{"id":275,"date":"2022-01-07T12:33:54","date_gmt":"2022-01-07T11:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.exeter.ac.uk\/eri\/?page_id=275"},"modified":"2023-09-18T16:32:56","modified_gmt":"2023-09-18T16:32:56","slug":"epic","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/eri\/research-opportunities\/epic\/","title":{"rendered":"Exeter Patients in Collaboration for Pulmonary Fibrosis Research (EPIC PF)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Our Project<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We are raising funds to expand our research into the deadly lung disease pulmonary fibrosis (PF) which is the cause of 1% of UK deaths. We have lost friends and relatives to an early death from this disease. Research is underfunded and there is currently no cure. Please support our research and help us to change that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who Are We?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We are a team of researchers from the University of Exeter, working with clinicians from the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Trust and pulmonary fibrosis patients and their families. Together we are all part of \u2018Exeter Patients in Collaboration for PF\u2019 or EPIC. Our agreed purpose is \u201cTo push PF research further together than any of us could do alone and to help find effective therapies, treatments and ultimately a cure. To do this in a way that is collaborative, mutually supportive and evolving.’\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"EPIC<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Our Story<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Peter (pictured) was one of our EPIC founder members. Click here<\/a> to watch a two-minute video to hear our experience of his story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only a couple of years ago, he was healthy and very active, travelling widely, skiing and cycling. After becoming aware of a troubling and unusual breathlessness he was diagnosed with the relatively unknown lung disease pulmonary fibrosis. According to a recent study, there are an estimated 32500 PF patients in the UK and this figure is increasing each year. PF has a prognosis worse than many of the well-known cancers. Peter and his wife made it to only two meetings before he died. This makes us all the more determined to save people who are like him and his family from this dreadful disease.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Peter\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Where will the money go?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is planned that the direction of this research would be guided by the EPIC group members and that patients and their families would therefore have a vital say in it. If you would like to be a part of that, please contact us to join the group. Currently the group wants the research to be focused on finding new treatments, preventive therapies and ultimately a cure for PF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n