Fourth annual la lung day hosted at UCLA, plans to reach all of SoCal

The fourth annual LA Lung Day held on November 12, 2019 closed with a feeling of great excitement regarding the impressive research being conducted in the Southern California region. The event was hosted this year by representatives from multiple campuses—Dr. Brigitte Gomperts, a professor in pediatrics and pulmonary medicine from UCLA, Dr. Bill Parks, scientific director of the Women's Guild Lung Institute, associate dean of graduate research education and director of the Graduate Program in Biomedical and Translational Sciences from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Dr. Denise Al Alam an assistant professor of research surgery from University of Southern California (USC) and Children's Hospital Los Angeles—and held at the Luskin Conference Center at UCLA.

The conference focused on lung development and regeneration, acute lung injury and lung fibrosis, and lung immunity and cancer. During the day-long event, trainees and junior faculty presented their research and networked with the intent to foster future collaborations. "There was a tremendous energy in the room," noted Gomperts.

Among the presenters, keynote speaker, Dr. Mark Krasnow, a biochemistry professor from Stanford University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, shared his latest work on lung stem cells, their niches and cancer at single-cell resolution

LA Lung Day had 115 participants including 20 attendees from UC San Diego. Sponsors included the UCLA Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep Medicine, Clinical Immunology & Allergy, UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Cedars-Sinai Women’s Guild Lung Institute. 

The next steps for LA Lung Day's organizers are to continue to grow the event, expanding it to all of Southern California, and possibly, northern California as well. "We want to provide opportunities for everyone to interact and develop collaborations and to enjoy a day of great lung science," said Gomperts.

Image source: UCLA CTSI

Image caption: LA Lung Day was hosted by researchers from UCLA, Cedars-Sinai and USC/CHLA. The keynote presentation was given by Dr. Mark Krasnow, professor of biochemistry, at Stanford University and a Howard Hughes Medical Investigator.