More than 34 million Americans live with lung disease. When combined with lung cancer and respiratory diseases like COVID-19 and influenza, lung disease is a leading cause of death in America. To address urgent and critical lung health challenges in our country, the American Lung Association today announced the launch of the American Lung Association Research Institute.
"Lung disease is a critical health challenge in America, and we must take action to address it. The American Lung Association Research Institute is our answer to this challenge, and we are committed to investing in research, collaborating with experts and empowering scientists to accelerate discovery and innovation," said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. "The Lung Association has long been the trusted champion of lung health research, and the new Research Institute will take our work to end lung disease to the next level."
The new American Lung Association Research Institute will:
- Increase Research Investment through the organization's Awards and Grants program to $25 million per year by 2030.
- Expand Clinical Research in asthma and COPD throughout its nationwide Airways Clinical Research Centers, while working with an impressive bandwidth of experts to produce results directly impacting patient care.
- Convene Scientists and Funded Researchers for whitepapers, roundtables and collaboration. The Research Institute will also host conferences for the research team, principal investigators and lung health associates to address the most pressing issues in lung health.
- Collaborate with government and non-profits and co-invest with private industry to dramatically accelerate lung health discovery and innovation.
The Research Institute is governed by the Scientific Advisory Committee, a committee of the National Board of Directors, which includes the top experts in research and lung health from across the country. A new subcommittee of the Scientific Advisory Committee will explore partnership programs and collaboration opportunities for the American Lung Association Research Institute.