he predicts that “this intervention will reduce the chance of patients needing hospitalization for these lung attacks.” 

“This grant is important as it tests how integration of technology that enables convenient at-home remote monitoring of patients’ lung function helps with earlier detection and interventions of COPD exacerbations, aiming to prevent further deterioration in their condition,” said Mihaela Teodorescu, MD, MS, chair of the ATS Assembly on Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology. “This grant will also help set the foundation for Dr. Farah’s future projects and opens the door for networking with leaders in the field.”  

“Remote monitoring has helped track and improve therapy for millions of patients with sleep apnea, heart disease, diabetes, and more,” said Carlos M. Nunez, MD, ResMed’s chief medical officer. “If it can help people with COPD stay out of the hospital more and/or delay the progression of their disease, that would mark a life-changing advancement in the treatment of this chronic disease, the world’s fourth leading killer.” 

The application process for the next cycle of grant opportunities will open in Spring of 2020. Visit the ATS Foundation website to learn more.