Welcome to the May roundup from the Health & Clinical Research and Life Science Communities! In this month's round up, I highlight posts focused on two of this month's awareness days, World Asthma Day and International Day of Plant Health.
Read on to discover the latest findings from research across the Health & Clinical Research and Life Science Communities.
World Asthma Day
World Asthma Day is an annual awareness campaign led by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and held on the first Tuesday of May each year. The campaign brings together healthcare professionals, patient organisations, and communities worldwide to raise awareness of asthma and improve care for those living with the condition. The 2026 theme, ‘Access to anti-inflammatory inhalers for everyone with asthma – still an urgent need’, highlights the importance of ensuring that people with asthma can access the treatments needed to control their condition and prevent avoidable asthma attacks and deaths.
Access to the right asthma treatment
To mark World Asthma Day 2026, @Mariangela Aloj and @Joe Casson from the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) highlight the urgent need for better access to anti-inflammatory inhalers for people living with asthma. While asthma affects more than 360 million people worldwide, many patients still lack access to treatments that address the underlying inflammation and help prevent serious attacks. The post explores how IPCRG’s Asthma Right Care programme is helping improve asthma care through practical resources, international collaboration, and conversations that challenge current approaches to treatment.
Read the full post to discover how the Asthma Right Care movement is supporting healthcare professionals and patients to achieve better asthma outcomes worldwide.
The hidden impact of second-hand vaping on respiratory health
In this Behind the Paper post, @Ardie Barry Sailis explores emerging evidence on the health effects of second-hand exposure to e-cigarette aerosol. While using e-cigarettes is often viewed as a personal choice, the post highlights growing concerns about what happens when non-users share the same air. The post draws on research from Journal of Public Health and examines how passive exposure may contribute to respiratory symptoms, airway irritation, inflammation, and measurable changes in lung function, particularly among young people and those with existing respiratory conditions. The post also explores what is present in e-cigarette aerosol and why the distinction between ‘less harmful than smoking’ and ‘harmless’ is important for public health.
Read the full post to learn what current research reveals about second-hand e-cigarette aerosol and its potential impact on lung health.
Making rat lung function data more meaningful
@Gergely Fodor discusses a new framework designed to improve how lung function data from rats is interpreted in respiratory research in this Behind the Paper post. While clinicians routinely compare patient measurements against standard reference values, preclinical studies often rely on raw measurements alone, making it difficult to determine whether results truly reflect disease or simply natural variation. Published in Communications Biology, the research explores how the team developed reference equations and z-scores for rat lung function. Researchers were able to distinguish healthy and diseased animals more clearly and improve the interpretation of experimental data.
Read the full post to discover how standardized reference values could enhance reproducibility, strengthen translational research, and bring preclinical respiratory studies closer to clinical practice.
International Day of Plant Health
Observed annually on 12 May, International Day of Plant Health raises awareness of the vital role healthy plants play in sustaining life on Earth. Led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the day highlights how protecting plants from pests and diseases supports food security, biodiversity, economic development, and environmental health. In 2026, the theme ‘Plant biosecurity for food security’ emphasises the importance of safeguarding plants to help ensure a safe, sustainable, and resilient food supply for future generations.
How much water crops will need in the future?
As climate change intensifies pressure on global water resources, understanding how much water crops will need in the future is becoming increasingly important. In this Behind the Paper post, Professor @Sara Bonettiexplores new research investigating how uncertainty in climate and hydrological models affects predictions of crop water use and sustainability. Using a global multi-model analysis covering major food crops and future climate scenarios, the study, published in Communications Earth & Environment, found substantial variation in estimates of both crop water requirements and irrigation sustainability, particularly for water drawn from rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
Read the full post to learn how scientists are tackling uncertainty in future water use projections and what this means for sustainable agriculture.
20,000 years of history in a single flower
In this personal and scientific reflection, @Carlos Lara Romero explores how the alpine plant Silene ciliata reveals the lasting impact of climate change across thousands of years. By analysing the plant’s genetic history, researchers reconstructed how populations survived the last Ice Age, became isolated, adapted to different environments, and later reconnected as glaciers retreated. The research, published in Heredity, combines evolutionary biology with the author's own research journey, highlighting how past climatic events continue to shape the genetic health and resilience of plant populations today.
Read the full Behind the Paper post to discover what a single mountain flower can teach us about evolution, resilience, and the importance of thinking beyond our own timescale.
Together, these posts demonstrate how research continues to uncover new connections and inform approaches to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. We hope you enjoy exploring these posts and learning more about the science shaping respiratory health and beyond.
There is always an abundance of amazing research stories being showcased on the Research Communities. To explore more, visit the Behind the Paper Channel and learn what thoughts and ideas go on behind the scenes of research projects.