Michelle Ng Gong, MD, MS, ATSF, will officially assume the role of American Thoracic Society President during Tuesday’s Plenary Session at the ATS 2026 International Conference, which begins at 11:45 a.m. in the Chapin Theater (Level III, OCCC West).

Dr. Gong was appointed chair of the Montefiore Einstein Department of Medicine this year after serving as the interim chair since May 2025. Before this, she was chief of pulmonary medicine and chief of critical care medicine at Montefiore Einstein. She is also a professor of medicine, epidemiology, and population health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Before she earned her medical degree at Yale University School of Medicine, Dr. Gong studied bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. After medical school, she completed her postdoctoral training at the Beth Israel Hospital in medicine and at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the Harvard Combined Program in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. During that time, she received her master’s degree in clinical epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.

“When I was young, I always knew I wanted to be a physician because I love science and I wanted to be able to take care of people,” explained Dr. Gong. “The reason I chose engineering in college was that it was my one chance to learn something that would not be taught in medical school.”

What she didn’t expect was the impact her engineering background would have on her career in medicine, particularly her approach to research, clinical problems, and hospital operations.

“In engineering, you solve problems that are practical,” said Dr. Gong. “The world is not perfect. You can’t necessarily create an idealized condition in the laboratory to answer your questions. What you need to do is create solutions to existing problems that can be used by people.”

This attitude will be useful to the Society in the current sociopolitical landscape. Many ATS members and their patients have been affected by recent cuts to research funding, changes in health care delivery, and policy shifts affecting pollution and clean air. Despite these circumstances, Dr. Gong is confident in the future of medicine and the ATS.

“One of the most gratifying aspects of the last few years has been to see how the ATS has worked tirelessly to advocate for our patients, our professions, and our colleagues,” she said. “I want to build on that resiliency. We mustn’t lose sight of the fact that we’re here to play the long game and can come out of this moment stronger to continue to lead in the field and find the best treatments for our patients with respiratory problems worldwide.”

Dr. Gong’s curiosity, appetite for knowledge, and desire to help others have been evident throughout her career. She has focused on improving outcomes for patients across the entire continuum of critical illness, with a focus on predicting and preventing acute organ failure and its complications. She is renowned as an expert in critical care delivery and management of acute respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Dr. Gong has also been continuously funded by the NIH for more than 30 years as a clinical researcher and trialist. Her research ranges from COVID-19 and ARDS to prevention of delirium, treatment of severe influenza, big data and predictive analytics, and effective clinical decision support systems. In 2020, Dr. Gong was awarded the Gotham Icon Award for Champions and Change Makers of New York City by the Museum of the City of New York.

Her relationship with the ATS began when she attended the International Conference as a fellow to present research. Dr. Gong recalled being in awe of the diverse sessions and the opportunity to learn from experts in thoracic medicine. This experience sparked a long relationship of service to the Society. Before she was appointed president, Dr. Gong served as chair of the Critical Care Planning Committee and the Critical Care Assembly, as well as a member of the ATS Executive Committee. She has also served on a joint panel with the ATS and the American College of Chest Physicians to develop guidelines for liberation from mechanical ventilation.

Outside of the laboratory and clinic, Dr. Gong likes to stay active by jogging with her golden retriever, hiking, and skiing. She also enjoys hosting family and friends while trying new recipes to serve them.

“Those kinds of connections help remind me why we do what we do every day as professionals,” Dr. Gong said.