The ATS 2016 International Conference features a wealth of renowned, thought-provoking speakers during its numerous education sessions.
J. Craig Venter, PhD
The Opening Ceremony, Saturday, May 14, features J. Craig Venter, PhD, a biologist renowned for his contributions in sequencing a draft human genome in 2001, the first complete diploid human genome in 2007, and construction of the first synthetic bacterial cell in 2010. He is founder, chairman and CEO of the J. Craig Venter Institute, founder and CEO of the company Synthetic Genomics Inc., and a co-founder and CEO of Human Longevity Inc.
Dr. Venter and his teams are focused on a variety of projects and programs including: synthetic genomic research and their application to develop new biofuels, vaccines, foods, and nutritional products; continued analysis of the human genome including human microbiome; and discovering and understanding genetic diversity in the world’s oceans. Dr. Venter is a recipient of the 2008 National Medal of Science and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He is the author of Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life and A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life.
Atul Malhotra, MD
During the Opening Ceremony, ATS President Atul Malhotra, MD, will welcome the more than 15,000 attendees expected to attend the conference. The ATS will also recognize the first ATS Foundation Vision Award honoree, Sonia Buist, MD, a past president of the Society and founder of the Methods in Epidemiologic, Clinical, and Operations Research (MECOR) program. The award honors an innovative individual who has had a transformative impact on the delivery of health care.
The ceremony will be followed by a social gathering with light refreshments, where attendees can meet friends and colleagues.
The J. Burns Amberson Lecture on Sunday, May 15, will be presented by Marlene Rabinovitch, MD, the Dwight and Vera Dunlevie Professor of Pediatrics and professor of developmental biology at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Rabinovitch, whose research centers on pulmonary arterial hypertension, is also the research director of the Vera Moulton Wall Center for Pulmonary Vascular Disease. The Amberson Lecture recognizes her major lifetime contributions to respiratory health.
In the Tuesday, May 17, Plenary Session, you’ll hear about the compelling work of Katie Meyler, one of the “Ebola Fighters” collectively recognized by TIME as the 2014 Person of the Year.
Meyler, of New Jersey, is the founder of the More than Me Academy, a tuition-free girls school in the crowded West Point slum in Monrovia, Liberia, to help girls get off the street and into school. When the Ebola outbreak began, Meyler returned to Liberia from a fundraising trip and transformed the school into a disaster-response center. With help from a donor, Meyler organized meetings, food distribution, and an ambulance service. Today, the academy serves more than 150 children and six Monrovia communities. This four-minute video will give you a sense of Ms. Meyler’s tireless efforts.
The ATS Plenary Session also will feature the introduction of the ATS slate of officers, an in memoriam presentation, and remarks from ATS President Atul Malhotra, MD, and ATS President-Elect David Gozal, MD.
The President’s Symposium on Monday, May 16, will focus on applied physiology. The topics and presenters will be:
- Respiration Mechanics: Saving Lives for Nearly a Century—Jeffrey Drazen, MD, editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine
- Applied Physiology in Sleep Apnea and Control of Breathing— Magdy Younes, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Unjamming the Cell Shape in the Asthmatic Airway Epithelium—Jeffrey Fredberg, PhD, professor of bioengineering and physiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- From Sepsis Mechanisms to the Origin of Bioelectronic Medicines— Kevin Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York
- Assessing Regional Lung Strain and Perfusion at the Bedside: The Future Is Now—Marcelo Amato MD, PhD, professor at the University of Sí£o Paulo, Brazil
- As well as young investigator presentations to be determined