Incoming ATS president emphasizes global respiratory health, generosity of the society

Key takeaways:

• Those interested in ATS leadership should get involved early, ask others how they can help and reach out to senior peers.
• Advocacy and being a home for patients are two factors ATS prides itself on.

Preparing for her 2024 to 2025 term as American Thoracic Society president, Irina Petrache, MD, ATSF, plans to make sure the society is at the forefront of important issues related to respiratory health.

“As a society, we agreed to tackle new challenges in the global landscape with various aspects of climate change, migrant health, issues related to policy and clean air, etc,” Petrache, professor, chief of the pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine division and associate vice president of faculty development at National Jewish Health, told Healio. “There’s always a need for the society to be at the forefront and respond accordingly.”

Notably, ATS leadership is a team effort comprised of the executive committee: president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, immediate past-president, CEO, the board of directors and the staff chiefs of the different sectors of the organization.

“My leadership team plans to implement the goals we all agreed upon as a society and with the board of directors to have the society be at the forefront of global respiratory health, modernize some of the aspects of governance and align the international conference with our membership needs and demographics,” Petrache said.

Prior leadership experience

Petrache has been a member of ATS since 1997 and fondly reflects on her journey leading up to the ATS president position.

During her time as a junior member in the Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology Assembly, Petrache was given many opportunities to grow because she was a part of the society.

“I benefited from the society tremendously in terms of learning, networking, being able to showcase my research and getting feedback,” she said.

After this period of development, Petrache said she was inspired to give back to the society and started by joining the international conference committee, which reviews abstracts submitted for consideration for the conference.

“This is a lot of work, but you learn the nuts and bolts of the society, as well as what the rest of your peers are doing,” she said. “It’s quite exciting and a learning experience.”

Following participation in the conference committee, Petrache rose through the ranks of the society by serving on many other committees, including the education committee and the publication’s committee.

From May 2013 to May 2015, she served as a chair for the international conference.

In addition to taking on leadership roles as an ATS member, Petrache previously was vice chair of research at Indiana University before starting her current position at National Jewish Health.

Petrache said as she gained more leadership experience, she felt more confident in her abilities.

“I felt more and more prepared to throw my name in the hat for the election to becoming an ATS president,” she said. “It was an honor to be nominated, and I was thrilled to be entrusted with this position.”

Advice for young clinicians

For young clinicians interested in one day holding a leadership position at ATS, Petrache recommends getting involved early, asking others how you can help and reaching out to senior peers.

“ATS is one of the most open and encouraging organizations to allow young clinicians and researchers to provide the service back to their professional peers and advance in leadership roles within the organization,” she said.

Longtime ATS members want to help junior members grow and learn the ways of the society, so it is important to not be shy, Petrache added.

An example of this care for junior members can be seen through the society’s recommendation to have an apprentice sit in on executive committees.

“There’s quite a generosity in our peers lending a hand and sharing their own experience so that they help juniors get the experience necessary to become leaders themselves,” Petrache told Healio.

The 2024 International Conference

The 2024 ATS International Conference marks the third in-person meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are now fully emerging from the pandemic and the setbacks that it brought to our society and conference, as well as the challenges it posed to our professional and personal lives themselves,” Petrache said.

During this year’s conference, Petrache plans to immerse herself in the meeting as a member and leader of the society in order to observe what is essential for an in-person meeting.

She also hopes to find out how the society can set the stage for yearlong learning and what first-time attendees appreciate most about the conference.

“We are at an exciting crossroads of the merging of generations,” Petrache said.

Further, one recurring message attendees can look forward to at this year’s meeting is the celebration of women in leadership.

According to Petrache, the number of women in leadership positions continues to grow every year. ATS is proud to showcase these women and inspire other women.

“ATS is a platform where one could get their confidence boosted as well as their achievements celebrated,” she said. “That matters a lot, especially for individuals who have traditionally not been seen in leadership.”

ATS 2025

Looking ahead to next year’s conference, where she will hold the president position, Petrache said she plans on upholding the society’s commitment to showcasing the latest clinical trial findings.

“I would like to take advantage of my background of being a physician scientist and understanding the value of high-quality science and innovation in not only setting our society apart from the rest, but also in making sure that that nugget of gold that we hold so precious is being served very well,” she said.

While discussing the future, Petrache also said she will continue to focus on two specific factors the society prides itself on: being a home for patients and advocacy.

In addition to professional members, patients and patient advocacy groups are part of the ATS team.

“Ultimately, patients are the ones for whom we provide our work and we try to gear our discoveries to,” Petrache said.

“We are welcoming our patient groups into our fold, both at the conference, as well as throughout the year with our ongoing activities,” she added.

In terms of advocacy, Petrache said ATS members are given the opportunity to express their thoughts on issues that matter to them and their patients.

“As a society, we have that opportunity to synergize our members’ singular voices and to provide a very strong position for what we stand for,” she said.