Rate My Professor Jan Cowan

Jan Cowan is the Research Manager of the Otago Respiratory Research Unit within the Department of Medicine at the Dunedin School of Medicine, part of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Otago. In her role, she manages a range of research projects centered on respiratory diseases and their treatments. The unit specializes in the investigation of exhaled nitric oxide as a biomarker for asthma and other airway diseases, where it has conducted leading research and maintains an active publication record. Additional research areas include gene expression patterns in antibiotic-resistant bacteria among cystic fibrosis patients, in collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry; delivery of healthcare services for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), working with the Department of General Practice and Rural Health; development of inhaled antibiotic therapies for tuberculosis alongside the School of Pharmacy; and evaluation of medication use and safety in COPD patients through the Pharmacoepidemiology Research Network. The Otago Respiratory Research Unit also performs commercial pharmaceutical studies targeting conditions such as asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, and interstitial lung disease. As a New Zealand Certified Scientist (NZCS), Jan Cowan contributes to these efforts and holds responsibilities as Health & Safety Officer, ensuring safe research practices.

Jan Cowan is a co-author on several publications in respiratory medicine, reflecting her involvement in high-quality clinical research. Key works include Singh, A., Cowan, J., & Dummer, J. (2020). 'The effect of mode of inhaled salbutamol delivery on measures of small airways obstruction in asthma'; Amer, M., Cowan, J., Gray, A., Brockway, B., & Dummer, J. (2016). 'Effect of inhaled β2-agonist on exhaled nitric oxide in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease', published in PLoS ONE; and Dummer, J. F., Epton, M. J., Cowan, J. O., Cook, J. M., Condliffe, R., Landhuis, C. E., Smith, A. D., & Taylor, D. R. (2009). 'Predicting corticosteroid response in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using exhaled nitric oxide', in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. These contributions underscore the unit's impact on understanding respiratory biomarkers and treatments. She has also supported sample collection and technical expertise in various studies on Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis and other respiratory pathogens.