Children under 2 years of age are at highest risk for getting critically ill from the flu or RSV and requiring intensive care. Currently, doctors can only provide breathing support for severe flu or RSV infection, since no medications exist to speed up recovery or prevent excessive damage to the lungs. With her lab research funded by the National Institutes of Health, Bria Coates, MD, from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, is determined to discover how to interrupt the process of injury to the lungs and promote cell repair, so patients can avoid long term consequences from lung damage.

A research team at McMaster University has discovered a new drug class that could lead to breakthrough treatments for dangerous fungal infections. The discovery responds to a critical need for new antifungal medicines.