John Stradling trained at the Middlesex Hospital with junior posts at the Hammersmith Hospital and Oxford. He has been an NHS consultant since 1989, and was awarded personal chair (respiratory medicine) in 1999. His main research is in the area of sleep related disorders of breathing, epidemiology, cardiovascular consequences, simplified methods of diagnosis, and randomised controlled trials of therapy. Following qualification from the University of Glasgow, Andrew Stanton completed SHO posts in general and later respiratory medicine in Glasgow. He completed his MD thesis in problem asthma at Glasgow Royal Infirmary before moving to the Oxford Deanery for SpR training in General and Respiratory Medicine where he continues to work. His main interests include lung cancer and interventional bronchoscopy. Annabel Nickol is a clinical lecturer in respiratory and critical care medicine in Oxford, with specialist interests in ventilatory extremes and hypoxic responses. She is currently developing a research programme investigating different aspects of hypoxia inducible factor responses, including the role of iron in pulmonary vascular tone, and ventilatory drive in COPD. She is Chairman of 'Medical Expeditions', a group that carries out altitude research and education. Helen E. Davies is a specialist registrar in respiratory and general medicine in Oxford. She qualified from St George's Hospital, London. Her clinical and research interests include novel strategies for the management and palliation of symptoms in malignant pleural disease. She is a member of the British Thoracic Society Pleural Diseases Group. Naj Rahman is an MRC Training Fellow and SpR in Respiratory Medicine, with a research interest in pleural disease. He is currently conducting randomised trials in the fields of infective and malignant pleural effusion.