ATS 2026 Conference Preview for COPD Sessions

From May 17 through May 20, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) is hosting its 2026 annual conference in Orlando, Florida. The 2026 ATS International Conference will offer attendees access to exhibit and poster halls, networking opportunities, and a selection of informative scientific sessions.

Today’s 2026 ATS International Conference preview highlights currently scheduled with a focus on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) topics. Dates and times are current as of Thursday, April 9, 2026. Some session descriptions have been edited for clarity or brevity. No sessions focused primarily on COPD are currently scheduled for Saturday, May 16. For a complete look at the ATS 2026 International Conference schedule, view the full program.

Sunday, May 17

• More Than Inhalers: Determinants of COPD Care and Outcomes
  • 9:15 AM – 11:15 AM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Clinical and Social Drivers of Triple Therapy Initiation Amongst Patients With COPD Exacerbations, Integrating Human-Centered Design and Mentored Implementation to Improve COPD Outcomes, From Flare to First Dose: Evaluating Treatment Delays for COPD Exacerbations, Light Physical Activity and Survival in Patients with COPD, and more.

• COPD Crystal Ball: Life-Course Risk Factors and Advanced Predictive Models
  • 9:15 AM – 11:15 AM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: The Respiratory Effects Of Prematurity Extend Over The Lifespan: Analyses From The SPIROMICS And SOURCE Studies, Life Expectancy in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Survival Impact of Longitudinal Mucus Plug Progression in COPD, Defining Disease Stability in COPD: A Post-Hoc Analysis of the Phase III IMPACT Trial, and more.

• Charting the Unseen Trails Leading to COPD
  • 9:15 AM – 4:15 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Relation Between Airway Damage and Disease Activity and the Effect of Dupilumab on Exacerbations and Lung Function in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: BOREAS and NOTUS, Blood Eosinophil Dynamics in COPD: Impact of Exacerbations and Corticosteroid Use in a Nationwide Study, Population Characteristics Associated With the Timing of Transfer of Care of COPD Patients From a Primary Care Provider to a Pulmonologist, and more.

• Novel Molecular Determinants of COPD and Lung Cancer Pathogenesis
  • 9:15 AM – 4:15 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Role of Transposable Elements in Mediating the Small Airway Epithelium Transcriptome in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Wnt Inhibitory Factor 1 Alters Wnt Signaling in the Epithelial Mesenchymal Cell Niche in COPD, Differential Pathobiology of Small Versus Large Airways in COPD: Histological and Molecular Insights From Human Studies, and more.

• Next-Generation COPD Care: Tools, Teams, and Technology
  • 9:15 AM – 4:15 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Equivalence Testing of Length of Stay for COPD Exacerbation in Low Versus High Corticosteroid Dosing Regimens, Multidisciplinary Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Steroid-induced Hyperglycemia in ICU Patients With COPD Exacerbations, Intubation Outcomes Stratified by FEV1, and more.

• An In-Depth Discussion of Biologic Clinical Trial Data in COPD
  • 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
  • Description: This session will examine evidence for targeting a source of type 2 inflammation in inadequately controlled COPD patients with an eosinophilic phenotype. Clinical trial results will be discussed, including exacerbations, lung function, and quality of life outcomes. Participants will also explore considerations for identifying appropriate patients in clinical practice.

• Triple Therapy in Focus: Tailored Approaches to Obstructive Lung Disease
  • 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
  • Description: Recent evidence is reshaping the role of a triple therapy option in respiratory care. In this session, Cedric "Jamie" Rutland, MD, and Joseph Khabbaza, MD, discuss clinical findings and offer patient-centric insight on how the evidence aligns with current considerations in disease management.

• The Duality of IL-33 in COPD: Inflammation and Mucus Dysfunction
  • 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM
  • Description: Join a leading expert to explore [how] IL-33 dual pathways may contribute to the pathogenesis of COPD. Discover the duality of IL-33 in COPD.

• COPD Biomarkers and Phenotyping: Multi-Omic Insights, AI-Driven Discover, and Clinical Implications
  • 2:15 PM – 4:15 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Alveolar Wall Destruction Releases a Prognostic Biomarker for Hospitalized Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Investigation of Characteristic Exhaled Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Group E Patients, Sex Hormone Levels, Pulmonary Vascular Endothelial Biomarkers, and Clinical Outcomes in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension, Regional Patterns of Muscle Loss and Functional Impairment in COPD-associated Sarcopenia, and more.

