A Recap of the 2022 Pittsburgh International Lung Conference
November 3, 2022
The 2022 Pittsburgh International Lung Conference (PILC), an annual meeting that explores medical and scientific advancements in lung disease, was held in September. This year’s conference, “Metabolism and the Lung: Homeostasis, Immunity, and Disease,” marked the 20th anniversary of the event, founded in 2002 by Augustine M.K. Choi, MD, then division chief of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine at UPMC.
Course directors for this year’s PILC included Alison Morris, MD, MS, division chief, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine; Janet S. Lee, MD, UPMC Chair in Acute Lung Injury; and Tomeka L. Suber, MD, PhD. National and international lung disease experts convened in Pittsburgh for sessions and presentations focusing on metabolomics, vascular biology, immunology, and more. Leaders in these fields and rising stars from partner institutions including the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Pennsylvania were represented.
“It is critical to advance our knowledge of how metabolic dysfunction plays a role in lung function and disease,” Dr. Morris said. “We brought together a multidisciplinary group comprised of pathologists, microbiologists, pulmonologists, and other experts to explore this subject.”
The CME accredited program is designed to foster networking, scientific discussion, and collaboration among conference attendees. Sessions included:
- The State of Metabolism Research in Health Sciences: Metabolism, Bioenergetics, and the Tools of the Trade
- Alterations to Metabolism as a Driver of Pulmonary Vascular Disease
- Studying Airways Disease Through the Lens of Metabolism
- Metabolism as a Driver of Immune Responses and in Pulmonary Transplant
- Metabolic and Physiologic Determinants of COVID Pathogenesis
To further enhance collaboration, a reception was held at the Carnegie Science Center on Friday, Sept. 8, with Dr. Choi as a keynote speaker. Since beginning the PILC two decades ago, Dr. Choi now serves as Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean, Weill Cornell Medicine, in addition to provost for Medical Affairs of Cornell University.
Learn more about the 20th PILC meeting. To refer a patient to the UPMC Comprehensive Lung Center or for more information, call 412-648-6161.
