Committees

Committee

International Health Committee

Chair Samya Z. Nasr, MD, ATSF Ann Arbor, MI
Vice Chair Richard N. Van Zyl Smit, MBChB, PhD, ATSF Cape Town, western Cape, South Africa
Committee Member Andrej Michalsen, MD, MPH Ueberlingen, Germany, Germany
Committee Member Bulent T. Karadag, MD Istanbul, -- Select --, Turkey
Committee Member Chris Burtin, PT, PhD Diepenbeek, België, Belgium
Committee Member Engi F. Attia, MD, MPH, ATSF Seattle, WA
Committee Member Fernando L. Holguin Aurora, CO
Committee Member Jose Luis L. Sandoval Gutierrez, MD, PhD Mexico city, CDMX, Mexico
Committee Member Joy N. Eze, MBBS, ATSF Enugu, Enugu, Nigeria
Committee Member Kathleen O. Lindell, PhD, RN, ATSF Charleston, SC
Committee Member Kevin Duan, MD, MS Vancouver, BC, Canada
Committee Member Kiyoyasu Kurahashi, MD, PhD, ATSF Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan
Committee Member Laura Nicolaou, PhD Baltimore, MD
Committee Member Lisa L. Chen, MD San Francisco, CA
Committee Member Mark Cohen-Todd, MD Guatemala, Guatemala, Guatemala
Committee Member Satoshi Konno Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Committee Member - MECOR Steering Committee Chair Shannon S. Carson, MD Chapel Hill, NC
Committee Member Sofia Konstantinopoulou Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Committee Member Thomas Bice, MD, MSc Chapel Hill, NC
Committee Member Trishul Siddharthan, MD Miami, FL
Committee Member William O. Worodria, MBChB Kampala, UGANDA, Uganda
Committee Member Yet H. Khor, BMedSci, MBBS, FRACP, PhD Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
Observer William Checkley, MD, PhD Baltimore, MD
Staff Cristina Braz New York, NY
Staff Jadir Oliveira

The International Health Committee develops strategies to promote the global mission of the ATS to improve the health of patients worldwide with pulmonary and sleep‐related conditions and critical illnesses. It recommends to the Board policies, guidelines, and programs that promote lung health worldwide as well as enhance care of the critically ill and those with sleep disorders worldwide. The Committee coordinates and facilitates the interactions of the Society with professional organizations based outside of the United States. It also provides oversight for programs and partnerships co‐ sponsored or endorsed by the ATS but initiated or managed by international, governmental, and non‐ governmental organizations and agencies. The Committee also advises the Executive Committee regarding participation of ATS officers in programs sponsored by international organizations and works in collaboration with the Research Advocacy Committee to advocate for international research funding. It will review, revise, and implement an annual plan for the promotion of the Society’s Strategic Directions for Global Health that describes the activities and programs to achieve the aims of the Society in global health.

Benchmarks, 2024-2025:
▪ Expand Collaborative Research Initiatives: Identify opportunities for collaborative research projects with international partners and set targets for the number of new research collaborations initiated each year.
▪ Explore opportunities for collaboration between the IHC and other ATS committees, such as the SCALe or Research Committee, to leverage resources and expertise for international health initiatives.
▪ Develop initiatives to enhance engagement with international members, including targeted communication strategies, networking events, and membership growth targets.
▪ Continue regular meetings of the ATS IHC International Health Forum and identify themes and deliverables for each meeting.
▪ Evaluate existing relationships with peer organizations to generate value for international members.
▪ Continue to organize and implement the ATS International Scholarship Program and the MECOR Scholarship Program.
▪ Continue to organize and host the International Scholars Poster Colloquium, either in-person or virtually. Work with the International Conference Committee and the Steering Committee on Advancement and Learning (SCALe) to ensure the recommendations are aligned.
▪ Organize the Respiratory Societies of Americas program.
▪ Nominate international candidates for ATS Respiratory Health Awards.
▪ This committee is responsible for reviewing content it has previously posted to the ATS website to determine if it should be updated and moved to the new site or archived/deleted. Using parameters established by the ATS Digital Content Committee as a guideline, committee members will make necessary modifications to ensure the content is accurate and conforms with established ATS standards. Reviews are to be completed by December 1, 2024.