Q&A: ACAAI program chair previews upcoming conference
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Key takeaways:
- Melinda M. Rathkopf, MD, MBA, will deliver the Bela Schick Lecture.
- Mariana C. Castells, MD, PhD, will deliver the Edward J. O’Connell Lecture.
- The Monday plenary will preview new guidelines for severe asthma.
The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting will take place in Boston this year under the theme “Advancing Allergy/Immunology Discovery.”
This year’s conference is scheduled for Oct. 24 to 28 at the Hynes Convention Center. The program will feature scientific presentations, oral and poster sessions, practical sessions, and medically challenging cases as well as hands-on workshops.
Healio spoke with Jay A. Lieberman, MD, FACAAI, annual meeting program chair, about this year’s key sessions and the themes of this year’s meeting.
Healio: What are the big trends in the presentations this year?
Lieberman: The theme of this year’s meeting is “Advancing Allergy/Immunology Discovery,” and we have tried to blend this theme of discovery with practical clinical applications, so you will see a lot of sessions on new therapies for allergic conditions and how to implement these in practice, as well as sessions highlighting the latest in allergy guidelines in progress.
Healio: Are there any specific presentations you would like to spotlight?
Lieberman: The all-day Thursday asthma session will be amazing. There are so many great talks that day, all capped off by fun and engaging pro/con debates. The annual literature review is Friday and is always a highlight. Saturday kicks off with our Presidential Plenary looking at how community research can improve patient care. Then later that day, I think the “7 for 11: Name that Food Allergy Therapy” session will be great. It’s a rapid fire look at everything new in food allergy therapies. Sunday’s plenary on practical drug allergy will be a must see, with international experts on drug allergy giving practical advice to clinicians. Later that day is the always popular dermatology Jeopardy session. Finally, the Monday plenary will give a sneak peek into the latest data to come out of the severe asthma guideline that is currently in development.
Healio: Could you tell us about the sessions on practice management?
Lieberman: Friday offers a full day of our Practice Management Program for attendees. For those that are interested but cannot make Friday, there will be several practice management sessions Saturday through Monday including sessions on billing and coding, government regulations, social media, contracts, productivity and others.
Healio: What kinds of networking and social opportunities will there be?
Lieberman: As always, the Annual ACAAI meeting is full of amazing networking and social opportunities. These are highlighted by our two premier events. Friday is the President’s Welcome Reception, which is open to all attendees. Every year I am amazed at this event. Saturday night of course is the annual FIT Bowl, where fellows-in-training across the country (and even some international fellows) compete in a fun quiz bowl with food and drinks for everyone. There are numerous smaller networking sessions throughout the meeting.
Healio: Which keynote or named lectures would you like to spotlight?
Lieberman: This year, Melinda M. Rathkopf, MD, MBA, FACAAI, will be delivering the Bela Schick Lecture discussing how to look at career paths and changing paths during a career. Mariana C. Castells, MD, PhD, FACAAI, will deliver the Edward J. O’Connell Lecture this year. Dr. Castells is an internationally recognized researcher and speaker who will be discussing practical aspects of drug desensitization for a clinician.
In addition to these, we have amazing plenary talks from international experts, mainly in the fields of asthma and drug allergy, each morning.
Reference:
- ACAAI registration program: 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting. https://annualmeeting.acaai.org/2024/documents/ACAAI_RegistrationProgram2024_v9-FINAL.pdf. Accessed Oct. 3, 2024.