On February 18, the FIRH-GIRD Academic Exchange hosted by Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases/SKLRD was held smoothly at the new experiment building of the SKLRD.

McMaster University and FIRH attached high importance to the event. A total of 12 famous scholars led by Professor Paul O’Byrne, the president of Medical School and former director of FIRH, went to Guangzhou for academic exchanges. The meeting received high attention and support from the leaders of the university and affiliated hospital. Nearly a hundred PI of each research program, researchers and graduates of GIRD/SKLRD attended the meeting actively.

Both sides stated in detail their respective research progress in recent years and had a deep discussion of the possibilities and schemes of their cooperation. In the two-day exchange, both sides had 25 wonderful special reports on four directions (asthma and allergy, severe asthma, chest surgery and chronic pulmonary diseases).

The meeting created favorable conditions for the cooperation between China and Canada in the future. We are convinced that through the effective and deep cooperation, both sides will make more progress and breakthroughs in different areas such as the scientific researches of respiratory system diseases, clinical diagnosis and treatment and talent cultivation.