Pulmonary Expert to Be Honored for Scientific Accomplishments

The American Thoracic Society will honor Peter Chen, MD, the Medallion Chair in Molecular Medicine, director of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and interim chair of the Department of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, for achievements in the study of pulmonary disease at its upcoming scientific meeting ATS 2025.

Chen will receive the Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishments for research he has led that has produced advances in respiratory medicine and improvements in patient care.

The international conference will be held in San Francisco May 16-21. During the awards ceremony, Chen will give a talk titled “Lessons Learned to Survive the Next Viral Pandemic.”

“It is an incredible honor, and deeply humbling, to receive this award from the American Thoracic Society,” Chen said. “I am immensely grateful for the remarkable mentors I have had and the dedication and contributions of talented co-investigators. I look forward to future collaborations that further our understanding of how respiratory viruses promote acute and chronic lung diseases.”

The COVID-19 pandemic left some patients with a chronic condition known as long COVID. One symptom of long COVID is pulmonary fibrosis, the thickening and stiffening of lung tissue due to scarring.

Chen’s longstanding work in lung fibrosis, paired with the immunological investigation of long COVID, led to the discovery of a pathway by which immune cells prevent the lungs’ protective barrier from healing after viral infections like COVID-19.

“These findings point the way to novel therapies for patients,” said Jeffrey Golden, MD, executive vice dean for Research and Education at Cedars-Sinai. “Dr. Chen’s countless contributions to Cedars-Sinai and the broader medical community are deserving of this special recognition.”

Presentations

At the scientific meeting, Cedars-Sinai pulmonary and critical care medicine specialists will present findings from a range of new investigations, including:

Peter Chen, MD, director of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Cedars-Sinai co-investigators will present research examining the pathological roles of excess syndecan-1, a cell surface protein, in promoting lung fibrosis.

Isabel Pedraza, MD, director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit, will facilitate a session on complex pulmonary hypertension and can share expertise in critical care medicine, ICU recovery, long COVID and asthma.

Sara Ghandehari, MD, director of Pulmonary Rehabilitation and medical director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program, will discuss a study of the application of magnetic resonance imaging in lung cancer screening.

Matthew Modes, MD, assistant professor of Medicine, will present findings from an open-label pilot study examining the impact of enhancing emotional support for families of critically ill patients.

Khushboo Goel, MD, assistant professor of Medicine, will discuss research on the quality of life after hospitalization with acute pulmonary embolism.

Tanyalak Parimon, MD, assistant professor of Medicine, will present research on lung fibrosis and the evaluation of lung cancer risk factors, including family history, other cancer history and smoking.

Bobak Akhavan, MD, director of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis, will discuss the results of a survey exploring how patients with sarcoidosis may benefit from peer-led support groups.

Cory Hogaboam, PhD, a professor of Medicine, and co-investigators will present details of a study identifying an additional mechanism of action of a CSD peptide in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and progressive fibrotic lung disease.

Contact

To arrange interviews with Cedars-Sinai experts at the conference, please contact Laura Coverson at [email protected] or 310-562-1112.