The ATS Research Program and the chILD Foundation have awarded Anthony Shum, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco $80,000. The award will support Dr. Shum’s research project, “Defining the pathogenesis of childhood ILD in COPA syndrome.”
The ATS Research Program Partner Grants provide crucial support to talented investigators from around the world, launching careers dedicated to scientific discovery and better patient care.
Dr. Shum wrote in his application summary that his proposal will “provide critical support for me to advance studies of lung disease pathogenesis of COPA syndrome and produce preliminary data that will form the basis for larger extramural funding.”
“The Children’s Interstitial Lung Disease Foundation has been privileged to partner with the American Thoracic Society on funding these types of important research projects since 2010” said Wayne Danson, Foundation Board Chairman. “We look forward to the results of Dr. Shum’s work and its contribution to our effort to ensure more breaths for the young victims of rare lung disorders.”
“Dr. Shum’s innovative project addresses important knowledge gaps in the molecular pathogenesis of COPA Syndrome, a disorder of immune dysregulation which presents in childhood with interstitial lung disease (ILD),” said Karen Ridge, PhD, chair of Scientific Grant Review Committee. “His ATS Research Program/chILD Foundation Partner Grant seeks to link the innate immune adapter molecule STING to disease. The successful completion of his work will not only be important for understanding lung disease in COPA syndrome, but for other systemic inflammatory disorders that drive type I interferon signaling and interstitial lung disease.”
Visit our website for more information and to see the complete list of 2020-2021 Research Program awardees.
The application process for the next cycle of grant opportunities will open July 20, 2021. For more, visit the website here.
About the ATS
The American Thoracic Society and its Research Program are improving respiratory health worldwide by supporting young investigators in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. The ATS Research Program, established in 2004, bolsters new investigators as they strive to launch independent research careers dedicated to innovation in patient care.
Since 2004, the Research Program has awarded $21.9 million in research grants to 321 investigators who have gone on to secure more than $491 million in federal funding. That’s a return on investment of $22 per dollar awarded.
About the Children’s Interstitial Lung Disease Foundation The Children’s Interstitial Lung Disease Foundation (chILD) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to provide compassionate support, education, and hope to children and families affected by these life-altering diseases as well as to accelerate research to find effective treatments and cures for all forms of chILD.
chILD is not a single disease but a group of lung disorders for which there is no cure, and limited treatment options. The prognosis for children affected is varied by diagnosis, but many have high morbidity and some have high mortality rates. Without lung transplantation, the prognosis for some of these children is poor. chILD meets the qualifications as an ultra-rare disease, with a U.S. patient population estimated to be fewer than 10,000. There’s presently limited knowledge of the chILD disorders, even among pediatric pulmonologists.
The chILD Foundation is committed to delivering the financial resources required to make real progress towards a cure, and to improving the quality of life for kids and families impacted by chILD. Fundraising is the lifeblood for our Mission, and the only means by which we can give the breath of life to kids afflicted with chILD. Please visit us at www.child-foundation.org.