2024 Pittsburgh International Lung Conference: From Smog to Social Equity: How the Exposome Shapes Our Respiratory Health

ABSTRACT This application requests partial funding for the 2024 Pittsburgh International Lung Conference (PILC) “From Smog to Social Equity: How the Exposome Shapes Our Respiratory Health.” The exposome is defined as “The cumulative measure of environmental influences and associated biological responses throughout the

lifespan, including environmental exposures, diet, behavior, and endogenous processes.” Therefore, studying the exposome requires collaboration among diverse fields such as environmental epidemiology, toxicology, and basic science and represents both a timely and suitable topic for a multi-disciplinary conference on lung disease.

PILC 2024 will provide a platform for investigators from various disciplines related to the exposome to share ideas, showcase technological innovations, and build collaborations. The conference program includes a Keynote Presentation followed by six main sessions over two days focusing on indoor and outdoor air pollution,

the microbiome and the environment, smoking and e-cigarettes, climate change, basic to clinical translation, and social determinants of health. Interspaced with these sessions are two panel discussions, including one focused on career coaching for early career investigators, poster sessions, and a formal dinner with a presentation. The

conference organizers will facilitate interaction between participants, thought leaders, early career faculty, and community providers throughout the conference. Speakers will include medical professionals (MDs, PhDs, and RNs) from leading academic institutions. A plan to promote diversity, wellness, and a safe environment at the

conference is included. To our knowledge, no scientific conference of this kind has been organized in recent years. We propose the following aims: (1) To provide an inclusive, safe, and collaborative environment for researchers to disseminate and discuss scientific advances in our understanding of the exposome as it relates

to pulmonary medicine. We aim to organize a meeting from September 19-20th, 2024, in Pittsburgh, PA, to attract the top scientists in the field, early career faculty, trainees, and community providers, including women and minorities. Interaction will be facilitated via panel discussions, question and answer sessions, dinner talks,

shared meals, and poster sessions. (2) To promote the interaction of students, clinical trainees, post-doctoral trainees, and early career faculty with established investigators. Travel awards will be targeted toward trainees and early career faculty. Essentially, all participants will be able to present a poster. Each of the six sessions will

feature a presentation from early career faculty (pre-K level). A panel discussion will be held where chiefs from several pulmonary divisions will provide career coaching to trainees and early career faculty.