American Thoracic Society

TUBERCULOSIS DEMONSTRATION, RESEARCH, PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

RESPIRATORY HEALTH EFFECTS OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE WORKSHOP

ESTABLISHING A PRIORITIZED RESEARCH AGENDA FOR NONTUBERCULOUS MYCOBACTERIAL INFEC

THE WORKSHOP IS A COORDINATED EFFORT BETWEEN ATS EPA NIEHS AND NASA TO BRING TOGETHER EXPERTS FROM ACROSS MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES AND AGENCIES TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT AND NEAR-TERM CAPABILITIES TO MONITOR AIR POLLUTION. THE WORKSHOP WILL FOCUS ON CRITICAL ISSUES IN THE DEVELOPMENT INTEGRATION AND UTILIZATION OF AIR POLLUTION MONITORING DATA COLLECTED VIA MULTIPLE TECHNOLOGY APPROACHES. THE FRAMING OF THE WORKSHOP IS FOCUSED ON THE UTILIZATION OF MONITORING DATA FOR HEALTH RESEARCH AND PATIENT CARE AND WILL BE OF INTEREST TO HEALTH RESEARCHERS HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE TECHNICAL MONITORING COMMUNITY. KEY ISSUES DISCUSSED DURING THE WORKSHOP WILL BE INCLUDED IN A WRITTEN WORKSHOP REPORT THAT WILL ALSO INCLUDE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE GENERATED ORGANICALLY THROUGH DISCUSSION AMONG WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS. MANY INDIVIDUALS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE WORKSHOP. IN DEFINING THE SCOPE OF THIS WORKSHOP IT IS IMPORTANT TO DEFINE TOPICS THAT WILL NOT BE DIRECTLY COVERED IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A NARROWLY FOCUSED AGENDA. TOPICS THAT WILL NOT BE DIRECTLY ADDRESSED INCLUDE: OCCUPATIONAL MONITORING; INDOOR AIR QUALITY MONITORING; SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGIES OR PRODUCTS WITHIN BROAD TECHNOLOGICAL CATEGORIES; OR REGULATORY ISSUES INVOLVING MANDATED AIR QUALITY MONITORING. THESE ARE VALUABLE TOPICS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT BUT WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A CLEAR FOCUS FOR THE WORKSHOP. TECHNOLOGY USED FOR AIR POLLUTION MONITORING IS DEVELOPING AT A BREAKNECK PACE. DECISIONS ABOUT THE DIRECTION OF AIR POLLUTION MONITORING ARE CURRENTLY BEING MADE THAT WILL DEFINE THE AVAILABILITY AND CAPABILITY OF AIR POLLUTION DATA THAT HEALTH RESEARCHERS AND PATIENTS WILL RELY ON FOR THE NEXT 10-20 YEARS. CURRENTLY EFFORTS TO DEVELOP MONITORING CAPABILITIES ARE GENERALLY OCCURRING IN ISOLATION BOTH WITHIN AND BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY GROUPS (REMOTE SENSING PORTABLE MONITORING LOW-COST STATIONARY MONITORING). ADDITIONALLY THE DECISIONS MADE BY ENGINEERS AND DATA SCIENTISTS MAY NOT FULLY CONSIDER THE NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLECTING DATA IN WAYS THAT ARE MOST USEFUL FOR HEALTH RESEARCH AND PATIENT CARE. THIS WORKSHOP IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ATS TO PARTNER WITH THOUGHT LEADING FEDERAL PARTNERS LIKE NASA AND EPA TO CONSIDER RECENT ADVANCES IN AIR POLLUTION MONITORING. NASA HAS PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN ADVANCING THE SCIENCE OF SATELLITE MONITORING OF AIR POLLUTION AND HAS RECENTLY MADE STRIDES TO USE THIS EXPERTISE IN HEALTH APPLICATIONS. EPA PLAYS A KEY FEDERAL RULE IN VALIDATING AND USING AIR POLLUTION MONITORING DATA TO ESTABLISH REGULATORY POLICY AND HAS ASSISTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PORTABLE MONITORS. NIEHS FUNDS SIGNIFICANT BASIC RESEARCH IN THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION EXPOSURES AND AS SUCH IS A KEY USER OF AIR POLLUTION MONITORING DATA FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES (STATIONARY MONITORS PERSONAL SENSORS AND SATELLITE MONITORS). THE GENERATED WORKSHOP REPORT WILL PROVIDE CRITICAL INFORMATION FOR ATS MEMBERS INTERESTED IN AIR POLLUTION MONITORING FOR HEALTH RESEARCH AND PATIENT CARE. ATS WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO TAKE A LEADING ROLE IN SHAPING THE DIRECTION OF NEAR-FUTURE AIR POLLUTION MONITORING. IT IS EXPECTED THAT RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE GENERATED FROM WORKSHOP DISCUSSIONS AND PRESENTATIONS THAT WILL INFORM NEAR-FUTURE NASA SATELLITE MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO DEVELOP MONITORING NETWORKS AND THE STANDARDIZATION OF DATA COLLECTED FROM LOW-COST SENSORS. THIS PROJECT IS A PRIORITY FOR ATS MEMBERS AND FOR ATS AS AN INSTITUTION NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE WORKSHOP BUT ALSO BECAUSE THE LOCATION OF THE 2017 ATS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON DC PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP TRAVEL COSTS LOW AND INCREASE PARTICIPATION FROM AGENCY EXPERTS LOCATED IN AND AROUND THE DC AREA.

TUBERCULOSIS DEMONSTRATION, RESEARCH, PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION