Professor Dinesh Saralaya

I am a consultant respiratory physician at Spire Leeds Hospital.

I am currently a Consultant Respiratory Physician, Honorary Senior Lecturer at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Director for The National NIHR Patient Recruitment Centre, Bradford. I lead the severe asthma service at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. I am also a Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford. I have been the Director for Clinical Research at the Bradford Institute for Health Research since 2014.

I am the National Clinical Lead for Industry for the Respiratory Disorders Speciality Group, NIHR and Strategic Clinical Lead for Industry Research at the Yorkshire & Humber Clinical Research Network.

I have led the Respiratory Clinical Trials unit at BIHR since its inception in 2009. This unit has grown to become one of the largest self-funded respiratory clinical trials in the UK. The unit is one of the top 5 most reliable & experienced severe asthma clinical research units in the UK. I have been the chief co-ordinating investigator in the UK for over 40 multi-national phase 2 and 3 severe asthma and COPD trials. The Unit has recruited several Global and European first patients into these trials. The unit attracts patients for its Clinical Trials Programme from across the Yorkshire region. The unit has well established links with all major pharmaceutical companies as well as major clinical trials organisations. I have a particular interest in inhalation profiles in patients with severe asthma and COPD and have published his work in this field.  In 2018-19 Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was the only large acute trust in Yorkshire and Humber to achieve >80% recruitment to time and target in the clinical trials run at the centre. This culminated in Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation trust being chosen to host one of 5 National NIHE Patient recruitment centres. I have also co-authored several original research papers and abstracts on severe asthma, COPD and on inhalation profiles amongst these patients.#

The Clinical trials unit I lead has focused its attention in ensuring the large BAME Community in Bradford has access to several large clinical trials and access to cutting edge treatments.

In the COVID -19 Pandemic the Bradford institute for Health Research has recruited over 30% of its patients in COVID-19 treatment trials from the BAME Community.

In 2015 and 2016 I was awarded the best Principal Investigator award for the UK for my delivery into the commercial respiratory research portfolio by NIHR. In 2019, I was awarded the Joint NIHR / Royal College of Physicians National Award for my Contribution to the National Research Effort. I was only one of 2 Physicians to receive the award in 2019.

I set up the severe asthma serviced in Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2006 and have published several of his research work on severe asthma since then. I run a weekly severe asthma clinic at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and chairs a severe asthma MDT held fortnightly. I am an active member of the wider Yorkshire Severe Asthma Network. I have a particular interest in inhalation profiles in patients with severe asthma and COPD and has published his work on this field.  I have pioneered the use of Omalizumab in the treatment of severe allergic asthma and have been involved in most clinical trials involving the newer biologic treatment in severe asthma. In 2016, I was one of the leading investigators in the APEX 2 study, which was the largest real-life study in the UK on the real life effectiveness of Omalizumab in the treatment of severe allergic asthma.

In 2020, I was appointed Director for the NIHR Patient Recruitment Centre, Bradford. This is one of 5 centres in England focussing on recruiting into large Phase 2-4 Commercial Clinical Trials. I am a member of the National PRC Advisory Board.

I am an international key opinion leader in the design and conduct of Phase 2 &3 Severe Asthma and COPD trials across the world. Most recently I have worked in the design of Novel Phase 3 COPD trials delivered from the subject’s homes.