| Chair | Thomas J. Mariani, PhD | Rochester, NY |
| Vice Chair | Allan I. Pack, MBChB, PhD | Philadelphia, PA |
| Committee Member - PAR Representative | Amy Skiba | Susquehanna, PA |
| Committee Member | Chad Steele, PhD | New Orleans, LA |
| Committee Member - PAR Representative | Eliza Rista, JD | Huntersville, NC |
| Committee Member | Hara Levy, MD | Madison, WI |
| Committee Member | Indu A. Ayappa, PhD | New York, NY |
| Committee Member | James Kiley, PhD | Bethesda, MD |
| Committee Member | Jay K. Kolls, ATSF, MD | New Orleans, LA |
| Committee Member | Kristina A. Crothers, MD, ATSF | Seattle, WA |
| Committee Member | Purushothama Rao Tata, MSc, PhD | Durham, NC |
| Observer | James K. Brown, MD | San Francisco, CA |
| Staff | Valerie Adelson | Washington, DC |
The principal function of the Research Advocacy Committee is to serve as a resource for the staff of the ATS Government Relations Office and to advise the ATS Executive Committee and Board of Directors on issues of policy importance and priorities for ATS action regarding advocacy to advance research in areas of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep. Specifically, the Research Advocacy Committee provides expertise and develops documents to assist ATS in efforts to work collaboratively with the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Veterans Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Working in close association with the ATS Governmental Relations Office, the Committee monitors congressional budgets and legislation with budgetary implications and creates recommendations to advocate for research support. The Research Advocacy Committee promotes the inclusion of the Society’s research agenda in the programs of relevant funding agencies and advocates for adequate funding of these programs to meet public needs, including patient-centered research that promotes health equity.
Benchmarks, 2025-2026:
- Provide information and guidance to the ATS Government Relations office on federal research funding and policy issues as they relate to the research interests of the ATS and its members;
- Initiate and support efforts to develop policies promoting national research workforce diversity, equity and inclusion;
- Report to the Executive Committee on advocacy efforts of importance to ATS membership related to various federal agencies, and any important policy initiatives that warrant a society response;
- Participate in ATS annual Hill Day in Washington DC to advocate for health research funding;
- Report to the Executive Committee on the progress and opportunities for collaboration with the Veterans Administration on research related to ATS missions;
- Work with ATS Chief of Documents and Patient Education to develop recommended requests of institute directors for the ATS meetings at the National Institutes of Health and the Veterans Administration Research program;
- Proactively engage and educate “Early Career Professionals” on the benefits and methods for local and national research advocacy;
- Collaborate and participate in quarterly calls with the CCR, Health Policy Committee and other committees on advocacy to advance respiratory health;
- Collaborate with the Public Advisory Roundtable to ensure patient perspectives are included in ATS research advocacy plans and goals.
- Inform and educate membership on issues pertaining to national funding agencies and opportunities, legislative issues that concern respiratory health, and opportunities for advocacy;
- Collaborate with international societies and agencies to promote adequate funding of global research that addresses the Society’s research agenda.
- This committee is responsible for reviewing content it has previously posted to the ATS website to determine if it should be updated and moved to the new site or archived/deleted. Using parameters established by the ATS Digital Content Committee as a guideline, committee members will make necessary modifications to ensure the content is accurate and conforms with established ATS standards.
