| Chair | Richard N. Van Zyl Smit, ATSF, MBChB, PhD | Cape Town, western Cape, South Africa |
| Vice Chair | Mark Cohen-Todd, MD | Guatemala, Guatemala, Guatemala |
| Committee Member | Andrej Michalsen, MD, MPH | Ueberlingen, Germany, Germany |
| Committee Member | Engi F. Attia, ATSF, MD, MPH | Seattle, WA |
| Committee Member | Fernando L. Holguin, ATSF, MD | Aurora, CO |
| Committee Member | Florin D. Mihaltan, MD, CRT | Bucharest, ROMANIA, Romania |
| Committee Member | Janet M. Shapiro, DM | New York, NY |
| Committee Member | Joy N. Eze, ATSF, MBBS, MPH, MSc | Enugu, Enugu, Nigeria |
| Committee Member | Kaharu Sumino, ATSF, MD, MPH | Saint Louis, MO |
| Committee Member | Kevin I. Duan, MD, MS | Vancouver, BC, Canada |
| Committee Member | Kiran Nandalike, MBBS | Sacramento, CA |
| Committee Member | Kiyoyasu Kurahashi, ATSF, MD, PhD | Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Committee Member | Laura G. Gochicoa-Rangel, MD, PhD, ATSF | Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal, Mexico |
| Committee Member | Laura G. Gochicoa-Rangel, MD, PhD, ATSF | Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal, Mexico |
| Committee Member | Laura Nicolaou, PhD | Baltimore, MD |
| Committee Member | Matthew J. Cummings, MD, MS | New York, NY |
| Committee Member | Ozge Yilmaz, ATSF, MD | Manisa, Manisa, Türkiye |
| Committee Member | Satoshi Konno, MD | Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan |
| Committee Member | Trishul Siddharthan, ATSF, MD | Miami, FL |
| Committee Member | Yet H. Khor, ATSF, MBBS, PhD | Heidelberg, VIC, Australia |
| Observer | Uma Maheswari | |
| Observer | William Checkley, MD, PhD | Baltimore, MD |
The International Health Committee develops strategies to promote the global mission of the ATS to improve the health of patients worldwide with pulmonary and sleep‐related conditions and critical illnesses. It recommends to the Board policies, guidelines, and programs that promote lung health worldwide as well as enhance care of the critically ill and those with sleep disorders worldwide. The Committee coordinates and facilitates the interactions of the Society with professional organizations based outside of the United States. It also provides oversight for programs and partnerships co‐ sponsored or endorsed by the ATS but initiated or managed by international, governmental, and non‐ governmental organizations and agencies. The Committee also advises the Executive Committee regarding participation of ATS officers in programs sponsored by international organizations and works in collaboration with the Research Advocacy Committee to advocate for international research funding. It will review, revise, and implement an annual plan for the promotion of the Society’s Strategic Directions for Global Health that describes the activities and programs to achieve the aims of the Society in global health.
Benchmarks, 2026-2027:
- Coordinate 4-6 webinars in 2026 as a joint collaboration between IHC and Assemblies (Webinars - specifics).
- Prioritize this benchmark for 2026 so we can focus on the identified gaps.
- Explore surveys to our international members on how ATS can help them in their countries and be more engaging in Assemblies.
- Help ATS and FIRS in the dissemination of the Lung Health Index globally
- Continue to evaluate and strengthen existing relationships with peer organizations to create meaningful value for international members.
- Continue to organize and implement the ATS International Scholarship Program and the MECOR Scholarship Program. Additionally, continue to host the International Scholars Poster Colloquium at the ATS International Conference, working closely with the International Conference Committee to ensure alignment with their recommendations.
- Organize the Respiratory Societies of the Americas program, bringing together key organizations such as ATS, CHEST, ALAT, the Brazilian Thoracic Society, and the Canadian Thoracic Society. The program will focus on fostering regional collaboration and will include an in-person meeting during the ATS Conference, followed by the development of a written manuscript summarizing the outcomes and initiatives.
- Explore ATS NOW to see how it can integrate with the committee’s strategic goals.
