The ATS Public Advisory Roundtable presents two awards annually at the ATS PAR Symposium as part of the ATS International Conference. Additionally, PAR members provide abstract scholarships in their own areas of interest based on meritorious abstract submissions to the ATS International Conference.
John W. Walsh PAR Award for Excellence
John W. Walsh founded both the COPD Foundation and the Alpha-1 Foundation. In these roles, he served as an original member of the ATS Public Advisory Roundtable. As a member of the ATS, his influence and leadership shaped PAR and PAR’s continued support of the ATS Research Program.
The Walsh PAR Excellence Award is an honor awarded by persons affected by pulmonary disease to a domestic or international individual, group or institution from any lay, professional or government field who has improved the lives of patients by:
- Enabling research and advancing the understanding of disease through legislation, advocacy or philanthropy.
- Performing basic or clinical scientific works that have produced tangible and significant benefits for affected individuals.
- Providing vision, hope, support or relief to those who live with life–threatening pulmonary illness.
The 2026 John W. Walsh awardee is Raksha Jain, MD, MSCI, ATSF.
Dr. Raksha Jain is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Medical Director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She trained at MIT, UT Houston, and Washington University in St. Louis, where she also earned a master's in clinical investigation.
Her research focuses on new cystic fibrosis treatments and gender disparities in airway diseases, and she has received funding from the NIH, Children's Medical Center of Dallas, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She leads multicenter clinical trials and conducts her own clinical and molecular research.
Dr. Jain is board-certified in pulmonology, critical care, and internal medicine, and is active in numerous professional societies including the American Thoracic Society. She also chairs the Sexual Health, Reproduction, and Gender Research Working Group at the CF Foundation.
William J. Martin, II Distinguished Achievement Award
The ATS Public Advisory Roundtable was founded through the vision of then ATS President Dr. Bill Martin, who sought “to create something quite different that would include patients in the heart of its organization.”
The recipient of the William J. Martin, II Distinguished Achievement Award is an honor awarded to a person who embodies the many characteristics of its namesake listed below.
- Innovative Spirit
- Outstanding Leadership Skills
- Impressive History in Public Service
- Passion for Patients
The 2026 William J. Martin, II PAR Award for Excellence awardee is Deepika Polineni, MD, MPH.
Dr. Deepika Polineni is the CF Center Director at Washington University and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Washington University St. Louis School of Medicine. She trained at the University of Michigan, UNC Chapel Hill, and Washington University, and holds both an MD and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
Her research focuses on genetic and molecular factors that influence lung disease severity in CF, integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic data to identify novel treatment targets. She has led biorepository development to find biomarkers for CFTR modulator therapies and has served as a principal investigator in national and global CFTR modulator studies.
Beyond research, Dr. Polineni is a dedicated clinician and mentor. She has volunteered with CFRI's Research Advisory Committee, reviewing grant proposals, and since 2024 has been a faculty member in CFRI's Patrick Nash Fellows Training Program, mentoring early-career professionals across multiple disciplines. She has also presented at CFRI's National CF Education Conference, participated in ATS-PAR forums and webinars, and is a recipient of CFRI's CF Professional of the Year award.
2026 Abstract Winners
Allergy & Asthma Network – Patricia Andrea Dela Cruz, MD, PhD
Alpha-1 – Emma Leacy, BSc, PhD
Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia Association – Zicheng Deng, PhD
Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia Association – Lisandra Vila Ellis, MD
ARDS Alliance – Peter Graffy, PhD, MPH
ARDS Alliance – Christine Zhang, BS
Cystic Fibrosis Research Institute – Zheqing Hu, BS
Cystic Fibrosis Research Institute – Yue Molin , PhD
Lung Transplant Foundation – Lucy Pu, BS
Lung Transplant Foundation – Anya Sriram, BS
PF Warriors – Yinan Hu, PhD
PF Warriors – Zhen Zheng, MD
Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Foundation – Ahmed Elgamal, MD, MB BCh, MSc
Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Foundation – Edwin L. Acevedo Soto, MS
Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Foundation – Jose Matias, MD
Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Foundation – Wallace Wee, MD, PhD
Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis –Xinyao Li BM
TSC Alliance – Prachi Saluja, MD
Vasculitis Foundation – Masashi Sonoda, MD
Vasculitis Foundation – Sarita Thawanaphong, MD, MSc