Linda Nici, M.D., helps patients with lungdisease maintain their health, while MarcMoss, M.D., works to standardize treatmentin the ICU.

DAVID H. INGBAR, MD President

JO RAE WRIGHT, PhD President-Elect

JOHN E. HEFFNER, MD Past President

J. RANDALL CURTIS, MD, MPH Vice President

DEAN E. SCHRAUFNAGEL, MD Secretary-Treasurer

STEPHEN C. CRANE, PhD, MPH Executive Director

BRIAN KELL Senior Director, Communications & Marketing

SUZY MARTIN Senior Communications Manager/Editor

The ATS is solely responsible for all content. Questionsand comments may be addressed to Suzy Martin atsmartin@thoracic.org.

Vol. 33 No. 12 December 2007 ATS News (usps 103-750, issn0892-8916) is published 11 times per year at 61 Broadway, NewYork, NY 10006. Copyright 2007 by the American ThoracicSociety. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at addi-tional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to theAmerican Thoracic Society, 61 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York,NY 10006.

Internet: http://www.thoracic.org/go/news

ATS APPROVES CREATION OF ASSEMBLY ONPULMONARY REHABILITATION

Since it was formed in 1997, the Section on PR hasgrown tremendously. It now has more than 800 membersfrom almost every ATS assembly and from multiple disci-plines, including physicians, nurses and doctoral and non-doctoral health professionals interested in basic science andclinical research.

Being a section, however, has limited the scope ofmembers’ activities, including being assured of symposia atthe ATS International Conference, according to SuzanneLareau, R.N., M.S., who will serve as chair-elect of the newassembly.

“While the Assembly on Nursing has always been sup-portive, we’ve outgrown the current structure,” she said.“Pulmonary rehabilitation is now an integral part of inter-vention for people with COPD, and we felt it was time toestablish an assembly that would give us a forum to bettercommunicate our needs.”

The Board’s approval was a victory four years in themaking for the Section on PR, which began petitioning for

assembly status in 2003. “As an assembly, we can better rep-resent the diverse interests of our members and give them agreater voice within the Society,” said Linda Nici, M.D.,who currently co-chairs the Section and who will sit on theATS Board of Directors as the assembly’s first chair.

Having a pulmonary rehabilitation assembly will putthe ATS in a stronger position to recruit more physicaltherapists and respiratory therapists, as well as more inter-national members who are interested in the field, addedSally Singh, Ph.D., who co-chairs the Section. “The growthof our group within the ATS reflects the increasing aca-demic interest and practical delivery of pulmonary rehabili-tation over the last decade,” she said.

Based on the results of a survey sent out last summer,Dr. Nici anticipates that approximately 50 to 100 ATSmembers will choose the Assembly on Pulmonary Reha-bilitation as their primary assembly during the first year. Itmight also be a “good fit” for some of the 2,000 ATS

(continued on page 8)

We help the world breatheP U L M O N A R Y • C R I T I C A L C A R E • S L E E P

ATS NEWS | VOL.33 NO.12 | DECEMBER 2007 1

After years of extraordinary growth, the ATS Section on Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) will become anassembly in its own right. At its September meeting, the ATS Board of Directors granted the Section

independence from the Assembly on Nursing and full assembly status, effective May 2008.

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IN THIS ISSUE

POSTGRADUATECOURSESLearn the latest in pulmonary,critical care and sleep medi-cine at ATS•2008 Toronto.

ATS ADVOCATEThe House of Representativespassed the global Stop TBNow Act on November 5,boosting control efforts.

MIX BUSINESS &PLEASUREDuring ATS 2008, attendeescan explore Toronto’s manycultural and culinaryattractions.

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ATS News is the winner of the 2007 APEX Awardfor most improved newsletter.

WHO’S WHOATATS

ATS ADOPTS TAGLINE

In late September, theATS Board of Directors unanimouslyapproved the Society’s new tagline, which is pictured above.Developed by the ATS Communications & MarketingCommittee, the tagline “gives a succinct description of what theATS does in less than 10 words,” said committee chair MarcMoss, M.D.

While the first line, “We Help the World Breathe,” introduces thescope of the Society’s mission in a general way, the secondline, “Pulmonary • Critical Care • Sleep,” describes more specif-ically the fields in which ATS members work.

TheATS is in the process of incorporating its tagline into all printand electronic materials. “Our tagline is both descriptive andinformative, which will help us accomplish what we set out todo—increase awareness about theATS among opinion leaders,the general public and healthcare providers,” said Dr. Moss.

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ATS NEWS | VOL.33 NO.12 | DECEMBER 20072

NEWSBRIEFS

The 2008 ATS International Conference will be heldMay 16 to 21 in Toronto, Canada, an ideal venue for com-bining learning with pleasure. As one of the world’s mostculturally diverse cities, Toronto offers visitors a wide vari-ety of cultural attractions, entertainment options and culi-nary experiences.

“As someone who has lived in Toronto for more than20 years, I can attest to the fact that the city truly has some-thing for everyone,” said Susan Tarlo, M.D., past chair ofthe ATS Assembly on Environmental and OccupationalHealth and professor in the Departments of Medicine andPublic Health Science at the University of Toronto.

Thanks to its international population, the city hasmore than 7,000 restaurants and 200 dance and theatrecompanies.* With miles of waterfront, boardwalk andtrails, visitors can also choose from a number of outdooractivities. For those who like to shop, the city also has anumber of unique markets and shops.

To help guide ATS members who will be visitingToronto for the first time, Dr. Tarlo offers her top five rec-ommendations of “not-to-be missed” city attractions.

1. At 1,815 feet, the CN Tower is one of the higheststructures in the world. You can eat lunch or dinnerat the revolving restaurant at the top of the tower,which offers spectacular views of the city—on a clearday, you can even see Niagara Falls.