• One Airway, Many Outcomes: Rethinking Asthma and COPD Across the Lifespan
  • 2:15 PM – 3:45 PM
  • Description: This session challenges the traditional dichotomy between asthma and COPD by exploring their overlapping features and shared mechanisms. The talk will examine clinical, molecular, and imaging data that blur the boundaries between the two conditions, and discuss how a more integrated understanding could reshape diagnosis, treatment, and research strategies.

• Prism, Gold 0, and Pre-COPD: Useful Concepts or Diagnostic Overreach?
  • 2:15 PM – 3:45 PM
  • Description: This session will critically examine the growing use of terms like PRISm (Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry), GOLD 0, and Pre-COPD to describe individuals with respiratory symptoms, structural abnormalities, or early functional impairment who do not meet classic COPD diagnostic criteria.

• Look Beyond COPD & Severe Asthma: The Role of AAT Protein in Lung Health
  • 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
  • Description: This session reviews the clinical risks associated with low AAT levels and their potential impact on long-term pulmonary outcomes, as well as the importance of earlier screening and diagnosis efforts.

Monday, May 18

• Insights from COPD Clinical Trials
  • 9:15 AM – 11:15 AM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Reduced Inhaled Corticosteroid Benefit in Current Smokers With COPD: Findings From the ICS-RECODE IPD Meta-analysis, Patient Impairments in Cognitive Function, Manual Dexterity, and Inhalational Ability Affect Inhaler Technique in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Glp-1 Receptor Agonist Use Is Associated With Improved Survival and Reduced Hospitalizations in COPD Patients With Obesity, and more.

• From Sea to Shining Sea: Using National Data to Examine Asthma and COPD
  • 9:15 AM – 11:15 AM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Variation in Guideline-Concordant Inhaler Regimen Intensification Following Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hospitalizations Across Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, Financial Toxicity From COPD-related Costs in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Rural and Urban Disparities in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Prevalence: Implications of Lifestyle, Healthcare, and Socioeconomic Factors, COPD-Gpt: Transformer-Based Prediction of Exacerbation and Mortality in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and more.

• Precision Medicine for COPD: Charting the Course for Novel Treatment and Clinical Success
  • 9:15 AM – 11:15 AM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Metformin Mitigates Emphysema by Favoring Plasmalogen Production in COPD Patients, Pegtarazimod (RLS-0071) Reduces Inflammatory Biomarkers in Hospitalized Participants With Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AE-COPD), Beyond Weight Loss: GLP-1 Agonists Improve Outcomes in COPD-OSA Overlap—A Trinetx Network Analysis, Does the Use of Biologics Reduce the Risk of Exacerbation in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or Asthma/COPD Overlap: A Real-world Data Retrospective Multicenter Study, and more.

• Structural and Functional Insight into COPD
  • 9:15 AM – 4:15 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Prevalence of Treatable Traits Across Subgroups in a Primary Care Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Cohort, Machine Learning-based Screening of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Using Pre-bronchodilator Spirometry Indices, Prolonged Expiratory Time Constant and Risk of Moderate-To-Severe Exacerbations in Stable COPD, Correlation Between Spirometry and Forced Oscillometry in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and more.

• Immune, Vascular and Other New Mechanisms in the Biology of COPD
  • 9:15 AM – 4:15 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Proteomic Profiling Reveals Distinct Circulating Biomarkers in a Murine Model of Asthma-COPD Overlap, RNA Alternative Splicing Events as Diagnostic Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Asthma-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap, Effects of Two-Week E-Cigarette Aerosol Exposure on Human Airway Epithelium, From Airways to Arteries: Unraveling Inflammatory Pathways in COPD Associated Vascular Remodeling, The Iron Grip of COPD: The Role of Ferroptosis in the Initiation of Early Stage COPD, and more.

• Sharpening the COPD Lens: Enhanced Detection and Population-Specific Care
  • 9:15 AM – 4:15 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Using Lung Cancer Screening to Reduce Underdiagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Guiding COPD Diagnosis in Primary Care: A Systematic Review of Case-finding Questionnaires, Early Detection of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among High-risk Patients in Preoperative Assessment, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Carrier Genotype and the Risk of COPD Exacerbations: An Update, and more.

• Problem- Based Learning: Type 2 Inflammation in COPD
  • 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
  • Description: Interactive case-based learning, or PBLs, help enhance clinical skills and promote collaborative problem-solving through real-world scenarios.

