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The 6th annual Bronchiectasis Patient Conference will take place from 10:00 to 16:00 CET on 21 March 2026. The conference is an opportunity for anyone living with or interested in bronchiectasis to learn more about the disease and how to manage it. It is organised in collaboration with EMBARC and the ELF Bronchiectasis Patient Advisory Group (PAG).
The event will cover topics including:
A full programme with details of all talks and topics to be included will be published soon.
We will hear from people living with bronchiectasis and healthcare professionals. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers and experts via the chat.
To be published soon
Stefano Aliberti is Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Milan, and consultant at the Respiratory Department and Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center at the Policlinico Hospital in Milan, Italy. He is the director of the Bronchiectasis, Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia programs of the Policlinico Hospital.
His major clinical and research interests are in both acute and chronic respiratory infections. He has extensive experience in epidemiological and clinical research in pneumonia.
He has been heavily involved in bronchiectasis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria. He founded the European Bronchiectasis Registry (EMBARC). Prof. Aliberti has published up to 200 peer-reviewed articles mainly on respiratory infections and he was part of international task forces to produce guidelines on bronchiectasis and severe pneumonia, as well as statements on tuberculosis.
Justine was diagnosed with bronchiectasis and non-tuberculosis mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease in 2018. She wanted to share her experiences to help others in a similar situation so Justine founded the French NTM organisation MNT Mon Poumon Mon Air.
As bronchiectasis and the NTM lung disease affect people worldwide, it is important to make the voices of French patients heard in groups such as the ELF Bronchiectasis Patient Advisory Group (PAG). This gives us an opportunity to share our experiences with healthcare professionals to advance treatments and research.
Dr Arietta Spinou is a Lecturer in Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy Practice and Research at King’s College London, UK. She is a Specialist Respiratory Physiotherapist and has extensive research experience, with a special interest in bronchiectasis.
As part of her PhD work, Dr Spinou developed the Bronchiectasis Health Questionnaire, and for the first time objectively assessed cough frequency in a group of people with bronchiectasis.
Currently, Dr Spinou co-leads the ERS Task Force for the airway clearance techniques in bronchiectasis.
Professor James Chalmers is the British Lung Foundation Chair of Respiratory Research at the University of Dundee, UK, and a consultant respiratory physician.
He is an expert in lung infections and has been involved in a number of projects during the COVID-19 pandemic, including leading the ERS Guidelines Task Force for COVID-19 and being chief investigator for several trials of new COVID-19 treatments.
He works closely with ELF to involve patients in respiratory infection research through projects such as EMBARC, and is an advocate for involving patients in guidelines, clinical research, and clinical trials.
Natalie Lorent is a consultant Pulmonologist and Clinical Infectiologist working at the Respiratory Medicine department of the University Hospitals Leuven, and clinical lecturer at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.
Her clinical and research interests focus on respiratory infections (particularly mycobacterial infections), bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis.
She has a passion for translating science to clinical practice to improve outcome for patients.
Tom Bermingham is a Rural Development Specialist from Wexford, Ireland. Tom was diagnosed in 2022 with a complex mix of Aspergillosis, Bronchiectasis and severe adult onset Asthma. He is a member of the Aspergillosis patient advisory group for the European Lung Foundation.
Associate Professor Chotirmall is an internationally recognised clinician-scientist with an established translational respiratory research group at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU Singapore. To date, he has performed key work on endo-phenotyping pulmonary infection, including the use of next generation sequencing approaches, in the context of chronic inflammatory respiratory diseases that have led to publications in Nature Medicine, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the Lancet Respiratory Medicine, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and Cell Host and Microbe. He has been appointed Provost’s Chair in Molecular Medicine at NTU Singapore since 2019 and currently serves as Vice Dean (Research) at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and as Deputy Editor at the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM).
I was born in 1986 in Thessaloniki, Greece, where I still live. I am a lawyer.
I had upper and lower respiratory problems since I was born. At age 17 I was diagnosed with asthma. At age 25, after a serious lung infection, I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis. At that time, I only knew this doesn’t go away and it gets worse with every new infection. I couldn’t tell whether my constant lung problems were caused by asthma or bronchiectasis.
I joined the bronchiectasis PAG after suffering a lung infection and realising that there is a lack of information on bronchiectasis. Joining the PAG was the first time I had met people with the same condition. It felt really encouraging knowing there are others with similar problems and concerns. My personal and professional goals often leave me with little time for things I enjoy, but I feel PAG is totally worth it.
Fiona is a GP with a special interest in respiratory medicine working in a large commuter town practice in Aberdeenshire and as part of the severe asthma team at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. She is current chair of the education committee for the primary care respiratory society and is studying for her PhD in bronchiectasis.
Dr Mattia Nigro is a doctor at the Respiratory Unit of Humanitas Research Hospital and a PhD Student at Humanitas University in Milan, Italy. His main clinical and research topics include bronchiectasis and acute and chronic respiratory infections. He is an active collaborator of the European Bronchiectasis Registry (EMBARC) and a member of the European Respiratory Society Methodology Network.
Rachael works as a writer and translator of fiction and theatre, and is also a voluntary sector development worker.
Rachael was diagnosed with bronchiectasis in 2021, after having a chronic cough for 10 years and being misdiagnosed with asthma. She began to access ELF resources on bronchiectasis and went on to join the bronchiectasis PAG after realising there was a lack of knowledge on the condition.
Rachael is passionate about patients raising awareness of their condition and contributing to research and practice.
Dr Freddy Frost is a Respiratory Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Liverpool, UK. His clinical and research interests focus on chronic lung infection in people with bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis and COPD. He is an active member of the European Respiratory Society research collaborative on antimicrobial resistance.
Dr Jennifer Pollock is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Dundee (UK), with a passion for patient-centred research. She is heavily involved with patient and public involvement and engagement activities for the EMBARC network and works closely with the European Lung Foundation (ELF) to ensure that patients’ lived experiences and research priorities are integrated into respiratory research.
Liz is a Health Psychologist who has a special interest in respiratory conditions. She currently works as a researcher exploring ways to help improve people's quality of life when living with a chronic illness.
Prior to this she worked clinically at the Royal Brompton Hospital, including with many patients with Bronchiectasis.
This event is developed with and supported by EMBARC, a pan-European network and the ELF Bronchiectasis Patient Advisory Group.
We are grateful to everyone who is helping us spread the word about the Bronchiectasis Patient Conference 2026! To make sharing easier, we have prepared communications packs in English and several other languages, including graphics, suggested text and social media links.
Thank you to everyone who assisted with translations so far. Your support allows us to reach patients across Europe who can benefit from attending this event. If your language is not included and you would like to help translate the materials, please contact us.
Watch the recordings from our previous events below.
ELF does not charge for its events and materials. We want to make sure they are available to anybody who wishes to join or use them. To ensure we can keep doing this we ask that those who can afford to pay to make a donation. We are grateful to everyone who supports us in this way and helps lung health patients to understand more about their condition and have their voices heard.