2. The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is Canada’slargest museum and has been rated as one of the top10 museums in the world. Inside are excellent exhibits

on natural history and culture. By May, the dinosaurcollection (which was moved this year to make roomfor renovations) may have returned.

3. Although there are many kinds of restaurants scatteredthroughout the city, Toronto also has a number of ethnicareas, which feature unique dining and shopping experi-ences. Examples are “Little Italy” around St. Clair West,“Chinatown” centered at Spadina and Dundas Streets,“Little Portugal” at Dundas and Bathurst Streets, and“Little India” on Gerrard Street around Coxwell Avenue.

4. The McMichael Gallery northwest of Toronto is abeautiful environment with lovely country trails. It con-tains a very large collection of the Group of Seven—famous Canadian artists who captured the landscapeand scenery of Canada during the first half of the twen-tieth century. Likewise, Niagara on the Lake, a pictur-esque small town with theatres that are surrounded byvineyards, is only about 90 minutes from centralToronto by car and quite close to Niagara Falls..

5. You can visit the Toronto Islands by ferry fromHarborfront at the foot of Yonge Street. The ferry runsoften, is inexpensive and takes about 10 minutes toreach the Centre Island, which has an amazing view ofthe city and a large area of parkland with rental bicy-cles and other activities.

For more information about Toronto, please visitwww.torontotourism.com.*

EXPLORE TORONTODURING ATS • 2008

JOINT ATS-ALAT MEMBERSHIPPROGRAM – 2008 AND BEYOND

Next month, the joint membership program between theATS and the Asociación Latino Americana del Torax (ALAT)will enter its second phase. Beginning January 1, 2008,ALAT members may renew their ATS membership for only$50, a significantly reduced rate following a year-and-a-halfof complimentary dual membership.

The cost of dual ATS-ALAT membership in 2008 is one-thirdless than the regular ATS Reduced Dues Program, whichoffers discounted membership to physicians, researchers andother professionals in countries with annual gross nationalincome (GNI) per capita of $7,500 or less.

ALAT members who choose to renew their joint ATS mem-bership will continue to enjoy many benefits, including:

• Online subscriptions to the Society’s three peer-reviewed journals, the AJRCCM, the AJRCMB andPATS;

• A 30 percent discount on registration fees for the annualATS International Conference;

• Discounts on other ATS educational products andcourses; and

• Full access to the online ATS membership roster.

In addition, dual ATS-ALAT members will receive a certificateof ATS membership, which beginning in 2008, will be grantedto each active dues-paying member.

The fastest, easiest and most secure way to renew yourdual membership is to do so online at www.thoracic.org.From the drop-down menu under “Membership,” click on“Renew Membership” and follow the prompts.

For more information on membership and renewal, pleasesend an e-mail to membership@thoracic.org.

MECOR ‘MILESTONE’ FOR STUDENTS

Research on whether the level of exhaled nitric oxide is a strongpredictor of asthma exacerbations, better measures of thera-peutic effectiveness than FEV1 in COPD patients, and definingphenotypes of pediatric and adult asthma were among the proj-ects that students discussed with peers and mentors at theMECOR (Methods in Epidemiologic, Clinical and OperationsResearch) Program in October. This year, the course, which hasbeen offered in Latin America since 1994, drew nearly 80 stu-dents to Quinamavida, Chile.

While students in the two third-level courses on advanced andapplied clinical research methods brought data to the meeting,those in the first and second level courses focused mainly onlearning study design and planning their first research project.Many were planning to investigate whether there were lessexpensive ways of diagnosing and treating disease in theirresource-constrained countries. Others were documenting forthe first time the prevalence of disease within the communitieswhere they worked. And still others were interested in how gen-der or ethnicity affects the progression of respiratory illness.

“MECOR has been a milestone for me,” said Ilka Santoro, anM.D., Ph.D., from Brazil who came to Quinamavida for feedbackon the paper she drafted, which documents the health and finan-cial burden of poorly controlled asthma in Sao Paulo. “I now feelI can create a good study and write for the best publications.”

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Dr. Susan Tarlo

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ATS NEWS | VOL.33 NO.12 | DECEMBER 2007 3

ATS MEMBER NEWSIn November, Madhukar Pai, M.D.,Ph.D., was honored as the 2007recipient of the International UnionAgainst Tuberculosis and LungDisease’s Scientific Prize in CapeTown, South Africa. The award isgiven annually to a youngresearcher (under the age of 45)who has published outstanding research related to TB or non-TB lung disease within the last two years.

Dr. Pai is Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at McGillUniversity in Montreal and an active member of the Assemblyon Microbiology, Tuberculosis and Pulmonary Infections. Hisresearch focuses on the novel diagnostic tools for TB infection,development of evidence-based standards for TB care andcontrol and nosocomial TB infection control in developingcountries. In 2006, while completing his postdoctoral fellowshipunder former ATS president Philip Hopewell, M.D., at theUniversity of California, San Francisco, Dr. Pai supported thedevelopment of the International Standards for TB Care.

In October, ATS Vice PresidentJ. Randall Curtis, M.D., M.P.H.,was a guest on “Tomorrow’sMedicine Today,” a new healthseries broadcast on PBS. Duringthe taped segment, which is sched-uled to air this winter, he and fellowguest Patricia Grady, Ph.D., R.N.,Director of the National Institute ofNursing Research, discussed the importance of communica-tion about end-of-life care in the ICU.

The weekly show is co-hosted by Elias Zerhouni, M.D.,Director of the National Institutes of Health, and NaomiWeinshenker, M.D., lead medical correspondent for theMedical Broadcast Channel. For more information on theseries and Dr. Curtis’s upcoming appearance, please visitwww.mmissions.org/initiatives/tmt.html.

