Abstract winners at the ERS Congress 2026

ELF Travel Grant for Best Abstract in Patient-Centred Research 

Two winners were selected for 2026: 

Ahmed Araoud from Monastir, Tunisia, and Olha Shchudro from Dnipro, Ukraine, were each awarded travel grants in recognition of their exceptional patient-centred research. 

Ahmed Araoud’s study looked at cigarette and e-cigarette use among 2,500 school students aged 13-15 in Monastir, Tunisia. The research found that about 16 in 100 students (16.1%) currently use e-cigarettes (16%), matching the rate for cigarette smoking. Around 8 or 9 in 100 students use both. Boys were more likely to use nicotine products than girls. Among those who bought nicotine products, 75 out of 100 adolescents said they were not asked to prove their age. The study shows a need for school prevention programmes and better enforcement of age restrictions on sales, especially for boys and young people living with one parent. 

Olha Shchudro and colleagues studied a self-management programme for 22 patients with bronchiectasis in Dnipro, Ukraine, during wartime. Over 12 months, patients followed a programme that included regular mucus (sputum) tests, keeping antibiotics at home to start treatment early when symptoms worsened, video or phone consultations with doctors and breathing exercises to clear mucus. The programme reduced hospital stays, helped patients start treatment faster when symptoms worsened and improved quality of life. This shows how structured self-management can support patients when access to healthcare is limited.  

ELF Best Abstract Grant for Healthy Lungs for Life 

This year’s award went to Max Olsson from Helsingborg, Sweden for his study on air pollution and breathlessness. The research followed 7,847 adults in Sweden over 22 years (2000, 2010, and 2022) and looked at links between air pollution where people lived and whether they experienced breathlessness. The study found that exposure to fine particles was most strongly linked to breathlessness, followed by larger particles and nitrogen dioxide. The link between air pollution and breathlessness became stronger over time and as people got older. The findings show that reducing air pollution is important for protecting lung health. 

Why these awards matter 

These abstract awards emphasise the value of focusing research on the people affected by lung conditions and on the broader risk factors linked to lung health. Through them, ELF aims to: 

• Amplify patient priorities in lung health research 

• Highlight the role of prevention in lung health 

• Encourage researchers to design studies that are relevant, inclusive, and actionable.