June 2017

This week, the ATS leadership met with directors of some of the National Institutes of Health and federal agencies relevant to the Society's research and public policy agenda. These included the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHHD), and the Veterans Affair's Research Program.

In each of the meetings, the ATS leaders discussed relevant research needs in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, and strategized with the institute directors and staff about areas for collaboration. This included ways to capitalize on opportunities for federal agency participation in the ATS 2017 International Conference in Washington, DC. ATS President Marc Moss, MD, said, "These meetings help further the ATS's mission over time. They provide the opportunity to engage directly with institute and agency leadership and press our priorities in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine." He continued, "The institutes recognize the ATS's advocacy efforts on their behalf with Congress, and with training the next generation of scientists."