The maker of an app that’s meant to diagnose respiratory disease when you cough into a phone has appointed a science advisor to help with its next clinical trial.

ResApp’s (ASX:RAP) shares have already seen a slight boost on the news, but they’re coming off a low base.

The company saw its share price fall by almost 80 per cent earlier this month after poor results from its SMARTCOUGH-C trial, which was conducted at three US hospitals.

At the time, ResApp boss Tony Keating told Stockhead the poor results were because he underestimated the challenges of trying to run a trial inside a chaotic emergency room.

“We don’t really think the results here are representative of the true performance of the app,” he said.

ResApp’s plan now is to run another series of studies over the summer (or winter in America), and has so has appointed a science advisor with specific experience in the area to help — Dr Philip Currie.

“I am delighted that Dr Currie is joining our Scientific Advisory Board,” Mr Keating said in an announcement to the market early on Wednesday.

“His extensive experience in medical research at leading US hospitals will provide us with invaluable clinical expertise as we move forward with paediatric and adult clinical studies this US winter.”

Dr Currie completed his medical residency and cardiology fellowship at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne before becoming a staff cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic research institute in the US.

He has been the lead investigator on a number of clinical trials, and holds a medical degree from Monash University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Mr Keating will also travel to the US this week to meet with the doctors who ran the SMARTCOUGH-C trial, to find out what went wrong and how future trials can be improved.

ResApp shares were up almost 10 per cent in morning trade, to 7c at 10.45am AEST.

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