NEWSBRIEFS

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS FORATS ·· 2008 TORONTO, MAY 16-21New travel regulations will require allindividuals planning on attending the2008 ATS International Conference inToronto, Canada, to present a validpassport to enter the country (and to re-enter the United States).

As of January 23, 2007, all passengers, including U.S. citi-zens, traveling by air or sea to and from Canada, Mexico,Central or South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda musthave a passport. This is a change from prior requirements,which allowed travelers to cross these borders with only aU.S. driver’s license.

For more information and instructions on how to apply for orrenew a U.S. passport, visit http://travel.state.gov.

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COPD, SLEEP APNEA AND PLEURAL DISEASES AMONGTOPICS OF ATS 2008 POSTGRADUATE COURSESThe ATS has planned an exciting and informative program for the 2008 International Conference, which will beheld May 16 to 21 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Over 400 symposia, track sessions, seminars and workshops havebeen planned, and the programs are currently being developed and speakers secured.

In addition to these not-to-be-missed sessions, the ATS is sponsoring 29 postgraduate courses on Friday and Saturday(May 16 and 17) before the official start of the conference. The ATS 2008 postgraduate courses being offered are:

Friday, May 16

PG1 - Genomic Tools and Resources for Phenotype AnalysisPG2 - Recruiting and Retaining Underrepresented Populations for Clinical and Community Research TrialsPG3 - Diagnosis and Management of Interstitial Lung Disease: What the Clinician Needs to KnowPG4 - Interventional Pulmonology with Practical Demonstration: Something for Every PulmonologistPG5 - Managing Cystic Fibrosis in the Era of Genomic MedicinePG6 - Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing for the Practicing Clinician: Putting Advances Into PracticePG7 - Mechanical Ventilation: State of the ArtPG8 - Pulmonary and Critical Care Reviews: Built Around ABIM Pulmonary Module A9-E and Critical

Care Module A2-EPG9 - Controversies in the Management of Respiratory Tract InfectionsPG10 Pediatric Sleep and Breathing: What is the Latest?PG11 - Modeling Human Lung Diseases…Simple is Sometimes BestPG12 - CareerTalk: The CoursePG13 - Cardiovascular Consequences of Sleep Disordered Breathing PG14 - Pulmonary Circulatory Physiology and Pathophysiology

Saturday, May 17

PG15 - Genetic, Analytic, Molecular and Genomic Approaches in Respiratory Medicine PG16 - Introduction to Data Analysis: Exploring the Great UnknownPG17 - COPD: Evolving Concepts in 2008PG18 - Practical Chest Imaging for the PulmonologistPG19 - Pleural Diseases: What Practicing Clinicians Need to KnowPG20 - Controlling Infections and Antibiotic Resistance in the ICUPG21 - Critical Care in the Pregnant PatientPG22 - Host Defense Mechanisms in Pulmonary InfectionPG23 - International TB Technical Assistance: Becoming a ConsultantPG24 - Respiratory and Non Respiratory Considerations in Children and Adolescents With Neuromuscular

Diseases (NMD)PG25 - PAH From Genotype to Phenotype: Beyond Traditional ThinkingPG26 - Biomarkers in the “Omics” Age: Focus on Lung Cancer and COPDPG27 - Lung Development and Stem CellsPG28 - Controversies in the Diagnosis and Management of Obstructive Sleep ApneaPG29 - Case-Based Pulmonary Function Test Interpretation

For more information, please visit the ATS Web site at www.thoracic.org/go/pg-courses. Registration forms forthe 2008 International Conference and these postgraduate courses will be available online and in the AdvanceProgram during the third week in January 2008. Since postgraduate courses require an additional registration feeand seating is limited, plan to register early to ensure admittance at the postgraduate course of your choice.

IMPROVE YOUR PRACTICE WITH ATS CLINICAL WORKSHOPS

SUNDAY, MAY 18 (Noon to 1:30 p.m.)

WS1 Endobronchial Ultrasound WS2 Tools for Your Practice

MONDAY, MAY 19 (Noon to 1:30 p.m.)

WS3 Master Clinicians: Pleural DiseasesWS4 Implementing Infant and Young Child Respiratory

Function Testing into Clinical Practice

TUESDAY, MAY 20 (Noon to 1:30 p.m.)

WS5 The Multidisciplinary Diagnosis of Diffuse Lung Disease:Case Studies

WS6 Clinical Management Dilemmas in Sarcoidosis

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21 (Noon to 1:30 p.m.)

WS7 Real-Time Image-Guided Bronchoscopic Navigation tothe Peripheral Lung Lesion: Diagnostic and TherapeuticConsiderations

WS8 Bronchiectasis and Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterium: ACase-Based Workshop

As Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at BrownUniversity and Associate Chief of Pulmonary andCritical Care Medicine at the Providence VA MedicalCenter, Linda Nici, M.D., is well-known for her expertisein treating patients with chronic lung disease.

Recently, she has put this expertise to good useboth as co-chair of the ATS Section on PulmonaryRehabilitation and lead author of the first joint ATS-European Respiratory Society statement on pulmonaryrehabilitation. She calls the statement “a wonderfulresource” that provides state-of-the-art scientific rationalefor pulmonary rehabilitation and clinical expertise fromleaders in the field.

“The document gives a truly international perspec-tive on treating patients with chronic respiratory diseasein an integrated and multi-disciplinary fashion,” said Dr.Nici, who directs the pulmonary rehabilitation programat the Providence VA, and who has co-authored guide-lines for pulmonary rehabilitation programs as part ofthe American Association of Cardiovascular andPulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR).

