Successful Kick-off for the First Joint DZL/DGP Academy Lung Science Meeting

In the temporarily snow-dusted Freiburg, roughly scientists joint the first joint DGP/DZL Academy Lung Science Meeting, which was co-organised by the Department of Pneumology in Freiburg. In addition to the renowned keynote speakers, 18 early-career scientists presented their innovative research across five thematic sessions. These presentations were complemented by engaging discussions and two lively poster sessions, fostering collaboration between clinical and basic science researchers with the goal of accelerating the translation of new therapies into clinical practice.

Each thematic session began with a keynote address from a distinguished scientist. The event kicked off with Professor Ian Adcock from the National Heart & Lung Institute at Imperial College London, who delivered a captivating talk on "Omics and biomarkers in respiratory disease" during the session on Obstructive Lung Diseases. He demonstrated how multi-omics approaches are advancing lung research by improving predictions of disease progression and drug responses. The term "omics" encompasses a wide range of molecular biological techniques used to analyse thousands of patient traits, enabling personalized analyses of disease courses. Success in this field hinges on collaboration among physicians, natural scientists, engineers, and data scientists.

Another highlight of the conference was the second keynote: Matthias Mau and Dr Samuel Rupprechter of ML Architects Basel (MLAB) shed light on the often confusing hype surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). Their talk, "Demystifying the data and AI hype: Introduction to terms & definitions and applications to medical research and lung science", provided clear, practical examples of how artificial intelligence (AI) is already transforming medical research and will continue to play a pivotal role in the future.

The afternoon session focused on New Methods to Study Lung Health and Disease. Prof. Maria Belvisi from Imperial College London and member of the DZL Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) joined remotely to deliver a keynote speech, reflecting on her career, which bridges academic research and the pharmaceutical industry. The day ended with a dinner and a delightful networking event in the city centre of Freiburg.

The second day began with an enlightening talk by Prof. Franziska Trudzinski from the Thoraxklinik at Heidelberg University Hospital. Her talk, "Lung Diseases through a Gender Lens: The role of sex in pulmonary medicine" offered fascinating insights into how gender differences influence both with the presentation of lung disease and their management by health care professionals. Subsequent presentations by early-career scientists focused on Infectious Lung Diseases, highlighting advanced molecular mechanisms, innovative treatment approaches, and translational developments.

In the final session on Interstitial Lung Diseases, Professor Janette Burgess from the Medical Center Groningen captivated the audience with her talk "Extracellular matrix is an active element in lung disease pathogenesis ". She illustrated how the extracellular matrix is not merely a passive structural component but an active player in disease development, necessitating innovative research approaches. Summarizing the event, she stated: "The future of lung research is in excellent hands, with an impressive diversity of scientific approaches being driven forward across Germany".

A platform for collaboration and exchange

Early-career scientist Sneha Nemani (University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck), a member of the organising team and the DZL Academy, considered the joint meeting a success. She emphasised: "This type of conference fosters collaboration and provides opportunities to broaden the portfolio of early career researchers. It was particularly important to involve scientists from so many different areas of lung research, including physicians, translational scientists and even engineers working with AI. Moreover, it was very thoughtful to involve early-career researchers not only as presenters but also as organizers and session chairs, offering all participants valuable hands-on experience and learning opportunities”.