The ATS 2011 President’s Symposium will focus on developing global health leadership, an area of increasing importance as global trade and the ease of travel have broken down national boundaries with respect to respiratory diseases, critical illnesses and sleep disorders. The symposium will take place from 8:15 to 10:45 a.m. on Monday, May 16.
Dean E. Schraufnagel, MD
“This symposium will focus on leadership in world health: how to be a leader, how to find a leader and how to develop a leader,” said ATS President Dean E. Schraufnagel, MD, who will co-chair the program with ATS President-Elect Nicholas S. Hill, MD.
Leaders from the National Institutes of Health, World Bank and World Health Organization’s Stop TB Partnership will discuss the definition, nature and impact of leadership. They will also talk about how to deal with difficult situations in various international settings, as well as suggest ways for individuals to become more involved and effective in the international projects in which they are involved.
“Almost half of attendees who attend the ATS International Conference come from outside the United States and many North American attendees are involved in international activities,” Dr. Schraufnagel explained. “Many participants are or aspire to be international global health leaders and are involved in developing and training future leaders.”
During the program, Lucica Ditiu, MD, executive secretary of the WHO Stop TB Partnership, will discuss her efforts to treat TB in the Balkans. “If we think we have difficulties getting people to work together, we need to listen to Dr. Ditiu tell how she tried to develop a team approach to treating tuberculosis in the Balkans during their civil war,” Dr. Schraufnagel said.
The session will also educate attendees about international organizations, how they view leadership, and how they select and train leaders. “Effective leadership makes all the difference,” Dr. Schraufnagel continued. “Indoor air pollution, for instance, has occurred since humans used fire in enclosed spaces, but, as former ATS President William J. Martin will tell you, only with effective world health leadership is the problem being addressed.”
Scheduled topics and speakers include:
| 8:15 a.m.: | Defining Research Questions: Strategic Approaches to Scientific Priorities in Lung Health—S. Shurin, MD, Bethesda, MD |
| 8:45 a.m.: | Developing Great Leaders in Global Health: Experience and Lessons from the Fogarty International Center, NIH—J. G. Breman, MD, Bethesda, MD |
| 9:15 a.m.: | Leadership in Health and Development—E. Baris, MD, Washington, DC |
| 9:45 a.m.: | How Leadership Makes a Difference—W. J. Martin, MD, Bethesda, MD |
| 10:15 a.m.: | Working with the Field—L. Ditiu, MD, Geneva, Switzerland |
Marc Moss, MD
“The world is becoming a smaller place, and the impact of diseases in one part of the world has larger implications in other parts of the world,” said Marc Moss, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, Denver, who chairs the ATS International Conference Committee. “We can learn from other international scientists and clinicians who have experience with treating lung diseases, and extrapolate their knowledge to help our patients.”