The ATS Conference is the annual conference for the America Thoracic Society. ATS is focused on improving global health by advancing research, patient care and public health in regards to asthma and many other diseases. This conference is where much of that happens. Each year many collaborators, doctors, researchers and scientist gather together to share and learn information that will advance the field.
This year two of our doctors presented at the ATS conference. At the forefront of this was Dr. Holguin who presented the Asthma in the Year Review. Our own Dr. Wenzel gave one of the discovery series lectures at the conference. These lectures included topics in asthma, critical care and sleep.
Many of you may be thinking “Well what does research have to do with me” or “I don’t want to be a guinea pig”. I understand what you are saying so let’s answer some of your questions and concerns. Research has everything to do with you. We conduct research to increase the quality of life of our patients, their family members and anyone else who is directly or indirectly impacted by Asthma. Though many people believe that donating money is the most valuable thing, research money is useless without willing research participants.
You may be thinking, “I’m not impacted by asthma” but if you care about, care for, interact with, know or work with someone with asthma you are impacted by it. In increasing their quality of you do the same for yourself. If your coworker has poorly controlled asthma, you participating in asthma research may eventually give them access to treatments that could control their asthma well enough that they would no longer miss work and need you to cover for them. I know you may think this is farfetched and takes forever to happen but that’s far from the truth. A recent asthma study was done to test the effectiveness of dupilimab in treating asthma. The FDA has recognized this drug as a breakthrough in asthma control. Without research participants these types of discoveries would never happen.
The Asthma Institute Blog 