The International Participants Center (IPC) at the ATS 2025 International Conference unites international and U.S.-based attendees who share a vested interest in global health. The IPC will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Sunday, May 18, through Tuesday, May 20, in Hall D of the Moscone Center.

The space offers a warm, welcoming environment for ATS 2025 San Francisco attendees to reconnect with colleagues, network, or simply unwind in between education sessions.

“A significant percentage of ATS members live and work in countries other than the United States,” explained ATS President Irina Petrache, MD, ATSF. “The IPC provides a platform for the Society to cultivate and support a diverse professional community, bringing together experts to exchange ideas, collaborate, and work toward addressing some of the most pressing challenges in global health.”

The Global Respiratory Community, adjacent to the IPC, will host 15 international peer societies whose missions align with the ATS’s pursuit of improving respiratory health on a global scale. ATS 2025 San Francisco attendees can stop by and say hello anytime! The international peer societies are:

Organization	Country/Region	Acronym
Asociación Argentina De Medicina Respiratoria	Argentina	AAMR
Asian Pacific Society of Respirology	Asia Pacific	APSR
The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand	Australia	TSANZ
Brazilian Thoracic Society	Brazil	SBPT
Canadian Thoracic Society	Canada	CTS
International Society for Aerosols in Medicine	Germany	ISAM
Indian Chest Society	India	ICS
The Italian Society for Pediatric Respiratory Diseases	Italy	SIMRI
The Japanese Respiratory Society	Japan	JRS
Asociación Latinoamericana de Tórax	Latin America	ALAT
Sociedad Mexicana de Neumología y Cirugía de Tórax	Mexico	SMNyCT
Philippine College of Chest Physicians	Philippines	PCCP
The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases	South Korea	KATRD
Pan African Thoracic Society	Africa	PATS
Turkish Thoracic Society	Türkiye	TTS

The IPC also hosts curated Studio Talks that dive into timely global health issues impacting communities around the world. From 2 – 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, , the Respiratory Society of Americas session, “Vaping: Respiratory Impacts and Public Health Challenges in the Americas,” will feature representatives from the ATS, CHEST, CTS, ALAT, and SBPT sharing their perspectives on an increasingly prevalent threat to global lung health, particularly among younger populations.

A similar session from 1 – 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 18, “Smoking and Vaping: Role of Respiratory Societies in Global Prevention,” will focus on activities by international respiratory societies from outside of the Americas to combat tobacco smoke and vaping.

For Spanish-speaking attendees interested in learning more about COPD, the session “Buenos Dias ATS – COPD: Moving Towards a New Era,” scheduled from 9 – 10 a.m. on Monday, May 19, , will feature presentations examining COPD, particularly in non-smokers, early-stage diagnosis, and the potential role of biologics in treatment en español.

From 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. on Monday, the IPC will host an “International Women in Pulmonary Leadership Brainstorming and Planning Session.” This networking event was designed to foster collaboration among global respiratory societies, identify barriers to women’s career advancement in pulmonary/CCM fields, and develop actionable plans for international collaboration and mentorship.

The list of additional IPC Studio Talks, with accompanying dates and times, is included below.

Climate Change, Disasters, and Lung Health: Global Challenges and Regional Responses
10  – 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 18

Quality Management of Chronic Respiratory Diseases in Resource-Constrained Countries
4 – 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 18

The Power of Communities in Finding and Treating TB
10:15  – 11:15 a.m. Monday, May 19

Global Health Leadership: What, Who, Why?
10 – 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 20

Cross-Continental Challenges: Burnout in Pulmonology Training
1:15 – 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20