Biography

Dr Joanna Szram studied at the University of Cambridge and continued training Cambridge, Nottingham and London. She then completed her PhD in occupational lung disease at Imperial College London.

In October 2014, Dr Szram became director of medical education at the Trust.

In 2020, Dr Szram was appointed Royal College of Physicians (RCP) Linacre Fellow, a three-year role where she will focus on the development and leadership of the RCP’s network of college tutors and associate college tutors. Dr Szram is also Chair of the National Association of Clincal Tutors (NACT), which represents and supports directors of medical education and other educational leaders across the UK.

Areas of expertise

Dr Szram's areas of expertise include: 

• outpatient care and assessment of patients referred with work-related respiratory symptoms
• inpatient specific inhalation challenge testing
• follow-up and advice after diagnosis
• pre-placement for potential employees with respiratory disease
• workplace clinics and visits, phone consultations and specialists opinions on work-related respiratory issues
• reviewing how employees with chronic respiratory symptoms and disease could be affected in employment
• investigating respiratory symptoms related to environmental triggers, such as allergens and chemicals
• providing a dedicated laboratory service for occupational and environmental allergen testing, such as: 
  • bespoke IeG and IgG assays
  • precipitins
  • beryllium proliferation tests
• hosting a dedicated occupational lung disease clinic.

Research interests

Dr Szram has a range of research interests, including: 

• a Colt Foundation-funded longitudinal population study. This examines the impact of respiratory symptoms, COPD and airflow obstruction (FEV1) on current and future employment in 51-60-year-olds in Kent. 
• collaborating with the Welding Institute to look at welding and lung function decline. It also looks at how continued exposure affects occupational asthma. 
• pre-placement and other employment issues in asthma and other cardio-respiratory diseases. This focuses on safety-critical roles, such as firefighting or the armed forces. 
• occupational respiratory surveillance.

Teaching

Dr Szram oversees internal and external education in occupational lung disease. This is aimed at occupational health, respiratory specialists and primary care health professionals. 

She regularly works with visitors from around the world for clinical and/or research attachments. 

Read more information about Dr Szram’s work on the Lungs at Work website.