Alpha-1 Foundation Celebrates 30th Anniversary at 2025 American Thoracic Society International Conference

Honoring Three Decades of Research & Collaboration 

CORAL GABLES, Fla., May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --The Alpha-1 Foundation is enthusiastic to join the American Thoracic Society for the International Conference from May 16-21, 2025, in San Francisco, CA. This year A1F celebrates its 30^th anniversary, a milestone that commemorates and honors the legacy of those who have impacted the Alpha-1 community, especially the Alphas and their families who A1F serves. For three decades, with the insight of the Alpha-1 community, A1F has designed and launched innovative patient-focused programs and services supporting Alphas along their journey; including a solid infrastructure to promote pioneering scientific research and the establishment of collaborative partnerships to advance the development of novel therapies.

Nearly 14,000 pulmonary, critical care, and sleep professionals from all over the world will gather to attend, present and learn about the latest advances, meet with colleagues from around the world and create new collaborations. Throughout the conference key opinion leaders in the Alpha-1 field will present in over 40 sessions and thematic poster sessions. 

A1F is excited to highlight Alpha-1 Breakthroughs: New Discoveries in Mechanisms, Diagnosis & Treatment of Lung Disease in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. The session will take place on Monday, May 19^th from 9:15 AM- 10: 45 AM PT. The session is co-chaired by ATS President Irina Petrache along with Dr. Bruce Trapnell (University of Cincinnati College of Medicine) and Dr. James Stoller (Cleveland Clinic). Speakers include Alpha-1 experts Dr. Craig Hersh (Brigham & Women's Hospital), Dr. Karina Serban (University of Florida), Dr. Francesca Polverino (Baylor College of Medicine), Dr. Michael Campos (University of Miami Miller School of Medicine), Dr. Charlie Strange (Medical University of South Carolina) and A1F scientific director, Dr. Andrew Wilson (Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine). This prestigious group of physicians and researchers are represented on A1F committees including A1F Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee and A1F Grant Advisory Committee.

Each year, A1F hosts the Grants Award Reception to honor the newly awarded Alpha-1 research grant award recipients including in-cycle research grants, pilot and feasibility grants and postdoctoral research fellowship grants. This year the reception will take place on Monday, May 19^th at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. We are proud over to present 22 grants totaling over $3.75 million dollars this year to both lung and liver researchers.  Grants from the Alpha-1 Foundation support rigorous scientific research to advance Alpha-1 treatment and care and draw us closer to a cure. The Alpha-1 Foundation also funds research into ethical, legal, and social issues impacting people with genetic conditions. The A1F Grant Advisory Committee (GAC) meets annually to provide scientific review for all research grant proposals submitted. A1F uses the same rigorous scoring process at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A1F also partners on an annual matching research grant with ATS titled ATS/A1F Young Investigator Grant in Alpha-1 and is targeted to provide support for early-career investigators who are starting their research careers and intend to pursue a career in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1) research. 

"The A1F ATS Grants Award Reception is the ideal forum to honor our founder's vision of investing in research and science, recognize our most recent grant recipients, while also celebrating having distributed more than $100 million in grant funding over three decades," said Scott Santarella, A1F President & CEO.  

Since 1995, A1F has invested over $100 million to support Alpha-1 research and programs at over 130 institutions in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Australia, making A1F the largest private funder of Alpha-1 research in the world. We continue to invest boldly and wisely, funding only the most promising science to accelerate treatments for the underlying causes of Alpha-1 and to find a cure for everyone diagnosed with this condition. 

The Alpha-1 Foundation (A1F) works strategically with federal agencies, memberships, and coalitions—focusing on the issues that matter most to Alphas—to inform legislators of the burdens of the patient community, to advance its public policy agenda for the benefit of the Alpha-1 community, and to move its research agenda forward. ALPHA1.ORG

Full Story Here: https://alpha1.org/a1f-celebrates-30th-anniversary-at-2025-ats/

For more information, visit alpha1.org

Contact: Jeanne Kushner 
Senior Director of Communications & Policy 
877-228-7321 
[email protected]

SOURCE Alpha-1 Foundation