• New Results from the Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcomes and COPD Study (SPIROMICS) Family of Studies
  • 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
  • Description: SPIROMICS has launched a family of studies, including SOURCE, a cohort designed to investigate the origins of COPD, and SPIROMICS Heart Failure, which is collecting cardiovascular measures in a subset of the SPIROMICS cohort. During this session, investigators will discuss recent results from all three of these studies.

• Pulmonologist & Cardiologist Live: A Collaborative Approach to Cardiopulmonary Risk in COPD
  • 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM
  • Description: Join this multidisciplinary exchange exploring the potential complications of COPD-associated cardiopulmonary risk. Gain expert perspectives from both specialties as they share real-world insights and the latest evidence-based recommendations for COPD management.

• Advancing COPD Diagnosis, Risk Stratification, and Personalized Care: From Biomarkers to Clinical Implementation
  • 2:15 PM – 4:15 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Deep Learning-based Detection of Homozygous Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency From HRCT: A Proof-of-concept Study Across COPDGene, SPIROMICS, and GRADS Cohorts, Improving COPD Care Through Guideline Implementation and Audit of Post-Exacerbation Transition Bundle in China’s County-Level Hospitals: An Interim Analysis of the Bridge-COPD Study, The Prognostic Role of Frailty in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Preserving Low Frailty for Better Outcomes, Diagnostic Accuracy of a Novel Contactless Monitoring Device for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Exacerbation Detection, and more.

• Cellular, Genetic, and Developmental Drivers of COPD, Emphysema and Sarcopenia
  • 2:15 PM – 4:15 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: A Cellular Map of Pre-chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Multi-Trait Polygenic Scores for COPD and COPD Exacerbations Implicate Druggable Proteins, Gene-Environment Interaction Involving Nicotinic Receptor Favors Lung Inflammation and COPD Development, Aberrant Mitochondrial Fission Protein 1-Dependent Stress Responses Promote Mucoinflammatory Pathology in Cigarette Smoke-Associated COPD, and more. 

• Beyond the Exacerbation: Systems, Costs, and Recovery in Obstructive Lung Diseases
  • 2:15 PM – 4:15 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Sustained Reductions in COPD-related Revisits Following Implementation of Virtual and Co-design Supported Transition-of-care Bundles: Post-implementation Results From the Revisits Study, The Patient Choice on Rehabilitation After a COPD Hospitalization: Adherence and the Palliative Effect of Home Rehabilitation, Complications and Readmission After Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction for Severe COPD, Hospital Readmission Among Patients Enrolled in a COPD Transitions of Care Program, and more.

• New and Hot Concepts in COPD
  • 2:15 PM – 3:45 PM
  • Description: In this session, key new and hot topics will be discussed using the most recent evidence, including the new concept of disease stability in COPD, the new multidimensional COPD diagnostic schema and its implications for Pre-COPD and PRISm, emerging ideas about whether emphysema is reversible, cardiac benefits of COPD medications, and the evaluation of and new treatments for non type-2 inflammation in COPD.

• IL-33 in the Spotlight: Exploring New Pathways for COPD and Acute Respiratory Infections
  • 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
  • Description: This program will examine the evolving role of IL-33 as both a driver of inflammation and a regulator of gene expression, highlighting its signaling pathways and contribution to the pathophysiology of chronic respiratory disease and acute infection. Attendees will gain insight into the scientific rationale for targeting IL-33 in therapeutic development, along with the latest updates from ongoing clinical investigations of biologic agents designed to modulate its activity.

• Treatable Traits, Tailored Care: Targeting Type 2 Inflammation, Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy, and Promoting Patient Collaboration in COPD Management
  • 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
  • Description: The program will explore the underlying pathophysiology of COPD, with a particular focus on the role of type 2 inflammatory pathways in disease development and progression. Participants will gain insights into how disease phenotypes, biomarkers, and treatable traits can inform COPD diagnosis and guide individualized treatment planning.

Tuesday, May 19

• COPD Beyond The Clinic: Care, Context, And Consequences
  • 9:15 AM – 4:15 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Real-World Evaluation of Medication Adherence to Single-Inhaler Triple Therapy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: The Life Study, Barriers and Facilitators to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Care in Rural Areas: Perspectives From Rural Veterans, Impact of Steroid Duration in COPD Exacerbation on Long-term Outcomes: A Propensity Matched Analysis, Patient Perspectives on a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-informed Intervention to Manage Comorbid Chronic Pain in COPD, and more.

• Seeing The Difference: Using Imaging To Define COPD Subgroups
  • 9:15 AM – 10:45 AM
  • Description: This session explores how advanced imaging techniques—such as quantitative CT and MRI—are transforming our understanding of COPD heterogeneity. The session will highlight insights from large cohorts, discuss how imaging biomarkers can guide personalized therapy, and examine the future role of imaging in precision medicine for COPD.

