Several members of the University of Louisville Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Disorders Medicine participated in the recent 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference, an annual meeting of the largest respiratory society in the world.

This year's conference was held in Denver, and the contingent from the UofL Department of Medicine Lung Health Initiative made many and various contributions.

Among the highlights for the UofL group include:

• Caleb Greenwell, a Ph.D. student in Dr. Jesse Roman’s laboratory, delivered a well-received oral presentation during a symposium on the Lung Tumor Microenvironment.
• Dr. Roman delivered a lecture on Lung Fibrosis and Cancer during a symposium on Scarcinomas and chaired a session during an NIH-ATS Workshop on Health Equality and Diversity. He also chaired the Medical Advisory Board Meeting of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation held in conjunction with the ATS Meeting. In addition, Dr. Roman was the Lead Discussion Facilitator for a thematic Poster Session titled "Magical Mysteries of IPF," and also was session chair for a Poster Discussion Session named "Aging: The Common Denominator."
• Dr. Roman was named Chair of the ATS Health Equality Committee.
• Dr. Julio Ramirez chaired a two-day NHLBI-sponsored symposium on Clinical & translational research in pneumonia, influenza, and emerging respiratory pathogens (CAPO symposium).

Pulmonary fellows and faculty presented 14 pieces of research work and participated in thematic poster, poster discussion, and symposium sessions.

Their presentation addressed important issues related to a diverse of clinical problems ranging from critical care, pulmonary hypertension and sleep medicine to infectious diseases and lung cancer.

Those presentations include:

• Epigenetic Changes Related to Histone Modifications Explain Alterations in Matrix Expression in the Fibroblasts of Muring Aging Lungs - J.D. Ritzenthaler, Ms, S. Ghare, Ph.D., E. Torres, MD, S. Barve, Ph.D., J. Roman, MD.
• Nicotine Exposure Results in Epigenetic Changes Related to Histone Modifications that Stimulate Fibronectin Expression in Lung Fibroblasts - J.D. Ritzenthaler, Ms, S. Ghare, Ph.D., E. Torres-Gonzalez, MD, S. Barve, Ph.D., J. Roman, MD.
• Lung Fibroblast-Derived Factors Promote Phenotypic Changes in Lung Carcinoma Cells Associated with Increased Tumor Cell Proliferation, Colony Formation, and Resistance to Cisplatin In Vitro and Increased Growth In Vivo - J.C. Greenwell, B.S., J.D. Ritzenthaler, Ms, E. Torres-Gonzalez, MD, J. Roman, MD.
• Stimulation of De Novo Donor Specific Antibodies and Early Allograft Function Following Human Lung Transplantation - D.R. Nunley, MD, G.S. Bauldoff, PhD, RN, L.A. Szalacha, PhD, M. Steele, MS, A. Luger, MD, A. Ramirez, MD, V. Van Berkle, MD, PhD.
• Regulation of EC-SOD and NOX4 Expression in Pulmonary Artery Endothelial Cells - I.N. Zelko, PhD, J. Roman, MD.
• Interventional Pulmonology in 2015: A Survey of Current Practice and Future Directions of this Emerging Field - A. Butt, MD, U. Gauhar, MD.
• A Case of Pulmonary Artery Obstruction and Pulmonary Hypertension: A Rare Case of Idiopathic Hilar Fibrosis - M. Yasin, MD, K. El-Kersh, MD, D.R. Nunley, MD, A. Cheng, MD, J.S. Smith, DO.
• Rarity Revisited: Urinothorax: A Case of Transudative Pleural Effusion - M. Yasin, MD, E.H. Ali, MD, D.R. Nunley, MD.
• Depression, COPD and Coal Worker's Pneumoconiosis (CWP) Are Common Among Kentucky Coal Miners Evaluated for Respiratory Impairment - M. Yasin, MD, B. Beatty, MS, R.J. Folz, MD, PhD.
• Outcome of Adenotonsillectomy in Severe Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea - K. El-Kersh, MD, R. Cavallazzi, MD, U.S. Chaddha, M.B.B.S., E. Senthilvel, MD, FRCSEd.
• Association Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Pulmonary Embolism in Veterans: A Case-Control Study - K. El-Kersh, MD, R.A. Teferra, MD, R. Cavallazzi, MD, M. Saad, MD, J. Guardiola, MD.
• Isolated Pulmonary Mucormycosis in an Immunocompetent Adult - K. El-Kersh, MD, P. Thompson, MD, R.L. Perez, MD, J. Guardiola, MD, M. Saad, MD, U. Gauhar, MD.
• Recurrent Pneumonia as a Manifestation of Severe Mucus Plugging in an Asthmatic - S. Bickel, MD, T. Wiese, DO, A. O'Hagan, MD, R. Morton, MD, N.S. Eid, MD.
• Chest Computerized Tomography (CT) Improvement After Initiating Treatment with Ivacaftor - S. Bickel, MD, R. Morton, MD, A. O'Hagan, MD, N.S. Eid, MD.