DrJustine Devulder

Dr. Justine Devulder is a Research Associate in the Section of Airway Disease at the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI). Her research has primarily focused on the pathophysiology of chronic lung conditions. During her master's degree and PhD, she concentrated on asthma, and in her postdoctoral studies, she shifted her focus to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Dr. Devulder completed her master's degree and PhD from September 2014 to March 2019 at the University of Lille, France, under the supervision of Dr. Catherine Duez. She was part of the Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, specifically in Team 13, “Pulmonary Immunity,” directed by Dr. Anne Tsicopoulos. Her research investigated the immune and inflammatory responses involved in severe asthma and asthma exacerbations. During her PhD, she received a three-year fellowship from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and a six-month fellowship from the Respiratory Health Research Fund.

In June 2019, Dr. Devulder joined the Airway Disease group at the NHLI as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, working under the supervision of Professors Peter Barnes and Louise Donnelly. Her project explores the mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of COPD, particularly focusing on cellular senescence. The team has demonstrated that extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from COPD epithelial cells carry a specific microRNA, miR-34a, which can be transferred into healthy epithelial cells, inducing senescence in those cells. Their findings suggest that EVs play a role in the propagation of cellular senescence and may contribute to the pathophysiology of COPD and the development of comorbidities. This research has been published in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, and it has been presented through posters and oral presentations at several international conferences, including the American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society, where it received several awards, including the Science and Innovation Centre Award during the ATS 2022.

Since October 2025, Dr. Devulder has obtained an Early Career Starter Grant from Asthma Lung UK, which aims to elucidate the implications of extracellular vesicles in the ageing of the lungs in COPD patients.

In addition to her research, Dr. Devulder is involved in respiratory teaching for the iBSc in Translational Respiratory Medicine and the MRes in Respiratory and Cardiovascular Sciences. She is also a member of the British Association of Lung Research (BALR), the British Thoracic Society, and the European Respiratory Society. She is a member of the Postdoc and Fellow committee of the NHLI.