Dr Ramzi Lakhdar and Dr Melissa Jane McDonnell received the funding which will help them study their areas of interest in the UK.
Dr Lakhdar, from Tunisia, completed his PhD at Biological Sciences and Biotechnology from High Institute of Biotechnology in Monastir in 2011. The ELF fellowship will enable him to look at muscle wastage and ageing in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). His research project will aim to understand whether the loss of muscle function is caused by premature ageing in people with the condition.
Dr McDonnell, from Ireland, has been completing her specialist training and a Masters degree at the National University of Ireland. The ELF fellowship will enable Dr McDonnell to look at a common chronic lung condition called bronchiectasis. The project will examine whether a reflux from the stomach can contribute to the severity and development of bronchiectasis. It is hoped the findings could lead to more accurate prognostic information and help in determining specific characteristics of the disease that lead to increased severity.