Pediatrics

Welcome Message

Assembly Chair
Lisa R. Young, MD, ATSF

Welcome to the Assembly on Pediatrics of the American Thoracic Society! We are an active Assembly with members from a variety of clinical and scientific backgrounds who are dedicated to improving respiratory health for all children. We invite you to get involved in the many exciting opportunities available, as shown by the number of committees, interest groups, and working groups listed below. 

Our mission is to promote the respiratory health of infants, children, and adolescents and to improve the care of children with respiratory disease through patient care, research and innovation, education, and advocacy. As pediatricians, we advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves, including striving to address social determinants of health that particularly impact infants and children. The Assembly includes specialists in pediatric pulmonology, neonatology, sleep medicine, pediatric critical care, allergy-immunology, nursing, and other health care professionals, along with PhD investigators from numerous scientific disciplines, united in a common goal of advancing child lung health. A large portion of ATS members with Pediatrics as their primary Assembly choose to be members of other Assemblies, further reflecting our collaborative interests and the themes of respiratory health that traverse the lifespan. The Assembly also has an active international community, and we strive to expand our membership beyond North America. If interested, please visit the Virtual International Pediatric Pulmonary Network

The Assembly on Pediatrics is committed to the education, mentorship and career development of students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty interested in a career focused on childhood respiratory health. Scholarship programs enable students, residents, and other trainees to attend the International Conference to network and meet the pediatric community. The Resident Boot Camp and Fellows Track Symposium provide key didactic and career development sessions for incoming fellows and fellows in training, respectively. The Assembly on Pediatrics also offers numerous Early Career Faculty Opportunities, including New Faculty Boot Camp, mentorship and apprenticeship programs to encourage junior faculty to seek greater involvement in ATS.  The Pediatric Pulmonology Division Directors Association and Pediatric Program Training Directors Association synthesize community leadership around workforce issues related to training and the future of Pediatric Pulmonology. Details on all these opportunities and many more can be found on the ATS website. 

The Assembly on Pediatrics highlights scientific advances and educational updates throughout the year through multiple venues, including:

• The Web Committee delivers content including webinars, journal clubs, podcasts, and Quick Hits. 

• The Program Committee organizes pediatric-focused content for the International Conference and is responsible for selecting scientific symposia and scientific abstracts in addition to programming poster discussion sessions, and thematic poster sessions. Some of the most popular sessions at the International Conference include “Pediatric Clinical Chest Rounds,” a discussion of 4 interesting case reports by trainees and faculty, and the “Best of Pediatrics” mini symposia of the highest ranked abstracts across multiple disciplines within pediatrics. 

• The Planning Committee promotes the development of clinical practice guidelines, technical statements, and workshop reports specific to pediatric respiratory health.  

Thank you for your interest in the Pediatrics Assembly. Please contact me or any of the Chairs if you have questions. We hope you will join us in advancing child health and would love to hear from you! 

Your input and feedback are always welcome. You can contact the assembly by email at peds@thoracic.org.