S6E06: Decoding Lung Disease

S6E06: Decoding Lung Disease

From Two Scientists Walk Into a Bar by Genentech

October 22, 2025 · 40 min

About this episode

The episode explores lung biology and diseases like chronic bronchitis and emphysema, discussing treatment challenges and innovative approaches.

From our first breath, the air we breathe and our genes shape how our lungs function. It’s a complex interplay we began exploring in our season four episode “Take A Deep Breath: Treating Asthma.” Today, we’re branching out to discuss lung biology and the diseases that make it difficult to breathe. In this episode, co-host Maria Wilson speaks with Dorothy Cheung, Executive Group Medical Director, and Daniel Lafkas, Senior Principal Scientist, Translational Discovery Research, Roche, to understand how conditions with unmet need like chronic bronchitis and emphysema disrupt lung function. They discuss the challenges to treating lung diseases and explore promising approaches, from cutting-edge imaging technologies that help researchers uncover early drivers of disease, to treatments aimed at stopping the loss of lung function and restoring it. Read the full text transcript at www.gene.com/stories/decoding-lung-disease

People in this episode

Host: Maria Wilson

Guests: Dorothy Cheung, Daniel Lafkas

Topics covered

  • lung disease
  • chronic bronchitis
  • emphysema
  • lung biology
  • treatment challenges

Keywords

  • lung function
  • imaging technologies
  • disease drivers
  • restoring lung function

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Take A Deep Breath: Treating Asthma

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