• Contentious Topics In COPD Care: A Pro/Con Debate
  • 9:15 AM – 10:45 AM
  • Description: The scientific symposium on contentious topics in COPD care [covers] various perspectives on exacerbation risk, treatment, and cardiovascular disease. Key topics [include] the debate on whether all COPD patients with a history of exacerbations should receive triple inhaler therapy, the definition of high-risk COPD exacerbation phenotypes, and the role of inhaled corticosteroid inhalers in cardiovascular disease risk reduction. The session [provides] valuable insights into the complexities of COPD management and the ongoing discussions in the medical community.

• The Cellular Landscape Of COPD: Novel Insights From Genomics And Cell Biology
  • 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM
  • Description: This session will explore the evolving cellular and molecular landscape of COPD through the lens of cutting-edge technologies such as single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, and integrative genomic analysis. The discussion will focus on how these approaches are reshaping our understanding of the key cell types, pathways, and regulatory networks that drive disease progression and heterogeneity.

• Are Your Patients at Greater Risk of COPD Exacerbations? It Is Time to Rethink Management for COPD With an Eosinophilic Phenotype
  • 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
  • Description: Join leading pulmonologist, Dr. Alexis Smith, to discuss the latest clinical evidence supporting the addition of a targeted biologic in appropriate patients with COPD, highlighting data for reducing exacerbations, including those requiring systemic steroids/antibiotics or leading to hospitalization.

• A Collaborative Look at Clinical Outcomes of Biologic Use in Asthma and COPD
  • 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
  • Description: This session features two expert perspectives on the clinical impact of type 2 inflammation in asthma and COPD. By connecting insights across asthma and COPD, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the evidence for biologic intervention in chronic airway diseases.

• Decoding Inflammation in COPD: The Role of the ST2/IL-33 Pathway
  • 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM
  • Description: This presentation explores the underlying disease mechanisms and inflammatory pathways involved in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including the role of the ST2/IL-33 pathway.

• The COPD Rubix Cube: 'omics And Mechanisms
  • 2:15 PM – 4:15 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Multi-omics Integration Improves Prediction of COPD Exacerbations and Reveals Molecular Pathways of Susceptibility, A Multi-omic Score Predicting Emphysema Progression in COPDgene, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Mucus Pathology Is Associated With Type 2 Inflammation: Multi-omic Evidence From the Spiromics Cohort, and more.

• New Insights Into COPD Pathogenesis
  • 2:15 PM – 4:15 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Sirt6 Downregulation by Cadmium Activates the Srebp1, Scd1, Vimentin Axis in COPD, Cigarette Smoke-induced Endothelial Col4a1 Deficiency Impairs Sdc4 Signaling and Drives Satellite Cell Dysfunction for Sarcopenia in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Mitochondrial-Derived Microprotein Shmoose Is Reduced in COPD and Contributes to Dysfunctional Lung Repair, Sphingolipid Metabolism as a Driver of Sexual Dimorphism in COPD, and more.

• Non-Tobacco COPD - Classifying Disease, Identifying Exposures And Clinical Trial Considerations
  • 2:15 PM – 3:45 PM
  • Description: In this session, you will explore the distinct challenges of non-tobacco COPD, from identifying at-risk populations to developing targeted therapies.

Wednesday, May 20

• Diving Deeper Into COPD Structure And Function
  • 8:15 AM – 10:15 AM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Is Associated With Ground-glass Opacity (GGO) Texture in COPDGene, CT-Measured Pectoralis Muscle Loss Is an Extrapulmonary Biomarker Associated With Longitudinal COPD Morbidity, A Subject-Specific Spring Network Model of Human Lung Tissue Predicts Progression in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and more.

• Emerging Concepts In The Pathogenesis Of COPD And Lung Cancer
  • 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
  • Description: Topics set for discussion during this poster session include: Development of Antisense Oligonucleotides Targeting NINJURIN1 for the Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Metformin Is a Potential Therapeutic Option for Aberrant Wnt Signaling in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells of Smokers With COPD, Modulating Inflammation in the Target Tissue: Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ensifentrine in Medium Bronchi and Small Airways of COPD Donors, and more.

• Understanding COPD Progression And Heterogeneity
  • 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
  • Description: This session will describe how COPDGene has contributed to a molecular understanding of COPD progression as well as different approaches to identifying COPD phenotypes.

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