Research summary
A chronic cough is any cough that persists for longer than eight weeks. An estimated 16% of Canadians over the age of 45 years suffer from this condition—the second-highest rate in the world. But the mechanisms driving chronic cough are poorly understood, and there are no licensed treatments. Dr. Imran Satia, Canada Research Chair in Chronic Cough, aims to develop new treatments for this common condition.
He and his research team are developing tools to measure cough, investigating mechanisms of the disease, and conducting clinical trials. In particular, they are developing a validated cough severity questionnaire to assess cough severity as well as a fully automated wearable cough monitor. Satia’s team is also investigating the cells, nerves and pathways in the lung that are involved in coughing and conducting clinical trials to test new treatments that are safe and effective.