Peter Howarth

Professor Peter Howarth serves as Professor of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine and Honorary Consultant Physician within the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton, where he leads the Clinical Studies Forum in the Clinical and Experimental Science division and heads the "Airways disease" research area for both the division and the NIH-funded Respiratory Bioscience Research Unit.

His academic credentials include:

• B.Sc (Hons) in Pharmacology, University of London (1973)
• MB BS, University of London (1976)
• MRCP, London (1979)
• DM, University of Southampton (1987)
• FRCP (1993)

Howarth's research program focuses on severe asthma pathophysiology through bronchoscopic airway sampling to investigate microbiome composition, inflammatory status, remodelling processes, and ex vivo cell cultures. His MRC-funded Wessex Severe Asthma Cohort (300+ patients) enables studies on mechanical airway forces, epithelial-mesenchymal signaling, microbiome alterations, and novel imaging techniques. Key findings include demonstrating how mechanical compressive forces drive airway remodelling (NEJM 2011), with ongoing work exploring bronchoprotection strategies and microbiome-targeted therapies.

His distinguished recognition includes:

• Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP)

With over 20 supervised PhD/DM graduates and 5 current PhD students, Howarth secures major funding from MRC, NIHR, EPSRC, Asthma UK, and industry partners. He coordinates the Wessex Severe Asthma Cohort and leads work packages in EU initiatives (BIOAIR, GA2LEN, UBIOPRED), while directing clinical services including the Difficult Airways Service and Wessex Clinical Allergy Service.

He operates within translational research infrastructure spanning bronchoscopy facilities, microbiome analysis labs, and collaborative networks with King's College, Sanger Institute, and international partners, driving innovations from basic science to point-of-care diagnostics through nanotechnology and imaging projects.