Mount Sinai Experts to Present New Research on Long COVID, Lung Cancer, Asthma, Sleep Apnea, and More at ATS 2024 International Conference

Contact: Stacy A. Anderson                    
Mount Sinai Press Office                    
347-346-3390                    
[email protected]  

Mount Sinai Experts to Present New Research on Long COVID, Lung Cancer, Asthma, Sleep Apnea, and more at ATS 2024 International Conference
Available for interview on breaking news, trending topics in respiratory medicine

  World renowned pulmonologists and experts in respiratory medicine from the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City will present new research at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2024 International Conference in San Diego from May 17–May 22. Please let me know if you would like to coordinate an interview about their work. Mount Sinai doctors and researchers are also available to comment on breaking news and trending topics.

Sessions and Symposiums
(All abstracts listed below are under embargo until the scheduled start time of the event):

Sunday, May 19
9:15-9:27 a.m. PT (12:15-12:27 p.m. ET)
A19: THE FRONTLINE SLEEP APNEA: INNOVATIONS IN OSA
Individualized Treatment Effects of CPAP in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Post-hoc Machine Learning Analysis in Save
• This presentation will highlight work done by Dr. Neomi Shah’s research group including biostatistics and machine learning expert Dr. Mayte Suarez-Farinas, in collaboration with lead authors from the SAVE clinical trial. By applying causal survival forest methods to data from the SAVE randomized controlled trial, the researchers have developed a machine-learning algorithm that identified individualized treatment effects of CPAP on recurrent cardiovascular disease events.
Mini Symposium
Presenter: Oren Cohen, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
San Diego Convention Center, Room 32 A-B (Upper Level)

9:15-11:15 a.m. PT (12:15-2:15 p.m. ET)
A30: CHALLENGES AS OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE LUNG CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND CARE
Association Between Race and Insurance Status With Follow-up Rates in Incidental Lung Nodules
• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the U.S. The evaluation and follow-up of incidental lung nodules plays a crucial role in early detection and improved patient outcomes. Studies have shown significant disparity in health outcomes among different racial and ethnic groups, however the investigation on the association between race and the management of incidental lung nodules has been relatively sparse. Mount Sinai researchers aim to explore the influence of race and insurance status in determining follow-up rates for incidental lung nodules.
Poster Discussion Session
Presenter: Nour Ayoub, MD, Clinical Research Coordinator at Mount Sinai Morningside
San Diego Convention Center, Room 11A-B (Upper Level)

9:15-11:15 a.m. PT (12:15-2:15 p.m. ET)
A30: CHALLENGES AS OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE LUNG CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND CARE
Analysis of Demographics, Clinical Characteristics, and Outcome of Patients With Incidental Lung Nodules
• Incidental lung nodules are frequently detected in radiographic imaging. Reports show that the rates of follow up of incidental lung nodules are low, even with appropriate radiology recommendations. Mount Sinai researchers aim to analyze the characteristics of patients, follow-up rates, and outcomes of incidental lung nodules identified in patients encountered in our tertiary hospital system.
Poster Discussion Session
Presenter: Hong Yu Wang, MD, Internal Medicine Resident at Mount Sinai Beth Israel
San Diego Convention Center, Room 11A-B (Upper Level)

11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. PT (2:30-4:15 p.m. ET)
A38: HIGHLIGHTS OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
Leveraging Tableau Dashboards for Enhanced Inpatient Pulmonary Care: A Data-driven Approach at the Mount Sinai Health System
• Managing inpatient pulmonary care effectively and improving quality of care demands robust data analytics tools for tracking key performance indicators. Experts developed a Tableau-based inpatient pulmonary dashboard for the Mount Sinai Health System aimed to centralize pertinent data for streamlined decision-making, with the ability to distill information to specific pulmonary disease catetgoreis, care units, and providers—ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and performance assessment.
Thematic Poster Session
Presenter: Samira Khan, MPH, Assistant Director of Research and Clinical Initiatives for the Mount Sinai–National Jewish Health Respiratory Institute
San Diego Convention Center, Area L (Hall H, Ground Level)

