Lung Epithelium in Health and Disease - Project Summary
The 2024 FASEB Summer Research Conference, "The Lung Epithelium in Health and Disease", is the 12th
biannual conference in this area, bringing together developmental, cell and molecular biologists, geneticists,
physiologists, clinicians and translational researchers with a primary interest in lung epithelial biology. The topics
selected represent the cutting-edge of lung research and the program is planned to disseminate new findings
with translational potential to accelerate progress toward novel therapies for lung disease. Topics include (1)
molecular mechanisms of lung epithelial development, repair/regeneration, and plasticity (2) common and unique
pathways of intra-epithelial communications in lung physiology and diseases, (3) interactions between lung
epithelium and distinct immune cells, including in the context of COVID-19 infection (4) cutting-edge technologies
including single-cell analysis approaches and ex-vivo models for investigating lung epithelial biology . In addition
to the unique collection of research topics, this meeting provides a platform for new speakers, early stage
investigators, and trainees. Twenty-five of 33 speakers (55%) have not spoken at this conference in the last four
years, and sixteen of the 37 speakers/session chairs (44%) are women. Sixteen short-talk sessions are
designated for trainees or new investigators. Specific efforts are being made to encourage participation by
underrepresented minorities in the field. In addition to talks, there are 3 poster sessions and 4 “Meet-the-Experts”
sessions to facilitate scientific and social interactions between all participants. By bringing the best of the lung
epithelium research community together, the overall goal of this conference is to push the field forward towards
innovative directions for basic research and novel therapeutics for important lung diseases, including asthma,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.