The virtual platform provides convenient, on-demand access to popular scientific sessions from the International Conference, including Year in Review and Core Curriculum sessions; industry presentations from leading companies in the field; and thousands of ePosters highlighting the latest discoveries in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

Oren Kupfer, MD, opened the first of three sessions with an exploration of diagnostic strategies to identify NMDs as a prelude to managing and treating these diseases. “Respiratory disease is common in our patients with neuromuscular disease and is often the cause of death,” he said.

Jamuna K. Krishnan, MD, MBA, MSc; Neeta Thakur, MD, MPH; Juan C. Celedon, MD, DrPH, ATSF; and Sushma K. Cribbs, MD, MSCR, ATSF, discussed pre-existing threats to and the collateral effects of COVID-19 on professional development for young respiratory health faculty.

More than 16,000 health care providers and researchers around the world belong to the ATS, the preeminent respiratory society in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. Be part of the Society’s mission to accelerate global innovation in the advancement of respiratory health through multidisciplinary collaboration, education, and advocacy by becoming a member today.

In addition to the physical effects of COVID-19 infection on patients, the pandemic has had a significant impact on the well-being of frontline health care workers. Experts including Heather De Keyser, MD, MSCR, discussed the implications of both for public health.

Panelists Erica Farrand, MD; Bridget Collins, MD; Leticia Kawano-Dourado, MD, PhD; Ayodeji Adegunsoye, MD, MS; and Robert W. Hallowell, MD, explained the complexities of the diagnosis and treatment of diseases including pulmonary fibrosis and granulomatous lymphocytic interstitial lung disease, as well as autoimmune rheumatic diseases with pulmonary manifestations.

Manuel Sánchez De La Torre, PhD, discussed obstructive sleep apnea phenotypes in a scientific symposium addressing the integration of endotypes, medical informatics, and multi-omics to guide more precise care of patients with sleep disorders. Presenters also discussed sex-specific factors as targets for subtyping, epigenomics, and designing new trials.

Two symposia in the Critical Care Clinical Core Curriculum focused on recognizing, avoiding, and managing the impairments that can develop after admission to an intensive care unit.

Enid R. Neptune, MD, ATSF, was part of an international panel that discussed the needed clinical, public health, and regulatory efforts to prevent future e-cigarette induced lung injury.