European Cystic Fibrosis Society: Clinical Trials Network; cystic fibrosis; respiratory disease; bronchiectasis; non-CF bronchiectasis; patient-reported outcome measures; CT imaging; microbiology

Dr Kathryn (Kate) Hill is currently the European Cystic Fibrosis Society Clinical Trials Network (ECFS-CTN) co-lead for the ECFS CTN Standardisation Committee, based at the Wellcome Trust-Wolfson Northern Ireland Clinical Research Facility at Queen's University, Belfast. Prior to this, she held a post-doctoral research post in physiotherapy at Ulster University. She completed her BSc (First Class Hons) in Physiotherapy at Ulster University in 2011, following a BSc and PhD in Economics and Social Sciences at Queen's University (1994), PGCFHE (1996) & PGDFHE with Commendation (1999) at Ulster University. She joined the ECFS-CTN and Queen's University in 2015. 

Dr Hill's research portfolio is focused on respiratory health, with a specific interest in cystic fibrosis (CF). She is coordinator of multiple working groups within the ECFS CTN Standardisation Committee. One area of focus is exploring patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) with the ECFS-CTN and CF Europe PROMs Special Interest Group, working to develop patient-led outcome measures in the field of CF. Dr Hill also coordinates working groups on CF diagnostic techniques such as Sweat Test, inflammatory biomarkers in CF, lung imaging in CF, anthropometrics, microbiological techniques, and respiratory function measurement.

These projects are funded for example by both the ECFS, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Development Network (CFF TDN) and include international, multi-centre trials, employing a wide range of trial designs (RCTs and observational studies) and both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. 

Dr Hill is currently a member of the European CF Society, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, the European Respiratory Society and the European Reference Network (Lung): Functional Committee on Patient Reported Outcomes & Quality of Life. She teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate level at Queen's and is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).