American Thoracic Society International Conference

American Thoracic Society International Conference
Name	American Thoracic Society International Conference
Status	Active
Genre	Medical conference
Frequency	Annual
Venue	Variable
Location	United States and international locations
First	1905
Organizer	American Thoracic Society

American Thoracic Society International Conference

Overview

The American Thoracic Society International Conference is an annual meeting that convenes clinicians, researchers, and policymakers from across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa to discuss respiratory medicine, pulmonary critical care, and sleep medicine within forums that include plenary sessions, symposia, workshops, and poster sessions linking collaborators from institutions such as Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, and Cleveland Clinic while attracting delegates from organizations like the World Health Organization, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, European Respiratory Society, and Pan American Health Organization.

History and Development

The meeting evolved from early 20th-century assemblies of pulmonologists associated with societies including the American Lung Association and drew influence from landmark events such as the Spanish flu pandemic and research milestones at laboratories like Rockefeller University and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, with programmatic growth paralleling discoveries at institutions such as Harvard Medical School, Stanford University School of Medicine, and Imperial College London and collaborations with funding agencies including the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and philanthropies like the Gates Foundation.

Conference Structure and Programs

The conference program integrates formats seen in forums like the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions and the European Society of Cardiology Congress, including plenary lectures modeled on symposia from Nobel Prize laureates in physiology or medicine, parallel themed tracks reflecting research from centers such as Karolinska Institutet, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, and University College London, postgraduate courses similar to those at Royal College of Physicians, and hands-on workshops coordinated with registries like the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease and consortia such as the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.

Scientific Contributions and Publications

Presentations at the conference have preceded publications in journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, Journal of the American Medical Association, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, and Chest (journal), and trials presented have been funded by entities such as the National Cancer Institute, Wellcome Trust, and European Commission while informing guidelines developed by organizations like the Global Initiative for Asthma and influencing meta-analyses appearing in BMJ and Annals of Internal Medicine.

Attendance and Membership

Attendance draws physicians, scientists, trainees, and allied health professionals from professional bodies including the American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, Association of American Medical Colleges, academic departments at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Yale School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and representatives from industry sponsors such as Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Roche, AstraZeneca, and device manufacturers like Medtronic and Boston Scientific.

Notable Sessions and Awards

Notable sessions have featured keynote addresses by figures affiliated with institutions like National Institutes of Health directors, and award presentations have included prizes analogous to the Lasker Award and honors echoing the structure of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, with named lectures and awards recognizing contributions from investigators at centers such as Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Scripps Research, and The Rockefeller University.

Impact on Clinical Practice and Policy

Findings disseminated at the conference have influenced clinical practice guidelines promulgated by panels including the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and have informed policy deliberations at agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, while collaborations seeded at the meeting have led to multicenter trials coordinated by consortia like the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium and global initiatives addressing respiratory disease burden documented by the Global Burden of Disease Study.

Category:Medical conferences