ATS 2026 is quickly approaching! This iteration of the international conference will feature amazing panels, speakers, and forums. On this episode of the ATS Breathe Easy, host Ugo Ezema, MD, Tulane University, gives us a preview by highlighting the keynotes on Sunday and Monday. Katherine Hisert, MD, PhD, National Jewish Health, discusses the Sunday keynote: "Vaccines - Past, Present and Future" by Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH. Joshua Fessel, MD, PhD, ATSF, talks about the Monday keynote he will be moderating: "The Supreme Court, the Administrative State, and You" with Stephen Vladeck, JD.

There’s still time to register for ATS 2026! https://registration.experientevent.com/ShowATS261/Flow/ATT?atslogin=1&marketingcode=YOUTUBE

Vaccines are essential to public health, yet the current Department of Health and Human Service leadership has led changes in vaccine recommendations that are not grounded in scientific evidence. Experts Tina Hartert, MD, MPH, Vanderbilt University, and Ryan Maves, MD, Wake Forest University, discuss with host Patti Tripathi the multi-professional society effort to protect and promote a science-based vaccine schedule for patients and health care providers, and to equip individuals with clear, practical ways to advocate for evidence-based immunization policies.

Artificial intelligence is at the center of dozens of new tools and technological advances, but how should clinicians and researchers integrate them into their practice and research? The ATS AI Taskforce was formed to help answer this question, explore the latest innovations in the space, and how it fits into the needs of ATS members. Shirin Shafazand, MD, MS, FAASM, ATSF, University of Miami, and past-president of the ATS David Gozal, MD, MBA, Marshall University, join host Eddie Qian, MD, Vanderbilt University, to discuss this new taskforce, talk about AI programming at ATS 2026, and how AI is helping to shape the future of medicine.

April is Sarcoidosis Awareness Month! Host Patti Tripathi speaks with Mary McGowan, president and CEO of the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, about the importance of continuing research on sarcoidosis, advocacy and policy efforts in the field, and fighting for paid leave for those participating in clinical trials.

Learn more about the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research at https://www.stopsarcoidosis.org/
Learn more about The Champions for Change: https://site.thoracic.org/press-releases/champions-for-change-paid-time-off-initiative-just-made-clinical-trials-participation-easier
Learn more about the bipartisan Congressional Sarcoidosis Caucus: https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-launches-bipartisan-sarcoidosis-caucus-to-battle-the-debilitating-disease-in-memory-of-his-mother

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) changed the dollar value of a statistical life in January 2026, essentially dropping it to zero. What does that mean for the average American? As Anthony Gerber, MD, PhD, University of Kentucky, explains to Air Health Our Health host Erika Moseson, MD, MA, this means the agency will no longer account for the healthcare costs of air pollution and lost lives when determining how account how clean air policies and other key legislation affect communities. In this conclusion of a two-part series on the EPA’s dollar value of a statistical life, Dr. Gerber explains what this change means and why is it significant.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) changed the dollar value of a statistical life in January 2026, essentially dropping it to zero. What does that mean for the average American? As Anthony Gerber, MD, PhD, University of Kentucky, explains to Air Health Our Health host Erika Moseson, MD, MA, this means the agency will no longer account for the healthcare costs of air pollution and lost lives when determining how account how clean air policies and other key legislation affect communities. In this first part of a two-part series on the EPA’s dollar value of a statistical life, Dr. Gerber explains what this change means and why is it significant.

How can peers help those in their field entering mid-career? Through the sharing of their successes and struggles. This was the solution Joshua Lee Denson, MD, MS, Tulane University, and colleagues came up with when asked for event ideas for the ATS International Conference. The ATS Storytelling Series has been a huge success, giving mid-career professionals a space to highlight wins, discuss issues, and connect with a community of professionals looking to advance and expand. Dr. Denson and host Amy Attaway, MD, Cleveland Clinic, talk about how this series was developed, how it has helped others in the past, and what to look forward to at ATS 2026.

Be sure to register for ATS 2026: https://registration.experientevent.com/ShowATS261/Flow/ATT?atslogin=1&marketingcode=YOUTUBE

Immigrants make up a significant portion of the medical and scientific community at all levels, from students all the way to senior faculty. But the Trump administration’s new policies will make it hard for institutions to bring in new international talent and possibly retain the key contributors.

Host Patti Tripathi talks with medical historian Eram Alam, PhD, Harvard University, and ATS Past-President Lynn Schnapp, MD, ATSF, University of Wisconsin, about how the fields of respiratory medicine and research are losing the best and the brightest, and what that means for public health.

Learn more about the Hart-Celler Act: https://dissentmagazine.org/article/how-the-hart-celler-act-changed-america/