PF Warriors, Patients, Caregivers, Engage with Doctors, Researchers, Companies at American Thoracic Society Conference

Pulmonary medical trainees talking with PF Warriors team members during PAR Path event at ATS meeting

Teresa Barnes, Chief Executive Warrior, PF Warriors

PF Warriors is a global support network that provides education, inspiration and hope to individuals and families affected by pulmonary fibrosis. Our mission is to help people facing a life-altering progressive lung condition to live their best possible l

Patient org gives researcher awards, presents poster, hosts sessions and exhibits at prestigious lung meeting

ORLANDO, FL, UNITED STATES, May 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- PF Warriors, a global support network for patients and caregivers affected by pulmonary fibrosis (PF), announces their efforts at the prestigious American Thoracic Society meeting Orlando this week including giving researcher awards, presenting a poster, hosting sessions and exhibiting on the American Thoracic Society’s Public Advisory Roundtable (ATS PAR)’s PAR Row.

As part of an awards effort led by the ATS PAR, PF Warriors presented two young investigator awards at a special ceremony on May 17 recognizing their achievements and tremendous potential in the PF research space. The recipients were Zhen Zheng, MD, who presented the abstract “Mechanoniche-dependent Alternative Splicing of a6-integrin Regulates Alveolar Mesenchymal Niche Cell Fate During Lung Repair,” and Yinan Hu, PhD, who presented “Pmepa1 Drives Pulmonary Fibrosis via Stat3/pstat3/glut1 Signaling in Fibroblasts and Serves as a Therapeutic Target."

“It was an honor to provide awards to these young deserving investigators who give us hope for the future,” said Dolly Kervitsky, RCP, President of PF Warriors. “We are grateful to ATS PAR for providing this forum to shine a light on the important contributions of young scientists to the ATS conference and to the PF community.”

Teresa Barnes, PF Warriors’ Chief Executive Warrior, along with Kervitsky, hosted three breakout sessions with medical and industry professionals and patients and caregivers over the last few days. The first two meetings took place during the ATS Respiratory Innovation Summit (RIS), where patient organizations and industry professionals came together to discuss the key role patient groups can play in clinical trials, including helping to integrate the patient and caregiver voice from concept through completion. The RIS unites global leaders to ignite advancements in respiratory medicine.

That commitment to elevating the patient voice was also reflected in PF Warriors’ scientific participation at ATS. Kervitsky presented a poster entitled “The Gold Standard of Care,” which explores how people living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) define high-quality, supportive healthcare from their own lived experience. The work highlights the importance of incorporating patient perspectives not only in research, but also in how care is delivered and evaluated.

The third session was held during the ATS PAR Patients & Experts Forum where researchers and clinicians met directly with patients and caregivers. PF Warriors’ Chief Medical Advisor, Jeffrey J. Swigris, MD, and Aravind Ajakumar Menon, MD engaged with the group using a casual Q&A format.

Barnes is a current member of the ATS PAR, representing PF Warriors and PF patients worldwide. ATS leadership joined the ATS PAR for a 25th anniversary celebration of the Public Advisory Roundtable along with special guest William J. Martin, MD, the founder of the PAR who was President of ATS at the time of its inception.

“There is no better opportunity for PF Warriors to engage with the professional pulmonary community than at the American Thoracic Society conference and throughout the year as I serve on the ATS PAR,” said Barnes. “We are honored to be part of this strong community.”

PF Warriors’ ATS conference booth has further extended these conversations by creating meaningful opportunities for attendees to connect directly with patients and caregivers staffing the exhibit. Through these peer-led interactions, medical professionals, researchers, and industry representatives have been able to learn firsthand about the lived experience of pulmonary fibrosis and the role PF Warriors plays in supporting patients and families throughout the disease journey.

Also, during a special event in the exhibit hall hosted by the ATS PAR, PF Warriors’ patients and caregivers answered questions and provided information in a fast-paced event on “PAR PATH” in the exhibit hall where ATS PAR organizations exhibit alongside one another. The event featured young scientists who were competing in a fun contest to learn as much as they could about each patient organization before being “quizzed” about them.

Much conversation at ATS has centered around the topic of a pulmonary fibrosis-focused listening session held by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). PF Warriors leadership formally requested the meeting and the agency agreed to hold it on April 9. Aviva Strategies worked with PF Warriors and the FDA to organize the meeting. The agency heard from patients, caregivers, and doctors about their experiences with the deadly lung disease, providing insights that may help inform regulatory decision-making.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a serious lung disease marked by irreversible scarring that impairs oxygen exchange and normal breathing. Life expectancy for patients with the disease is three to five years, and there are only three FDA-approved pharmaceutical therapies that slow disease progression. The only cure is lung transplantation, which is available to fewer than one percent of patients.

About PF Warriors
PF Warriors is the largest patient support network for individuals and families affected by fibrotic lung diseases, serving more than 30,000 members across the U.S. and 14 other countries. The organization provides multilingual education, expert-led webinars, peer support groups, and advocacy programs that empower patients and caregivers. Membership is free at pfwarriors.org.

Teresa Barnes
PF Warriors
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