While completing a three-year fellowship at YaleUniversity School of Medicine in the late 1980s, she stud-ied the mechanisms of acute lung injury under David H.Ingbar, M.D., the current ATS president, whom she calls“a wonderful role model and ideal mentor.” She also notesthat his “enthusiasm and passion for understanding lungdiseases at the most basic level and using that knowledgeto develop therapeutic strategies to help patients” has hada significant impact on her career.

After completing her fellowship and teaching at Yalefor four years, she joined the faculty at Brown Universityin 1991. She continued to conduct basic science researchand collaborated with a number of oncologists interestedin tumor biology to explore the role of growth factor net-works in pulmonary malignancies.

The direction of Dr. Nici’s career changed in 1995,when she was asked to oversee a fledgling pulmonaryrehabilitation program through the Brown pulmonarydivision. She recalls being impressed by the remarkableimprovements patients were able to make with exercise,education and psychosocial support, despite having verysevere lung disease.

“In a field where patients often lose so much qualityof life as their disease progresses, the collaborative effortamong patients, physicians and therapists was inspiringand very motivating for me,” said Dr. Nici, who hasserved on the AACVPR’s Board of Directors and as amember of its Scientific Advisory Committee.

She soon became involved fulltime in program devel-opment and promoting pulmonary rehabilitation as astandard of care for patients with debilitating lung diseases.Dr. Nici credits ATS past president Sharon Rounds, M.D.,chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the

Providence VA, with giving her the opportunity to create acomprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program there.

“With Sharon’s support, I have been able to offerour veterans an effective therapy for their lung disease,provide them with the tools and knowledge to maintaintheir health and foster an intellectually stimulatingatmosphere for clinical research,” she said.

An active member of ATS since 1988, Dr. Nici hasworked diligently to highlight scientific advances in pul-monary rehabilitation at the Society’s InternationalConference, and through advocacy efforts on CapitolHill. “Within the ATS, there is a large, multi-disciplinaryand international community of scientists and clinicianswho strive to understand and treat the multi-systemiceffects of chronic lung disease through pulmonary reha-bilitation,” said Dr. Nici, who will chair the newly estab-lished ATS assembly dedicated to the treatment strategy(see story on page 1). “It is a group that well deserves a largerpresence in our society.”

While Dr. Nici dedicates much of her time to clini-cal work and research, she notes that she is most passion-ate about her role as an educator. In addition to teachingmedical students and trainees, she also works with under-graduates, middle school students and local residentswith lung disease. “These activities are particularlyrewarding,” she said. “Students at every level are amazedby human biology and disease, and their captivationmakes my job fun.”

Dr. Nici lives outside of Providence with her hus-band, Lloyd Feit, a pediatric cardiologist, and their threechildren. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activitiesand traveling with her family.

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LINDA NICI:CHAMPION OF PULMONARY REHABILITATION

“The collaborative effort among patients, physicians and therapists is inspiring and very motivating.”

ASSEMBLY ON MTPIDEVELOPS STATEMENT ONTB IN ADULTS AND CHILDRENIn light of numerous scientificadvances and the growth of evi-dence-based medicine over thelast decade, the ATS is onceagain collaborating with theCenters for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC) and theInfectious Disease Society ofAmerica (IDSA) to develop a newstatement on the diagnosis and classification of TB in adults and children.

“Since the last statement on the topic was published in1999, significant progress has been made in the diagno-sis of active and latent TB,” said David MichaelLewinsohn, M.D., Ph.D., of the Assembly on Microbiology,Tuberculosis and Pulmonary Infections, who co-chairs the20-member statement writing committee with PhilipLoBue, M.D., of the CDC and Michael Leonard, M.D., ofthe IDSA.

Specifically, the revised statement will focus on howadvances in the molecular identification of MycobacteriumTB and drug-resistant strains, as well as immunologicalassays, have the potential to fundamentally change stan-dard diagnostic approaches.

The writing committee, which expects to submit a draft ofthe statement to ATS, CDC and IDSA leaders by nextSeptember, is now reviewing relevant literature andassessing the quality of the evidence in support of newermolecular and immunologic diagnostic methods.

To ensure that the updated statement focuses more heav-ily on pediatric data, the writing committee includes threerepresentatives from the American Association ofPediatrics and the Association of Public HealthLaboratories. In the interest of developing broad consen-sus on the issue, the ATS and its co-sponsors plan to askboth organizations—as well as the Advisory Council forthe Elimination of TB and the National TB ControllersAssociation—to endorse the final document by December2008.

For more information about this Assembly on MTPI project,please visit the ATS Web site at www.thoracic.org/sections/about-ats/assemblies/mtpi.

NEWSBRIEFS

Dr. Lewinsohn

The deadline for the 2008 Fellows Career

Development Awards is January 6, 2008.

For more information go to our Web site:

www.thoracic.org/go/fcda.

2 0 0 8 F E L L OWS C A R E E RD E V E L O PM E N T AWA R D S

If you ask Marc Moss, M.D., what he likes most about hisjob as a professor of medicine at the University of ColoradoHealth Sciences Center in Denver, he’ll tell you he loves itall, but especially the fact that no two days are alike.

“Sometimes I’m doing research, sometimes I’m seeingpatients and sometimes I’m teaching,” said Dr. Moss, whostudies acute lung injury (ALI) and sepsis from an epi-demiological perspective. “With roughly 650,000 cases ofsepsis and 190,000 ALI cases a year in the United States,understanding what affects patients’ outcomes is of theutmost importance.”

Both sepsis and ALI are on the rise as the U.S. popu-lation ages, and hospitals are caring for sicker patients. Itis Dr. Moss’s job to look at the “big picture” and deter-mine which factors play the most important roles in thedevelopment of these diseases.

He credits Amherst College, where he completed hisundergraduate work in biology, with teaching him theskills to see the bigger picture. “I think a liberal arts edu-cation forces you to learn how to ‘think outside of thebox,’” he said.

