Pulmonary Infections and Tuberculosis

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Pulmonary Infections and Tuberculosis (PI-TB)

PITB

 


Charles Dela Cruz, MD, PhD, ATSF
Assembly Chair
Charles Dela Cruz, MD, PhD, ATSF

Welcome to the website of the Assembly for Pulmonary Infections and Tuberculosis (PI-TB). The PI-TB Assembly represents clinicians, scientists, and public health practitioners from across the globe. Our assembly focuses on all aspects of pulmonary infections and host defense. At present, we have 817 primary members and 2,003 secondary members, with about one-third of our membership from outside of North America.

We are one of the most productive and visible Assemblies within ATS. Our statements and guidelines are highly cited and have helped to establish and improve practice in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of pulmonary infections, including community-acquired pneumonia, hospital-acquired/ventilator-associated pneumonia, and pneumonia in the immunocompromised host; tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections; fungal infections; and bronchiectasis. Our symposia and mini-symposia at the ATS Annual Meeting continue to provide some of the best opportunities for clinicians and scientists to be kept abreast of recent advances in the diagnosis, treatment, and control of respiratory infections. Thematic poster sessions allow interaction with some of the cutting edge research in these areas.

This is an exciting yet challenging time to be involved with pulmonary infections. The availability of improving diagnostics, new and re-purposed antibiotics for both mycobacterial and bacterial pneumonia, and emerging data regarding the lung microbiome and its role in pulmonary disease has stimulated great interest. Conversely, the increase in multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extremely drug-resistant (XDR) strains of bacteria and tuberculosis pose a threat to the dramatic improvements in health resulting from effective antibiotics. Pandemic influenza, SARS, and MERS have also increased awareness of the role of serious viral respiratory tract infections and the lack of effective antiviral treatment for both new or previously known respiratory viruses. 

So if the challenge of clinical management of respiratory infections, understanding the pathophysiology and epidemiology, or developing new treatment paradigms, we encourage you to join us in the PI-TB Assembly. Our Assembly particularly encourages participation by junior members, including fellows, through a variety of programs in order to meet the future challenges in pulmonary infections. For more information about the Assembly contact us at pitb@thoracic.org.

Charles Dela Cruz, MD, PhD, ATSF, Assembly Chair 
Rachel Thomson, MBBS, Ph.D., FRACP, Immediate, Past Assembly Chair 
Shannon H. Kasperbauer, MD and Marcos I. Restrepo, MD, MSc, PhD, Program Chairs
Scott Evans, MD, MD, Planning Chair
Colin Swenson, MD, Web Director

2018 ATS International Conference Photos

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2013 ATS International Conference Photos

2013 MTPI