Lungs at Work

Dr Johanna Feary

Continuous laryngoscopy during provocation in the assessment of inducible laryngeal obstruction

Article

Transient paradoxical closure of the larynx, occurring in the absence of any underlying structural or neurological defect, is a recognized cause of paroxysmal breathlessness and wheeze. This phenomenon, most commonly termed vocal cord dysfunction and more recently termed inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO),1 is often misdiagnosed and mistreated as asthma.2, 3 This may be explained by the lack of a robust, accepted diagnostic methodology.4, 5

Dr Johanna Feary

Honorary Consultant in Occupational Lung Disease and Asthma

Jo is an Honorary Respiratory Consultant in occupational lung disease and asthma at Royal Brompton Hospital and Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College.

Her research is primarily focused on the respiratory heath of working populations including firefighters and individuals exposed to silica. She has been awarded funding to establish a UK Silicosis Registry. She is clinical advisor to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Respiratory Health (silicosis). She is a member of the Group of Occupational Respiratory Disease Specialists (GORDS) and recent Chair of the British Thoracic Society Occupational and Environmental Lung Disease Specialist Advisory Group (2021-2024).  

Exacerbation patterns in adults with asthma in England. A population-based study

Article

Rationale: Asthma is heterogeneous and knowledge on exacerbation patterns is lacking. Previous studies have had a relatively short follow-up or focused on severe disease.

Objectives: To describe exacerbation patterns over a prolonged follow-up in a population that includes patients of all disease severity.

Follow-up survey of patients with occupational asthma

Article
Using a postal questionnaire, we surveyed all patients attending our specialist occupational lung disease clinic 1 year after having received a diagnosis of OA due to a sensitizer (n = 125). We enquired about their current health and employment status and impact of their diagnosis on various aspects of their life. Additional information was collected by review of clinical records.

Jo Feary featured in iNews campaign on artificial stone silicosis

Tue, 16 Dec 2025
i Paper

The i Paper has recently published several articles about silicosis due to artificial/engineered stone. The articles are part of a wider campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of working with this type of stone, and to improve health surveillance and accountability of UK employers which are still using these products. The i Paper is ultimately calling for ban of artificial/engineered stone in the UK.

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