After earning his medical degree from the Universityin Philadelphia, Dr. Moss completed his residency at theHospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he hadthe opportunity to work with ATS members HaroldPalevsky, M.D., and Paul Lankin, M.D., who inspired himto pursue a career in pulmonary and critical care medicine.

“Over the course of my career, I have been fortunateto have a number of mentors who are great doctors, teach-ers and researchers,” he said.

After finishing his residency, Dr. Moss spent a yeartraveling around Africa and Asia, where he worked at asmall hospital in Northeastern Thailand for two months.

“It was a great experience,” he said, of working in adeveloping country. “It definitely made me pay carefulattention to how we used our resources and think twiceabout what tests we really needed to perform.”

When he returned, he began his fellowship at theUniversity of Colorado, where he made his first major break-through toward better understanding ALI. Dr. Moss’ researchmentor and fellow ATS member Polly Parsons, M.D., wasstudying why clinically similar critically ill patients wouldhave such different outcomes: one might recover quickly,whereas another would develop ALI and have a prolongedhospital course. Dr. Parsons wanted to examine the effects ofalcohol abuse on the incidence and severity of ALI.

“Even though alcohol abuse adversely affects manyorgan systems in the body, most physicians wouldn’t intu-itively think that alcohol would affect the lung,” Dr. Mossexplained.

Indeed, they found that critically ill patients with ahistory of alcohol abuse and dependence were two to threetimes more likely to develop ALI when compared to non-drinkers.

After his fellowship, Dr. Moss moved to Atlanta tocontinue his work examining the link between alcoholabuse and ALI at Emory University School of Medicine.He spent much of his time working at Grady MemorialHospital, a large inner-city medical center that served apoor and largely underserved patient population.“Working with these patients was a way of giving back andI found it extremely rewarding,” said Dr. Moss. “Many ofthe patients and their families were very grateful for thecare that we provided.”

A year ago, he was recruited back to University ofColorado to be the Head of Critical Care in the Divisionof Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine. Aspart of his new job, Dr. Moss coordinates care in the med-ical ICUs of several university and university-affiliatedhospitals in Denver.

The ultimate goal is to standardize treatment andreduce the disparities among patients. “As a patient, youshould get the same care at any ICU,” said Dr. Moss, alongtime member of the ATS Assembly on Critical Care.“We want to ensure that critical care delivery is standard-ized and evidence-based.”

Dr. Moss is active in the ATS, coordinating andstreamlining the efforts of as many as 27 committees inimplementing the Society’s strategic plan and chairing theCommunications and Marketing Committee.

Despite his many responsibilities, he still finds timeto play squash and ski—though he’s quick to point outthat was not the only reason he moved to Colorado--“justa nice perk.” He and his wife, Heather, have two sons,Parker, 13, and Dylan, 9.

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MARC MOSS: EXPLORING THE WORLD OF SEPSIS AND ALI

“We want to ensure that critical care delivery is standardized and evidence-based.”

RENEW YOUR ATSMEMBERSHIP ONLINE!To ensure that your membershipbenefits continue uninterrupted in2008, visit the ATS Web site atwww.thoracic.org and click on“Renew Membership” in the“Membership” drop-down menuto pay your membership dueselectronically. From this site, youcan also update your member record and search theonline ATS membership roster.

If you prefer to renew by mail, please use the membershiprenewal invoice we sent you in October. If you need areplacement invoice or you have questions about renewingyour membership or about member benefits, please con-tact us at membership@thoracic.org or (212) 315-8685.

MORE ON NEW TASK FORCESNEXT MONTHIn the November 2007 issue of theATS News, ATS President David H.Ingbar, M.D., described the forma-tion of six new time-limited taskforces that will address key areashighlighted by the Society’s strate-gic plan (see “Message from thePresident,” page 2). Because thetask force executive committees were still in formation atpress time, the ATS News will not publish the names ofexecutive committee members until January 2008.

NEWSBRIEFS

28TH ISICEM IN BRUSSELS,MARCH 18 TO 21

The 28th annual International Symposium on Intensive Careand Emergency Medicine (ISICEM) will be held March 18to 21, 2008, in Brussels, Belgium. During the four-day sym-posia, more than 5,500 participants from 80 countries willpresent the latest developments in all aspects of criticalcare and emergency medicine.

“It has never been more difficult to stay abreast of the hugeamounts of new data which can potentially impact patientcare,” said meeting chair Jean-Louis Vincent, M.D. “TheISICEM provides attendees with the unique opportunity tolearn the latest advances in the management of critically illpatients, in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.”

The meeting will include formal lectures, as well as practi-cal discussions, tutorials, pro-con debates, and “meet theexpert” events. For more information about the meetingand program, visit www.intensive.org.

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ATS NEWS | VOL.33 NO.12 | DECEMBER 20076

The Assembly on Pulmonary Circulation has redesigned its “Journal Club Series,”which now allows members to discuss recently published research online throughATS Forums.

Established in March 2002, the Journal Club Series provides a platform forbiomedical researchers, pulmonary fellows and pulmonologists to disseminate thelatest advances in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine.

“Each month, we review an article that provides important new clinical orbasic science information about diseases related to pulmonary circulation,” saidRoham Zamanian, M.D., one of six topic editors who select the highlighted manu-scripts from rotating categories (see box). “The goal is to provide pointers anddetails on exciting and cutting-edge discoveries in the field.”

To make the series more interactive, the Assembly on PC added a specific categoryto its already active forum on the ATS Web site at www.thoracic.org/forums/forum/index.cfm?forumid=4, where members can share their expertise and opinionsabout a given review. The Assembly’s forum also includes a general discussionpage, through which ATS members and non-members can communicate. Althoughregistration is required, it is free of charge.

