Working Groups

Chairs

Irfan Rahman, PhD, ATSF
Benjamin Singer, MD, PhD
Beata Kosmider, PhD

Goal

Our main goal is to increase our awareness and disseminate knowledge of the pathophysiological mechanisms of aging in the lungs with interests in terms of the basic biology of aging in debilitating lung diseases including critical care and geriatric aging. We aim to thus contribute to the larger mission of the current Interesting Group of Aging.

This group will bring together lung researchers (including early career members, MDs, MD-PhDs, and PhDs) who are interested in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of aging and age-related lung diseases, and forms a forum for discussion on hallmarks of lung aging and associated diseases.

Objectives

To increase the knowledge of the physiological and accelerated mechanisms of aging in the lungs in collaboration with clinical and critical care geriatric discipline.

To enhance overall visibility and advance the knowledge of aging of the lung and mechanisms of age-related lung diseases.

To target age-associated dysfunction: Advancing knowledge of age-associated therapeutic targets that may promote enhanced repair.

To highlight the impact on the global health burden of age-associated lung diseases e.g. environmental aspect of aging (biomass, wildfire, ashes, diesel exhausts) in all populations including geriatric age-related diseases development and therapeutic targeting age. Dissemination of knowledge by including NIA and NHLBI researchers including critical care research programs.

Welcome to the RCMB Early Career Professionals Working Group. The goal of this working group is to promote and facilitate the involvement of junior ATS members (students, fellows, and junior faculty) in the RCMB Assembly and the ATS as a whole. Towards this end, we have several ongoing projects:

• We organize the annual RCMB reception and dinner, which are held and the ATS International Conference. One of the main purposes of these events is to facilitate interaction between junior and senior RCMB members.
• We have developed an RCMB Brochure, which highlights the benefits of, and mechanisms for, involvement in the RCMB Assembly. View the brochure.
• We program education sessions at the ATS Internation Conference geared towards junior professionals.
• We organize an annual mentoring program to help trainees and junior faculty members navigate the seemingly complex environment of the American Thoracic Society so that they can get the most out of their ATS International Conference experience and the Society as a whole.

The RCMB Early Career Professionals Working Group welcomes new members. It is limited to 25 members and members rotate in order to allow new members to participate.

If you would like to become actively involved in the Working Group, please send the WG chair your CV and a brief paragraph outlining your background, why you are interested, and what committees you would like to join.