FIGURE 2.

Focus areas for future interdisciplinary research into early origins of chronic lung disease. To advance our understanding of the early origins of chronic lung disease four main focus areas and future directions for advancement within these areas have been identified: 1) policy; 2) clinical assessment; 3) research; and 4) infrastructure and tools. Central to these focus areas is education of researchers and clinicians, but also education of and communication to the general public. Clinical observations and research findings are required to inform policy making which consequently serves as a basis to inform, guide and educate the public. In order to facilitate proper clinical assessment and both basic and translational research, adequate infrastructure is needed in the form of databases and biobanks. Moreover, interdisciplinary training of professionals (clinicians, midwives, basic and translational researchers, and bioinformaticians and biostatisticians) working across the focus areas is required.