“Being able to interact in this manner opens up a number of opportunitiesfor both our national and international members,” said Dr. Zamanian. “The newformat makes the series a great tool for increasing your visibility within the fieldand the ATS community.”

In the coming months, the Assembly on PC plans to expand the scope of theJournal Club by hosting leading experts on the topics under discussion, as well asthe authors of reviewed publications.

For more information about the Journal Club Series, please visit www.thoracic.org/sections/about-ats/assemblies/pc/journal-club or contact Miriam Rodriguez,Director of ATS Assembly Programs & Program Review Subcommittee, at (212)315-8639 or mrodriguez@thoracic.org.

ASSEMBLY ON PULMONARY CIRCULATIONDEVELOPS INTERACTIVE JOURNAL CLUB

The articles reviewed in the ATS Journal Club Series are chosen from thefollowing categories. If you have suggestions for discussion topics orrelevant publications, please contact the appropriate section editor.

TOPICS

Pulmonary Hypertension/VascularRemodeling

Endothelial Permeability/Pulmonary Edema

Leukocyte Adhesion/Migration

Thromboembolic disease

Hypoxic Vasoconstriction

Pulmonary Circulation:Development/Pediatric Disease

EDITORS

Roham Zamanian, M.D., Stanford University

Steven Dudek, M.D., University of Chicago

William Altemeier, M.D.,University of Washington

To be confirmed

Sina Gharib, M.D., University of Washington

Eva Nozik Grayck, M.D.,University of Colorado HealthSciences Center

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: The New York State ThoracicSociety will host its annual event, “Emerging Concepts andApplications in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine,” inArmonk, New York, January 25 to 26, 2008.

“This year’s intensive one-and-a-half-day program will focuson emerging and cutting-edge trends and modalities in res-piratory, critical care and sleep medicine,” said program chairand ATS member Ravindra Rajmane, M.D. “Attendees willhave the opportunity to interact with the outstanding faculty, seehands-on demonstrations of new technology and become involved in advocacy efforts toimprove the respiratory health of our communities.”

Scheduled topics and speakers will include:

• “Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency: Detection and Treatment”—Charlie Strange, M.D.• “Complex Sleep Apneas”—Harley Greenberg, M.D.• “Critical Care Ultrasonography”—Paul Mayo, M.D.• “Existing and Emerging Therapeutic Targets for Sepsis”—Stephen Pastores, M.D.• “Prolonged Glucocorticoid Treatment in ARDS”—G. Umberto Meduri, M.D.• “Update in Neurocritical Care”—Thomas Bleck, M.D.• “Novel Therapies for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension”—Stephen Kawut, M.D., M.S.• “Management of Tracheobronchomalacia”—Armin Ernst, M.D.• “Battlefield Medicine and Medical Ethics in War”—Kevin C. Kiley, M.D.• “Environmental Improvements for Asthmatics Brought About by Legal

Interventions”—Mary O’Sullivan, M.D.

For more information about the program, please contact Peg Collins at (585) 442-4260or pcollins@alanys.org.

The California Thoracic Society’sannual event “Current Controversies inPulmonary and Critical Care Medicine,”will take place February 1 to 2 in Carmel,California.

“This conference brings together the various members of our society—private practition-ers, academic pulmonologists, pulmonary fellows, pediatric fellows and pulmonologists,respiratory care practitioners and nurses—and provides a forum for us to discuss theclinical problems we all share,” said Russell Klein, M.D., who organized the program.

As in past years, the conference will consist of four case presentations, each given by apulmonary fellow from one of the state’s programs, and each followed by a discussionof the key clinical problem in the case by an expert in that area.

This year’s fellow presenters include Ryan Dougherty, M.D., of the University ofCalifornia, San Francisco (UCSF), Rajeev Saggar, M.D., of the University of California,Los Angeles, Kamyar Afshar, D.O., of the University of Southern California (USC), andNatalie Pageler, M.D., of Stanford University.

Following the case presentations, John Fahy, M.D., professor of medicine at UCSF, willdiscuss the management of patients with severe asthma; Joseph Lynch, M.D., professorof clinical medicine at UCLA, will talk about interstitial lung disease and pulmonarycomplications of rheumatic disease; Om Sharma, M.D., professor of pulmonary andcritical care medicine at USC, will lecture on the management of sarcoidosis; and DavidCornfield, M.D., chief of pediatric pulmonary medicine at Stanford University, will dis-cuss childhood antecedents of adult lung diseases. Keynote speaker John Hodgkin, M.D.,of St. Helena Hospital, will focus on pulmonary rehabilitation and COPD.

“One of the most unique aspects of the meeting is its small size, which makes it possi-ble for attendees, fellows and faculty to actually meet one another and interact,” said Dr.Russell. Although the meeting is hosted by the CTS, he adds that pulmonologists andrespiratory care practitioners from other states are welcome to attend.

For more information, please call (714) 730-1944 or e-mail CTSlung@aol.com.

HOUSE PASSES GLOBAL TUBERCULOSIS BILL

NEWS A M E R I C A N T H O R A C I C S O C I E T Y • h t t p : / / w w w . t h o r a c i c . o r g

In a victory for global tuberculosis (TB) control efforts,the House of Representatives passed the Stop TB NowAct (H.R. 1567) on November 5.

The bill, sponsored by Representatives Eliot Engel(D-NY), Heather Wilson (R-NM) and Adam Smith (D-WA), gives the U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID) and the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention (CDC) the authority andresources needed to expand programs to eradicate TBworldwide, particularly in high-burden countries.Specifically, the legislation will:

• Enhance U.S. technical assistance in responding tothe global crisis caused by drug–resistant strains ofTB;

• Expand directly observed treatment short-course(DOTS) coverage, strengthen existing health systemsand promote the International Standards for TB Care;

• Increase U.S. funding for international TB control,with up to $400 million in fiscal year 2009 forUSAID’s TB programs & $70 million for the CDC’sglobal TB activities.

