FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Refiloe Masekela, MD, PhD, to Receive the 2025 World Lung Health Award
Dr. Masekela will be formally recognized for her outstanding contributions to the field at the ATS 2025 International Conference in San Francisco.
NEW YORK, NY (May 9, 2025) -- The American Thoracic Society is proud to announce that Refiloe Masekela, MD, PhD, will receive a 2025 ATS Respiratory Health Award. Dr. Masekela will be presented with ATS’s World Lung Health Award for her exemplary achievements in respiratory health based on her work as a National Institutes of Health and Care Research Global Health Research Professor focusing on pediatric asthma clinical trials, and her creation of the African Chronic Respiratory Disease Observatory CHEST AFRICA. Based in Durban, South Africa, Dr. Masekela also serves as chair of the Pan African Thoracic Society and co-chair of the Global Asthma Network.
All award recipients will be recognized for their contributions and achievements in pulmonary disease, critical care, and sleep health at the upcoming ATS 2025 International Conference to be held May 16-21 in San Francisco. The awards represent outstanding respiratory health contributions through various means, from research and diagnosis to education and advocacy.
"This year's ATS Respiratory Health Awards recipients embody excellence in science and clinical care," said ATS President Irina Petrache, MD, ATSF. "We extend our warmest congratulations to these outstanding individuals. Their work has made a meaningful difference in advancing respiratory health around the world, and we are deeply appreciative of their contributions."
The World Lung Health Award recognizes and celebrates an individual who has made substantial contributions in improving world lung health in the area of translational or implementation research, delivery of health care, continuing education or care of patients with lung disease, or related political advocacy with a special emphasis on efforts that have the potential to eliminate gender, racial, ethnic, or economic health disparities worldwide.
“I'm incredibly honored and humbled to receive this award. ATS-MECOR has played such a big role in shaping the next generation of lung health researchers, and I’m proud to be one of them. The greatest joy in my career has been in paying it forward through mentorship and training of others in Africa,” Dr. Masekela said.
Register now to attend ATS 2025 and recognize this year’s outstanding recipients.
About the American Thoracic Society:
Founded in 1905, the American Thoracic Society is the world's leading medical society dedicated to accelerating the advancement of global respiratory health through multidisciplinary collaboration, education, and advocacy. Core activities of the Society’s more than 16,000 members are focused on leading scientific discoveries, advancing professional development, impacting global health, and transforming patient care. Key areas of member focus include developing clinical practice guidelines, hosting the annual International Conference, publishing four peer-reviewed journals, advocating for improved respiratory health globally, and developing an array of patient education and career development resources.
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