11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. PT (2:30-4:15 pm ET)
A71: CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGIES FOR LUNG DISCOVERY
P491 – Live Lung Imaging to Define the Cell Specificity of Alveolar Defense
• Alveolar wall liquid secretion defends against acute lung injury by transporting inhaled particles and bacteria from lung alveoli. Alveolar wall liquid secretion is mediated by the epithelial cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein, but the cell type that drives the secretion is unclear. Mount Sinai researchers use live lung imaging of a novel cell-specific fluorescent, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator knockout in a mouse model to study the role of alveolar type 1 cells in alveolar defense.
Thematic Poster Session
Presenter: Sayahi Suthakaran, BA, MS Candidate in Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
San Diego Convention Center, Area E (Hall A-B2, Ground Level)

11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. PT (2:30-4:15 pm ET)
A71: CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGIES FOR LUNG DISCOVERY
P504 – Real-Time Confocal Imaging of Alveolar Barrier Recovery After Staphylococcal Lung Injury
• Staphylococcus aureus lung infection is a common disease with high mortality, despite antibiotic therapy. Although mortality might be decreased by therapies that promote lung repair, no such therapies currently exist because lung repair mechanisms are poorly understood. This study uses real-time confocal imaging of live lungs to reveal mechanisms of lung repair after injury due to staphylococcus aureus, and potentially identify new options for lung infection therapy.
Thematic Poster Session
Presenter: Sarah Moore, MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital
San Diego Convention Center, Area E (Hall A-B2, Ground Level)

2:15-4:15 p.m. PT (5:15-7:15 p.m. ET)
A110: NEW FRONTIERS IN SLEEP APNEA DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPIES
Variability of Burden of Central Events in Sleep Disordered Breathing Quantified Using Automated Breath-by-Breath Probability of Obstruction
• The burden of central events in those with sleep-disordered breathing may be under detected due to the infrequent use of esophageal manometry in the sleep lab (the diagnostic standard). The probability of obstruction is an algorithmic breath-by-breath analysis method that can distinguish central from obstructive events and provide meaningful information on the proportion of each in a given subject. Night-to-night stability of this tool has been confirmed; now Mount Sinai researchers examine long-term variability of probability of obstruction in the absence of significant weight change and evaluate how pre-existing congestive heart failure may impact probability of obstruction.
Poster Discussion Session
Presenter: Erin Eschbach, MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital
San Diego Convention Center, Room 6E (Upper Level)

Monday, May 20
11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. PT (2:30-4:15 p.m. ET)
B33: COVID-19, LUNG INJURY, AND SEPSIS
Associations of Asthma and Type 2 Inflammation With Symptom Burden in Patients Post-COVID-19
• Prior studies assessing if asthma is a risk factor for long COVID (also known as post-acute sequelae of COVID-19) have shown mixed results. Although it is hypothesized that type 2 cytokines confer protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, the relationship between asthma endotype and long COVID remains unclear. Mount Sinai researchers study the relationship between asthma—with and without type 2 inflammation—and long COVID.
Thematic Poster Session
Presenter: Yuki Abe, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
San Diego Convention Center, Area I (Hall H, Ground Level)

11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. PT (2:30-4:15 p.m. ET)
B59: DEFINING DISPARITIES IN PULMONARY VASCULAR DISEASES
Association of Race With Outcomes in Patients With Acute Pulmonary Embolism Requiring Interhospital Transfer: A Retrospective, Observational Study
• Pulmonary embolism is the third most common acute vascular disease worldwide. Intermediate to high-risk pulmonary embolism patients may require advanced therapies, including surgical embolectomy or catheter-directed interventions, which may necessitate inter-hospital transfers. Mount Sinai researchers hypothesized that race may influence the outcome of patients with acute pulmonary embolism requiring inter-hospital transfers for possible advanced management.
Thematic Poster Session
Presenter: Hong Yu Wang, MD, Internal Medicine Resident at Mount Sinai Beth Israel
San Diego Convention Center, Area B (Hall A-B2, Ground Level)

11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. PT (2:30-4:15 p.m. ET)
B80-2: ABNORMALITIES IN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION IN COPD
Diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Using Deep-learning on Electrocardiograms
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide and is a contributing cause of right ventricular hypertrophy caused by pulmonary hypertension. Mount Sinai researchers study and hypothesize that an electrocardiogram (ECG) can be repurposed as a screening mechanism for COPD diagnosis, given its ability to demonstrate changes indicative of pulmonary hypertension. Their study uses deep learning, a form of artificial intelligence, to detect COPD based on these ECG changes.
Thematic Poster Session
Co-author: Monica Kraft, MD, Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine), and System Chair for the Department of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai       
San Diego Convention Center, Area F (Hall A-B2, Ground Level)

11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. PT (2:30-4:15 p.m. ET)
B80-5: DIAGNOSING LUNG CANCER: MORE THAN A SCAN
Enhancing Early Detection of Incidental Lung Nodule: Implementation and Impact
• Incidental lung nodules are commonly identified on computerized tomography scans, with detection rates estimated at 20-30 percent. Over 1.5 million new lung nodules are detected annually in the U.S., and 5 percent result in a diagnosis of lung cancer. The status of up to 60 percent of incidental lung nodules are lost to unscheduled follow-up appointments. Mount Sinai experts have implemented an incidental lung nodules program aimed at enhancing early detection and avoiding losses to follow up.
Thematic Poster Session
Presenter: Nour Ayoub, MD, Clinical Research Coordinator at Mount Sinai Morningside
San Diego Convention Center, Area J (Hall H, Ground Level)

2:15-4:15 p.m. PT (5:15-7:15 p.m. ET)
B110: ADVANCES IN PRECISION APPROACHES TO DETECTION AND TREATMENT OF EARLY LUNG CANCER
315 – Comparative Effectiveness of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Versus Wedge Resection in Long-term Health Outcomes in Early-stage Lung Cancer
• Many early-stage, non-small cell lung cancer patients are considered high risk for complications after lobectomy due to older age, comorbid conditions, or other factors. The therapeutic options for these patients include sub-lobar resection such as wedge resection, or stereotactic body radiation therapy. While prior studies showed comparable survival outcomes between sub-lobar resection and stereotactic body radiation therapy—up to 5 years post-treatment—patients undergoing stereotactic body radiation therapy may have higher risk of long-term recurrence. Mount Sinai researchers assessed the long-term outcomes of patients undergoing stereotactic body radiation therapy vs. wedge resection.
RAPiD Poster Discussion Session
Presenter: Jeremy Mudd, MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital
San Diego Convention Center, Room 28C-E (Upper Level)

2:27-2:39 p.m. PT (5:27-5:39 p.m. ET)
B99: SLEEP APNEA UNPLUGGED: NAVIGATING A MYRIAD OF HEALTH OUTCOMES
Using Explainable AI to Predict Survival Curves for All-cause Mortality in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
• Traditional AI models predict binary outcomes and do not account for time to event, which is imperative when understanding the relationship between sleep apnea and all-cause mortality. Mount Sinai researchers will discuss how they developed an AI model that utilizes purportedly independent measures across ventilatory, hypoxic, and arousal burden to predict survival curves for all-cause mortality in a large community dwelling cohort. Their AI model generated survival curves with a greater accuracy than the apnea-hypopnea index.
Mini Symposium
Presenter: Sajila Wickramaratne, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
San Diego Convention Center, Room 32A-B (Upper Level)

