NIH, June 13 – June 14, 2023
Description
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) organized a two-day virtual workshop titled “Bridging the Gap Between Clinical and Basic Research to Understand Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Mechanisms” on June 13th – 14th, 2023. More than 200 participants joined this virtual workshop from across the United States and worldwide. This workshop brought together a diverse group of experts, including clinical and basic scientists from the COPD research community. The primary objectives of the workshop were twofold: first, to evaluate the current state of COPD research, particularly focusing on the knowledge gained from major cohort studies of COPD patients, and second, to explore how this knowledge can be applied to generate relevant and testable questions that can be addressed through basic mechanistic research. The workshop also aimed to identify challenges and opportunities in COPD pathogenesis research. Over the last several decades, a number of large longitudinal clinical studies of COPD patients in the United States and elsewhere have generated a wealth of data, significantly enhancing our understanding of COPD pathophysiology, risk factors, and progression. However, there has been a notable gap in bridging the findings from clinical research to hypothesis-driven basic research. There remain significant deficits in understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the onset and progression of COPD, which is increasingly clinically complex and heterogeneous, and might be better addressed through more effective interactions between clinical and basic researchers. The strategic intent of this workshop was to define a research vision and agenda for advancing COPD pathogenesis studies. To that end, the participants worked toward developing promising and testable hypotheses and identifying appropriate experimental systems and tools. Gaining a deeper understanding of COPD pathobiology and pathogenesis will facilitate the discovery of therapeutic strategies that go beyond treating symptoms and move toward arresting progression and ultimately cure of the disease.
Program Book
View the program book at NIH website.
