ABSTRACT
This application requests partial funding for the 2020 Pittsburgh International Lung Conference entitled
“Metabolism and the Lung: Homeostasis, Immunity, and Disease.” The Pittsburgh International Lung
Conference (PILC) has been a leading meeting in the field of Pulmonary Medicine for more than 15 years. With
a focus on the presentation of cutting-edge topics in clinical, translational, and basic research, the PILC brings
together leaders from institutions across the country and internationally to participate in thematic discussion
and foster collaboration. Previous Pittsburgh Lung conferences have focused on COPD, asthma, acute
respiratory distress syndrome, aging, pulmonary fibrosis, personalized medicine, and host defense, among
other topics. This year, we will partner with the University Clinic in Barcelona, Spain and the Royal College of
Surgeons in Ireland to bring international insights on the role of metabolism as it pertains to Pulmonary
Medicine in 2020. This year's Pittsburgh International Lung Conference will include seven thematic sessions
structured around lung biology and disease with special attention to the metabolism of the cells and tissues,
whole human metabolism and performance, and the microenvironment and microbiome within this complex
organ. Our program will feature four keynote speakers, as well as local, national, and international experts.
Each session will showcase K-level and early R-level faculty. Division chiefs from Harvard, Penn, Pitt, and
Hopkins will moderate a Young Investigator’s panel of presentations. A call for abstracts will provide an
opportunity to for all attendees to show their work and to network. Meritorious abstracts will be selected for
short talks integrated into the final program. Women and underrepresented minorities will be part of this
conference program, and travel awards will be granted to provide balanced numbers of presentations from
URM investigators. A special Panel Discussion, ‘Academic Success as Perceived from Beyond Academia’ will
feature Editors from top tier journals, NIH stakeholders, and a leader from the American Society for Clinical
Investigation. The 2020 Pittsburgh International Lung Conference will not only serve as a forum for cutting-
edge basic, translational, and clinical research on metabolism in pulmonary disease, but will also provide
guidance and exposure for early and mid-career professionals toward career success.
