All ATS 2013 attendees are invited to a special evening reception Saturday, May 18, devoted to supporting research and recognizing a legend in the pulmonary and internal medicine world, Gerard “Gerry” M. Turino, MD. The Fifth Annual ATS Foundation Research Program Benefit, which will take place at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, returns with an open, relaxed reception format, where attendees can freely sit at tables or talk with colleagues from around the world throughout the ballroom.

Gerard “Gerry” M. Turino Last year, the event raised more than $210,000, all of which is earmarked for grants and awards to support pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine research. Since 2002, the ATS Foundation has awarded nearly $10 million in grants to more than 100 early stage investigators—100 percent of donations to the ATS Foundation Research Program goes to research.

Dr. Turino, who served as ATS president from 1987-88, is also being recognized for his early support and advocacy of the ATS Foundation Research Program.

A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the 2013 Breathing for Life Award—the highest honor given by the ATS Foundation in recognition of philanthropy—to Dr. Turino.

The award is one of many Dr. Turino has received over the span of his 63-year career, including two of the Society’s most coveted, the Edward Livingston Trudeau Medal in 2003 and the James Burns Amberson Lecture in 1985. As a diligent and compassionate physician-scientist, Dr. Turino has improved the lives of countless patients and has earned the reputation as being a lion in COPD and Alpha-1 support.

Dr. Turino continues much of his research and clinical work at the James P. Mara Center for Lung Disease in St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine in New York City—a program that he helped create nearly 14 years ago after being named director emeritus of St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals Department of Medicine. He is also the John H. Keating professor emeritus at Columbia University.

Dr. Turino’s research focuses on the mechanisms of lung matrix injury and lung matrix remodeling; alveolar capillary fluid flux; lung elastin peptide quantification as a measure of alveolar matrix injury; and the evaluation of specific protease inhibitors in the therapy of certain diseases of the lung.

All conference attendees are encouraged to join Dr. Turino and other leaders in the field for this special evening. Space is limited, so please purchase your tickets early when you register for ATS 2013.

The Foundation of the ATS thanks all of the individual supporters who have given so generously to the Benefit and the followingcompanies for supporting the Fifth Annual ATS Foundation Research Program Benefit: