Two institutions, the Institute of Lung Health and Immunity (Helmholtz-Munich) and the Chicago Northestern Medical Center have been meeting monthly online to exchange scientific information to explore cutting-edge advancements in the field of pulmonary and critical care medicine. As a result, this year they decided to meet in person in Chicago on 21st and 22nd of September, the main subject being “Molecular mechanisms of lung disease”. The conference will discuss recent advances in four key areas: pulmonary fibrosis, COPD, acute lung injury and lung transplantation.
Speakers from LHI will be Institute Director Ali Önder Yildirim as well as Roxana Wasnick, Theodoros Kapellos, Tobias Stöger, Aicha Jeridi and the DZL PIs from the CPC-M Mareike Lehmann, Isis Fernandez, Tom Conlon, and Jürgen Behr, Professor of Internal Medicine – Pneumology at Ludwig-Maximilians University.
They will show current findings from their projects such as “Decoding Myeloid Cell Heterogeneity in the COPD lung”, “Novel Immune-Therapeutic Targets in COPD” or “Impact of Cellular Senescence and Inflammaging on Alveolar Regeneration Programs.”
"We are delighted to co-host this exceptional event, which will provide a platform for experts to share their knowledge, exchange ideas and advance our understanding of lung diseases," said Ali Önder Yildirim, Director of the Institute for Lung Health and Immunity, Helmholtz Zentrum München. "Lung disease continues to be a major global health concern, and this conference underscores our commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration in the field."
As the 2023 published study “Global burden of chronic respiratory diseases” showed: COPD was 2019 the primary cause of deaths from CRDs, accounting for 3.3 million deaths worldwide. In Germany, according to the “Whitebook Lung”, the number of COPD patients increased by 8 % from 2010 to 2019 with more than three and a half million patients in 2019.
Find more information about the conference on “Molecular mechanisms of lung disease” here.