National Jewish Health Announces Call for Abstracts For Respiratory Disease Young Investigators' Forum

Young physician investigators in pulmonology, allergy and immunology, pediatric and related programs who are interested in research careers, are encouraged to submit basic science or clinical research abstracts by June 12, 2023, to be considered for participation in the 19^th Annual Respiratory Disease Young Investigators’ Forum. This year’s Forum will take place October 26-29, 2023, in Denver.
 

The Forum provides participants the opportunity to present research to a panel of national experts in respiratory medicine who then serve as mentors. The program also provides real-world examples of physician-scientists who have had an impact on respiratory medicine through their research.

“Our goal is to increase the number of physician-scientists through a program for fellows and early career faculty,” said Jennifer Taylor-Cousar, MD, co-chair of the Young Investigators Program and co-director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program at National Jewish Health. “That includes impactful mentoring, peer networking, coaching, scientific presentation skills, education and encouragement.”

The three-day program includes mentoring and networking opportunities with peers and experts, and formal presentations of research focused on pediatric or adult populations in asthma, COPD, COVID-19, cystic fibrosis, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, bronchiectasis, sleep disorders and other respiratory diseases.

Fellows and junior faculty in pulmonary, allergy and immunology, pediatric and related programs are encouraged to apply. Thirty investigators will be selected and invited to present their research at the Forum based on the following criteria: scientific importance, quality of research, whether the research will enhance knowledge, whether the research answers a question and overall presentation of the abstract. The top three presentations in basic science and clinical research will earn monetary awards.

National Jewish Health recently hosted 29 young physician investigators who were selected to present their research during the 18^th Annual Respiratory Disease Young Investigators’ Forum held this past October. “I was honored to co-chair the 2022 Young Investigators Forum,” said Wanda Phipatanakul, MD, Program Co-Chair and Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital. “It was inspiring interacting with such talented, next generation physician-scientists and seeing the fantastic science they are doing. The future is bright.”

Award winners in basic science include Andi Hudler, MD, of the University of Colorado (1^st place); Kaveh Moghbeli, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2nd place); and Zachary Johnson, DO, of the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine (3rd place). In clinical research, award winners include Catherine Gao, MD, of the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine (1st place); Bowa Lee, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2nd place); and Gabrielle Liu, MD, of the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine (3rd place).

“I feel honored and humbled to be chosen for an award amongst such a talented group of physician-scientists,” said Catherine Gao, MD, of Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, the 2022 Clinical Research Winner. “My work is a culmination of remarkable mentorship, collaboration and teamwork within our laboratory, and I’m incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of such a fantastic team.”

For more information on the award winners’ research, visit https://www.nationaljewish.org/younginvestigatorsawards2022.