The 11^th London International Cough Symposium was held smoothly on January 21 and 22, 2021 to review and explore the newest research progress and ideas on cough. Chaired by Professor Kian Fan Chung, an internationally renowned expert of cough and asthma studies, the symposium invited 39 famous experts from Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, etc. to deliver an academic report.

The special reports delivered in the symposium combined pre-recording and on-site speech and discussion, providing a chance for the attendees to learn before the symposium and discuss and exchange at the site. The event consisted of 33 topics in nine sessions, including evaluation of cough severity, clinical heterogeneity of cough, the mechanism of cough hypersensitivity, management of chronic cough and cough hypersensitivity, cough in Covid-19 cases, clinical research of new cough drugs and therapies, the relationship between the senses of pain and itching and chronic cough, and wall newspaper exchange. The number of attendees has refreshed the historical record of the event.

Professor Lai Kefang with the PI of SKLRD was invited to deliver a special report on the heterogeneity of cough sensitivity and clinical features of Covid-19 related cough respectively.

Affected by the rampant pandemic, the clinical and scientific researches of each country have been impacted to various degrees, yet Chinese scholars have not stopped their steps in cough research. 43 papers from 13 organizations of China (24 clinical papers and 19 fundamental papers) were submitted to the event, of which 29 were selected and adopted. Meanwhile, Professor Chen Ruchong of SKLRD served as a reviewing expert in the wall newspaper exchanges, who discussed and commented on the globally newest research findings with other international experts. In the end, six attendees won an award, of whom three were from China, which fully showed the influence of Chinese scholars in the global cough research.

List of award winners

Jiang Ziyu, Lai Kefang

Clinical and inflammatory characteristics of the Chinese APAC cough variant asthma cohort.

Zhan Chen, Lai Kefang

Cough Triggers and Abnormal Laryngeal Sensations in Adults with Chronic Cough.

Huang Junfeng, Chen Ruchong

Inhibition of gabapentin on airway inflammation and neuronal activity of dorsal vagal complex in guinea pig with gastroesophageal reflux.