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2013 – Acute and Chronic Lung Infections: Novel Pathogens, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics

The 2013 Pittsburgh International Lung Conference, entitled “Acute and Chronic Lung Infections:  Novel Pathogens, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics” was held on October 17-18, 2013 at the University Club on the University of Pittsburgh campus. The objective of the 2013 conference was to bring together leading pulmonary and infectious diseases clinical and basic scientists, practicing clinicians, industry leaders and trainees for two days of talks and discussions focusing on pulmonary infections. Information derived from rapidly emerging diagnostic and therapeutic modalities as well as the role of infections in chronic lung diseases make this a topic of significant interest to the pulmonary and infectious diseases communities.

Pulmonary infections are a leading cause of mortality worldwide.  Lung infections are also a common cause of morbidity and mortality in the expanding population of patients who are immunosuppressed secondary to organ transplantation or chronic HIV infection.  The role that infections play in typically non-infectious lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma demonstrate that the impact of lung pathogens extends beyond acute pneumonia.  Despite the global importance of lung infections, development of new antibiotics, vaccines, and novel therapeutics has been slow.  Emerging technologies are rapidly expanding diagnostic approaches and establishing new areas of research such as the role of the lung microbiome in pulmonary diseases. 

Among the speakers were world-class leaders in drug and vaccine development, treatment of resistant organisms, and public health and industry leaders. In addition, talks featured cutting-edge science in microbiome studies and emerging and resistant pathogens that provided a unique blend of state-of-the-art information with broad appeal to the scientific and greater patient-oriented community. 

The program included six plenary sessions and a poster session on stimulating topics, such as:

  • Advances in diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia
  • The lung and the microbiome
  • Drug and vaccine development
  • Infections in the immunosuppressed host
  • Infections in chronic lung diseases
  • Emerging and resistant organisms

Each session ended with a panel discussion, allowing an opportunity for questions and further interaction among participants. 

A poster reception followed the scientific sessions on Friday, providing an excellent forum for researchers to present their cutting-edge science.

Featured keynote speaker at the Banquet Dinner on Friday evening was Donna E. Shalala, PhD, President of the University of Miami and former Secretary of Health and Human Services.  Dr. Shalala spoke on Health Care Delivery and focused on the changing accessibility for individual health care.

Distinguished speakers included:

  • James Beck, MD*| University of Colorado School of Medicine
  • Beibei (Bill) Chen, MD, PhD| University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Cornelius (Neil) Clancy, MD* | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Charles Daley, MD | University of Colorado
  • Kerry M. Empey, PharmD, PhD| University Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Thomas G. Evans, MD | Aeres Global Vaccine Development
  • Michael Fine, MD, MSc | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • JoAnne L. Flynn, PhD* | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Vance Fowler, Jr, MD, MHS | Duke University Medical Center
  • Elodie Ghedin, PhD* |University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Matthew Gingo, MD | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Mark Gladwin, MD* | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Laurence Huang, MD, MS | University of California, San Francisco
  • Andre Kalil, MD, MPH | University of Nebraska Medical Center
  • Jay Kolls, MD | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Andrew Limper, MD | Mayo School of Medicine
  • Philana Ling Lin, MD, MSC | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Henry Masur, MD* | National Institutes of Health
  • John McDyer, MD* | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Alison Morris, MD, MS* | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Patrick Murray, PhD| Becton-Dickinson Pharmaceuticals
  • Gerard J. Nau, MD, PhD | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Minh-Hong Nguyen, MD | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Karen Norris, PhD* | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Scott Palmer, MD | Duke University Medical Center
  • Anuradha Ray, PhD* | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Prabir Ray, PhD* | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • John J. Reilly, Jr, MD | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Ted M. Ross, PhD | Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida
  • Sanjay Sethi, MD | State University of New York, Buffalo
  • Donna Shalala, PhD | President, Univesity of Miami
  • Nina Singh, MD | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Homer Twigg, MD | Indiana University School of Medicine
  • Erika von Mutius, MD | Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich

*Denotes Organizing Committee Member