Tuesday, May 21
9:30-9:45 a.m. PT (12:30-12:45 p.m. ET)
C10: BEYOND TOBACCO: NON-SMOKING CAUSES OF COPD
Setting the Stage: the Role of In Utero and Early Life Exposures
• There is a growing need to address key contributors to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) beyond tobacco use. This session highlights major drivers of non-tobacco related COPD, and the impact of modifiable environmental exposures on COPD morbidity and mortality.
Scientific Symposium
Participant: Alison Lee, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Global Health, Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) and Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, Grand Ballroom 11-13 (Lobby Level, North Tower)

9:35-9:55 a.m. PT (12:35-12:55 p.m. ET)
Session C13: REASSESSING THE VALUE OF PHYSIOLOGIC ENDOTYPES IN UNDERSTANDING OSA HETEROGENEITY
Physiologic Endotypes Have Not Informed the Diagnosis of OSA
•This session will critically evaluate the physiological endotype theory of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) pathogenesis, assess the robustness of findings resulting from this paradigm, and consider how to better utilize physiologic insights to advance an understanding of OSA heterogeneity and individualization of care.
Scientific Symposium
Participant: Indu A. Ayappa, PhD, Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, Grand Ballroom 8-9 (Lobby Level, North Tower)

10:05-10:25 a.m. PT (1:05-1:25 p.m. ET)
C6: ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCE ON LUNG HEALTH
Environmental Exposures and Life Course Lung Health: Timing is Everything
• This session will focus on the effect the environment has on lung health. Recently airborne particulates from forest fires brought home the impact of air quality, especially for individuals with compromised breathing. Presentations will discuss the consequences of a warming climate, severe weather events, and flooding on this community.
Public Advisory Roundtable Symposium
Participant: Alison Lee, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Global Health, Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) and Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
San Diego Convention Center, Room 29A-D (Upper Level)

9:15-11:15 a.m. PT (12:15-2:15 p.m. ET)
C29: ADVANCED LUNG IMAGING; THE PULMONARY PAPARAZZI
419 – Quantifying Regional Functional Ventilation in Asthma: A Comparative Analysis Using X-ray Velocimetry
• In patients with asthma, physiologic measurements such as spirometry lack the capacity to detect differences in spatial heterogeneity of airways dysfunction; yet these ventilation patterns may have clinical implications with regards to phenotyping disease, correlating with symptoms, and monitoring response to therapy. Alternative approaches, such as newer functional imaging modalities, have emerged to quantify ventilation distribution—especially at regional and lobar levels. This session will highlight the concept of considering radiographically-assessed ventilation heterogeniety as a clinically important marker for asthma.
Poster Discussion Session
Presenter: Sonali Bose, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) and Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 
San Diego Convention Center, Room 25A-C (Upper Level)

11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. PT (2:30-4:15 p.m. ET)
C38: ADVANCES IN MEDICAL EDUCATION IN PULMONARY, CRITICAL CARE, AND SLEEP MEDICINE
A Novel, Technology Driven Health Professions Education Pathway for Cross-Disciplinary Fellows
• Most Health Professions Education Pathways (curriculums to individualize medical training) target single-specialty resident learners and rely on in-person education. Fellows who aspire various specialties may struggle to find community to support their education practice and scholarship. Mount Sinai leverages technology and a system-wide clinician educator faculty to implement a Health Professions Education Pathway for cross-disciplinary fellows in the Mount Sinai Health System.
Thematic Poster Session
Presenter: Mirna Mohanraj, MD, Program Director for the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at Mount Sinai Morningside/Mount Sinai West and Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
San Diego Convention Center, Area C (Hall A-B2, Ground Level)