The Senate has not yet voted on its version of the bill (S.968), which is sponsored by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR).

TUBERCULOSIS

Senate Committee Hearing on Domestic TBAt a hearing in late October, the U.S. Senate Health,Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee dis-cussed issues related to domestic TB control and the pos-sibility of introducing legislation to address current chal-lenges.

The hearing was chaired by Senator Sherrod Brown(D-OH), co-sponsor of the domestic Comprehensive TBElimination Act (S. 1551), which would increase fundingfor national TB control activities and expand researchinto diagnostics, drugs and vaccines. Also in attendancewere Kenneth G. Castro, M.D., director of the CDC’sDivision of TB Elimination, Randall Reves, M.D., chairStop TB USA, Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., commissioner

of the New York City Department of Health and MentalHygiene, and Jerald Sadoff, M.D., president of theAERAS Global TB Vaccine Foundation.

Dr. Castro’s testimony emphasized the threat thatdrug-resistant TB poses to public health and the promis-ing research being conducted at the CDC. To illustratethe strengths and weaknesses of state public health sys-tems, Dr. Reves highlighted the much-publicized case ofAndrew Speaker, who traveled from the U.S. to Europelast May after being diagnosed with extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). He also emphasized the need fornew diagnostic and treatment tools.

Members of the HELP Committee questioned wit-nesses about ongoing TB research and specific prepared-ness for combating drug-resistant strains of the disease. Inresponse to the positive hearing, the committee passed theComprehensive TB Elimination Act on November 14.

RESEARCH

President Vetoes Research Funding Bill for FY08On November 13, President Bush vetoed the 2008 Labor-Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations(L-HHS) bill because it exceeded his budget recommenda-tion for the year. The House will attempt to override thePresident’s veto of the annual bill, which funds all healthresearch and services. If it fails to garner the two-thirdsmajority required, Congress will have to negotiate with thePresident, which could endanger funding increases.

The bill includes $30 billion for the NationalInstitutes of Health (NIH), a $100 million more than wasallocated by the Senate. If passed, this would represent a3.8 percent increase for the NIH compared to fiscal year2007. The CDC also fares better under the final bill,which provides the agency with an additional $123 mil-lion. If passed, the CDC’s 2008 budget would be $6.2 bil-lion, a 4.5 percent increase compared to 2007.

L-HHS Bill Includes Open Access ProvisionThe final L-HHS bill also includes a provision requiringall manuscripts produced with funding from the NIH besubmitted to PubMedCentral within 12 months of publi-cation. Many within the non-profit scientific community,

including the ATS, have expressed concern that mandatedpublic access could harm academic journals. The Societycurrently participates in a voluntary program in which itautomatically deposits NIH-funded journal articles inPubMedCentral.

The Bush administration, in outlining its concernsabout the overall spending level of the L-HHS appropriationsbill, specifically took issue with the open access provision.

“The Administration notes that the NIH's current pol-icy requesting the voluntary submission of manuscripts hasonly been in effect for two years, and the Administrationbelieves there is opportunity to work with Congress tostudy the current policy and consider ways to encouragebetter participation,” the White House said in its statementof administrative policy. “The Administration believes thatany policy should balance the benefit of public access totaxpayer-supported research against the possible impact thatgrant conditions could have on scientific research publish-ing, scientific peer-review and on the United States’ long-standing leadership upholding strong standards of protec-tion for intellectual property.”

VA Research Program Receives $480 Million inConference AgreementThe VA Research Program received $480 million in aHouse-Senate conference agreement on VA spending.While this represents an increase of $67 million over base-line spending, it is $20 million less than the Senate pro-vided for the VA research program.

EPA Staff Recommends Stricter Lead StandardIn November, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)staff released a document that summarizes the healtheffects of lead pollution. Based on current research, EPAstaff members recommended that the EPA establish amore stringent standard for lead in the range of 0.2micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) to 0.05 µg/m3. Thecurrent standard for airborne lead is 1.5 mg/m3.

In response to a court action, the EPA must issue aproposed standard for lead by May 1, 2008, and a finalrule by September 1, 2008. While the EPA is not obligat-ed to adopt the recommendations made by its staff, thispaper is welcome news to air pollution control advocates,as well as a marked change from earlier policy optionsconsidered by the EPA, which has floated the possibilityof completely eliminating the lead standard.

7ATS NEWS | VOL.33 NO.12 | DECEMBER 2007

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The Advocate has been prepared by the ATS Washington Office to educate and update ATS members on pertinent legislative and regulatory issues. The ATS Washington Office is the hub of a nationwide Legislative Network thatenables state and local ATS volunteers, members and staff to participate in grass roots advocacy or public policy initiatives in cooperation with ALA Washington Office. The ATS Washington Office maintains an advocacy Web site atwww.thoracic.org/advocacy and can be contacted at (202) 296-9770.

CLEAN AIR

Kenneth Castro, M.D., and ATS member RandallReves, M.D., at HELP hearing.

Sen. Sherrod Brown(D-OH)

ATS NEWS | VOL.33 NO.12 | DECEMBER 20078

NEWS A M E R I C A N T H O R A C I C S O C I E T Y • h t t p : / / w w w . t h o r a c i c . o r g

members who don’t currently belong to an ATSassembly.

“ATS members can subscribe to as many sections asthey wish, but they can only have one primary assem-bly,” she said. “We won’t know for at least a year howmany primary members we will have, but obviously, wehope the number will grow.”

