Message from the ARC Directors

Respiratory health is a matter of breath and life. Unfortunately, respiratory diseases are common. For example, in 2015, 490,000 Albertans had asthma and over 120,000 had Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), primary reasons for hospitalizations in children and adults respectively. Numerous others suffer from sleep disordered breathing, lung immaturity at birth, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, respiratory infections and other less common respiratory conditions. Lung diseases are a major social and economic burden globally and continue to increase, in part because of deterioration in air quality.

This website provides information about ARC, its Vision, Mission and Objectives and outlines our work. We are constantly looking for new partners to help reduce the burden of respiratory diseases and to help recruit and train the brightest, most eager minds, to achieve our vision of respiratory health for all.

About Us

The Alberta Respiratory Centre (ARC) was originally known as the Alberta Asthma Centre established in 1993 through the vision and leadership of the University of Alberta, in partnership with the Alberta Lung Association, industry, government and organizations such as the Kinsmen Club. The Alberta Asthma Centre was set up to foster lung health research at the U of A, and developed innovative asthma educational programs for patients, their families, and health care professionals. As pulmonary medicine, research and scholarly training programs developed at U of A, the Alberta Asthma Centre transitioned into the Alberta Respiratory Centre (ARC). ARC appropriately reflects the breadth of lung health needs in the community and the growing interests and expertise in respiratory health and disease at the University.

The Mission of ARC is to advance the prevention and treatment of respiratory disease through clinical innovation, research, advocacy, and education. The membership of ARC includes physicians, scientists, staff and trainees in the Divisions of adult Pulmonary Medicine and the pediatric Division of Respiratory Medicine, as well as other researchers in the University interested in respiratory health and disease. Through specialized lung health clinics, our members care for those with respiratory diseases. There are many outstanding programs, including the second largest lung transplantation program in Canada, with an impressive record of life-saving successes.

Through ARC we constantly strive to improve clinical care, develop innovations and implement the latest advances in respiratory medicine. We have strong partnerships with Alberta Health Services (AHS); indeed many of our members are leaders in the provincial Respiratory Health Strategic Clinical Network of AHS. We work closely with the Lung Association in its advocacy role with government and the public. Moreover, we have created innovative training programs for the next generation of physicians, respiratory specialists and scientists as they advance through their undergraduate years, advanced graduate studies and highly specialized postdoctoral training.