11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. PT (2:30-4:15 p.m. ET)
C71: ASTHMA CLINICAL PHENOTYPES AND THERAPIES
Prenatal Omega-3 Fatty Acid Status in High-risk Pregnant Women With Asthma
• Uncontrolled asthma during pregnancy increases the risk of poor pregnancy and fetal outcomes. Minoritized women have a disproportionately higher burden of both asthma morbidity and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Increased consumption of omega (n)-3 fatty acids (FA) has been linked to better asthma health and lung function in several urban populations; however, their role in prenatal asthma control is unknown. This retrospective study examines treatment for a diverse cohort of pregnant women with asthma.
Thematic Poster Session
Presenter: Najla Abdurrahman, MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital
San Diego Convention Center, Area F (Hall A-B2, Ground Level)

2:27-2:39 p.m. PT (5:27-5:39 p.m. ET)
C99: I CAN SEE THE FUTURE: NOVEL WAYS TO PREDICT COPD
Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Lung Function Later in Life: The CARDIA Lung Study
• Adverse pregnancy outcomes are important predictors of lifetime risk of cardiometabolic disease. Associations between adverse pregnancy outcomes and respiratory health are unknown. The researchers investigate relationships between adverse pregnancy outcomes and future maternal lung function, and lung function decline among the women of the CARDIA LUNG cohort. This study draws from parallels between adverse pregnancy outcomes and maternal heart disease to further explore the impact of pregnancy and gestational outcomes on maternal respiratory health.
Mini Symposium
Participant: Jing Gennie Wang, MD, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital
Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, Grand Ballroom 11-13 (Lobby Level, North Tower)

4:03-4:15 p.m. PT (7:03-7:15 p.m. ET)
C100: NEW FRONTIERS IN LUNG CANCER: TOYS, TOOLS AND TREATMENTS
Longitudinal Quality of Life Following Sub-lobar Resection and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Early-stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
• Many early-stage lung cancer patients are not candidates for lobectomy due to comorbidities or other factors. Treatment options for these patients include sub-lobar resection or stereotactic body radiation therapy. There is limited information about the trajectory of patient-centered outcomes, such as quality of life, following these treatments. Patients with clinical stage I-IIA non-small cell lung cancer at high risk for lobectomy complications who underwent treatment with sub-lobar resection or stereotactic body radiation therapy were recruited from five healthcare systems. Mount Sinai researchers compare quality of life, as measured by the Short Form-8 for physical and mental health, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung survey of lung cancer-specific quality of life.
Oral presentation – Mini Symposium
Presenter: Jeremy Mudd, MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital
San Diego Convention Center, Room 29A-D (Upper Level)

Wednesday, May 22
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. PT (2:00-4:00 p.m. ET)
D101: UNCOVERING THE METABOLIC AND GENETIC UNSOLVED MYSTERIES IN ASTHMA
Type 2 Inflammation in Asthma and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease
• It is well known that asthma is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. As the importance of understanding both endotypes and phenotypes of asthma has come to the forefront, further studies have shown that higher eosinophil counts are associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Mount Sinai experts say they are the first to use data from the UK Biobank to study patients with asthma and evidence of type 2 inflammation to delineate their risk for coronary artery disease.
Poster Discussion Session
Participant: Christa McPhee, MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital
San Diego Convention Center, Room 33A-C (Upper Level)

11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. PT (2:00-4:00 p.m. ET)
D108: SIGNALING PATHWAYS IN AIRWAY REGENERATION AND REPAIR
604 – Early Activation of Distal Lung Airway Progenitors Signifies a Role of Intermediate Filaments in Alveolar Regeneration
• Lung injury activates a variety of facultative stem cell depending on the type and severity of the injury. Distal lung epithelium in the mouse and the human plays a critical role in maintaining homeostasis and injury resolution. Mount Sinai researchers identify a novel secretory cell subpopulation in mouse and human distal lung that is activated preferentially in chronic and acute lung injury. The researchers use in silico, in vitro, and in vivo models to show how cells respond to lung injury and contribute to alveolar regeneration.
Poster Discussion Session
Participant: Jaymin J. Kathiriya, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
San Diego Convention Center, Room 5A-B (Upper Level)

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Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 43,000 employees working across eight hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it. Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida.

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