Among the new assembly’s top priorities will beadvocating for universal coverage of pulmonary rehabil-itation services and regularly updating the joint ATS/European Respiratory Society statement that was pub-lished in the American Journal of Respiratory and CriticalCare Medicine in 2006. “As this statement informs prac-tice around the world, we would like to make it a living

document,” said Dr. Singh of the document, which isalso posted on the ATS Web site at www.thoracic.org/sections/publications/statements.

“Our group’s transition from section to the Society’sthirteenth assembly has truly been a group effort,” saidDr. Nici. “Virtually all section members, past co-chairsand ATS officers played crucial roles in promoting thefield, petitioning leadership and working together to seethis long process come to fruition.”

PULMONARY REHABILITATION ASSEMBLY APPROVED(continued from page 1)

CONFERENCES, COURSES AND MEETINGSActivities sponsored or endorsed by the ATS and its chapters are listed in bold.

DATE & PLACE

December 5 to 7London, United Kingdom

December 8 to 9Taipei, Taiwan

January 22 to 24, 2008

January 25 to 26, 2008Armonk, New York

January 25 to 26, 2008Lutsen, Minnesota

Jan. 28 to Feb. 1, 2008Steamboat, Colorado

February 1 to 2, 2008Carmel, California

Feb. 29 to March 1, 2008St. Louis, Missouri

March 6 to 8, 2008Isle of Palms, SouthCarolina

March 13 to 15, 2008San Francisco, California

March 14 to 18, 2008Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

March 17 to 19, 2008Leeds, United Kingdom

March 18 to 21, 2008Brussels, Belgium

April 2, 2008Framingham,Massachusetts

CONTACT

bts@brit-thoracic.org.ukwww.brit-thoracic.org.uk/WM07

spccm@mars.seed.net.twwww.tspccm.org.tw

Roy McKay, Ph.D.Phone: (513) 558-1234www.DrMcKay.com

Phone: (585) 442-4260, ext. 107pcollins@alanys.orgwww.alanys.org

Phone: (651) 223-9565Cheryl.sasse@alamn.org www.alamn.org/prof/lutsen.cfm

Phone: +32 2 555 36 31Natercia.tavares@intensive.org www.intensive.org

Phone: (714) 730-1944CTSlung@aol.comwww.thoracic.org/ca.html

Phone: (314) 977-7400pa@slu.eduhttp://pa.slu.edu

Phone: (713) 965-0566drs@meetingmanagers.com

Phone: (703) 752-4359ExecOffice@namdrc.orgwww.namdrc.org

Phone: (414) 272-6071annualmeeting@aaaai.orgwww.aaaai.org

Heidi Adnumhadnum@physoc.orgwww.physoc.org/meetings

Phone: +32 2 555 36 31Natercia.tavares@intensive.org www.intensive.org

Phone: (781) 890-4262cflood@thoracic.org www.massthoracic.org/annualmtg

TITLE

“British Thoracic Society Winter Conference 2007”

“Annual Meeting of the Taiwan Society of Pulmonary andCritical Care Medicine”

“Respiratory Protection & Fit Testing Workshop,” sponsored bythe Department of Environmental Health at the University ofCincinnati

“New York State Thoracic Society 2008 Scientific Assembly”

“Lutsen Summit: Developments in Asthma & Allergy,”sponsored by the Minnesota Thoracic Society

“16th Winter Symposium on Intensive Care Medicine,” sponsored by Erasme Hospital

“Current Controversies in Pulmonary and Critical CareMedicine,” sponsored by the California Thoracic Society

“Reconstructive Surgery of the Larynx and Cervical Trachea,”sponsored by Saint Louis University

“2008 16th Annual Dysphagia Research Meeting,” sponsored bythe Dyshagia Research Society

“NAMDRC 31st Annual Meeting and Education Conference”

“2008 AAAAI Annual Meeting,” sponsored by the AmericanAcademy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

“Cardiac & Respiratory Physiology-Themed Meeting with aFocused Symposium on ‘Determining Control of theCardiovascular System in Health and Disease’,” sponsored bythe Physiological Society (UK)

“28th International Symposium on Intensive Care andEmergency Medicine (ISICEM),” sponsored by ErasmeHospital

“The 63rd Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts ThoracicSociety”

A symposium in the currentissue of Proceedings of theAmerican Thoracic Society(Vol. 4, No. 8) explores theincreased prevalence ofchronic obstructive pul-monary disease (COPD) inwomen, which has becomeepidemic.

“COPD has becomeone of the leading causes ofmortality in women world-wide and the number of cases is growing nearly threetimes faster in women than in men every year,” saidguest editor Don D. Sin, M.D. “Despite these trends,there is a marked scarcity of research that recognizesthe importance of sex- and gender-related issues in theetiology, diagnosis and management or experiences ofCOPD in women.”

A group of 60 experts representing a wide range ofdisciplines held a two-day meeting last year to beginaddressing the biological, social, cultural, occupationaland environmental mechanisms that may be responsi-ble for sex-related susceptibility to the disease.

A series of seven articles in this issue of PATS sum-marize the relevant discussions from the workshop, whichDr. Sin notes was held under the auspices of ICEBERGSor Interdisciplinary Capacity Enhancement: BridgingExcellence in Respiratory Disease and Gender Studies.

“An overriding and unanimous conclusion fromthe workshop was that all disciplines and sectors needto work together to generate more knowledge in thisarea,” Dr. Sin wrote in his preface. “We hope that theseproceedings will be a stimulus for researchers, cliniciansand public policymakers to work together to find solu-tions to the growing epidemic of COPD in womenacross the world.”

To read the issue in full, visit the ATS Web site:http://pats.atsjournals.org.

PATS ON COPD AND GENDER

The December 15, 2007 issue of the American

Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

(AJRCCM) includes a clinical commentary on

how and why gender influences the epidemiology,

diagnosis and presentation of COPD. Read it

online at http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org.