President's Message

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Sneak Peek at Hot Topics at ATS 2019

Dr. Parsons

With ATS 2019 less than two months away and full session registration open, now is the time to start making the most of your time in Dallas. There is  still time to register for ATS 2019 at a discounted rate and to book rooms in the ATS hotel block that come with perks for ATS 2019 attendees.

There are many ways to tailor your time at the conference to your preferences. ATS 2019 International Conference Committee Chair, Jess Mandel, MD, offers a sneak peek into this year’s Hot Topics. An interesting theme in several sessions this year will include data usage in research and practice. Join Jeffrey M. Drazen, MD, in the keynote series to discuss data sharing in clinical trials. The discussion will include the role of data gatherers and data scientists in clinical trials, as well as the role of data statements and data repositories in maximizing the value from patients participating in such trials.  Later in the keynote series, join Michael D. Howell, MD, MPH, to delve into artificial intelligence and its applications in pulmonary medicine, learning about key techniques in machine learning and the ways in which it differs from traditional statistical and programming approaches. There will also be a session dedicated to big data in critical care. That session will cover the Learning Health System framework, a solution that leverages high quality evidence, internal data and informatics, and systematic implementation to improve outcomes and value in the ICU.

Other sessions that ATS assembly chairs recommend, include "Breaking the Paradigm: Early Origins of COPD," which will highlight new concepts and potentially a major advance in how COPD is diagnosed and treated, and “Mechanopharmacology of Airway and Airway Smooth Muscle,” discussing the exploration of this new area of research.

This year’s plenary session speaker Ed Kashi, a photojournalist, filmmaker, and educator whose work has covered aging in America, climate change, the plight of Syrian refugees, and the global epidemic of chronic kidney disease among agricultural workers, among other things. His presentation will explore the role of photojournalism in public health.

Make sure to join me at the ATS President’s Symposium, where we will commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Division of Lung Diseases (DLD) at the NIH National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, and don’t miss the opening ceremony with Mary E. Klotman, MD, dean of the Duke University School of Medicine and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs. The Public Service Award, World Lung Health Award, and Jo Rae Wright Award for Outstanding Science will also be presented at the opening ceremony as well.

Stay tuned for e-previews and conference roadmaps for more conference details to make the most of your time at ATS 2019. For ideas to enjoy Dallas after the conference, take a look at Destination Dallas!