Chronic coughing is a common symptom that can stem from numerous causes, including environmental triggers, asthma, cystic fibrosis, non-CF bronchiectasis, COPD, and more. While not usually life-threatening, a chronic cough carries an obvious physical and psychological impact on patients that can increase the burden of disease and diminish one’s quality of life.

Each year, the Public Advisory Roundtable (PAR) works with the immediate past ATS president to curate its PAR Symposium at the ATS International Conference. Past President Irina Petrache, MD, ATSF, a pulmonologist and chief of the division of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at National Jewish Health, and Siri Vaeth, MSW, chair of the ATS Public Advisory Roundtable (2025–2027) and executive director of the national nonprofit Cystic Fibrosis Research Institute, decided to organize this year’s session around identifying causes and interventions for chronic coughs.

“PAR Symposium: New Approaches to the Patient with Chronic Productive Cough” will be held from 9:15–10:45 a.m. on Tuesday, May 19, in Room W224 CD/GH (Level II, OCCC West Concourse). The session will address the diverse causes of a chronic cough, the physical and mental health complications that can accompany the condition, strategies to treat a chronic productive cough, and therapies in the pipeline.

“This year’s symposium is relevant to everyone, regardless of disease group,” said Vaeth. “Whether you’re a person living with a chronic productive cough, a clinician, a researcher, or an early career professional, there’s something interesting and informative for everyone.”

Steven Edward Lommatzsch, MD, a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health, will review the wide-ranging causes of chronic coughs and how to diagnose them according to patient symptoms.

“There are myriad reasons why a person might present with a chronic cough, so that is where the clinician must have the expertise to determine how to narrow down that path to find the root cause,” Vaeth said.

Presenters will then examine therapeutic options for people living with a chronic cough: Karina A. Serban, MD, associate professor of medicine in the University of Florida Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, will discuss therapies currently in the treatment pipeline, and Cynthia Brown, MD, MS, professor of clinical medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine, will explore multiple nonpharmacologic strategies to assist patients.

“Nonpharmacologic strategies are important for many people across disease groups, and there are behavioral therapies that can help people, including different breathing techniques and meditation. When these strategies are utilized in conjunction with a pharmacologic treatment, they strengthen them,” explained Vaeth.

Karen Deitemeyer, a COPD Foundation constituent, will conclude the session by providing a patient’s perspective on the daily realities of living with a chronic cough.

“I do feel like bringing the patient perspective to light can elevate clinical care and research when the people pursuing treatments are hearing directly from a person living with the condition,” Vaeth said. “It is also a good way to spotlight the psychological impacts of disease, which can get lost in the discussions when primarily focusing on a physical manifestation like a chronic cough. Living with a lung disease is going to have profound mental health implications, and those need to be integrated to understand the condition as well.”

The PAR Symposium will also recognize two award winners for their service and contributions to patient care.

Deepika Polineni, MD, MPH, professor of pediatrics, allergy and pulmonary medicine, professor of medicine, and principal investigator of the Deepika Polineni Lab at Washington University (St. Louis) Medicine, is this year’s William J. Martin, II Distinguished Achievement Award winner. The ATS PAR was founded through Dr. Martin’s vision when he was the ATS President, “to create something quite different that would include patients in the heart of its organization.” The William J. Martin, II Distinguished Achievement Award is meant to honor a person who embodies Dr. Martin’s innovative spirit, outstanding leadership, history of public service, and passion for patients.

Raksha Jain, MD, MSCI, a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and medical director of its Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program, will receive the 2026 John W. Walsh PAR Award for Excellence. John W. Walsh founded both the COPD Foundation and the Alpha-1 Foundation. In these roles, he served as an original member of the ATS Public Advisory Roundtable. As a member of the ATS, Dr. Walsh’s influential leadership shaped PAR and its continued support of the ATS Research Program. The Walsh PAR Excellence Award is an honor awarded by persons affected by pulmonary disease to a domestic or international individual, group, or institution from any lay, professional, or government field who has improved the lives of patients by enabling research and advancing the understanding of disease through legislation, advocacy or philanthropy; performing basic or clinical scientific works that have produced tangible and significant benefits for affected individuals; and providing vision, hope, support or relief to those who live with life-threatening pulmonary illness.

Attendees of ATS 2026 Orlando will have multiple opportunities to learn from and about the ATS PAR as the organization celebrates its 25th anniversary throughout this year’s conference with a series of discussions and special events aimed to bolster its goal of bringing patient perspectives to the Society’s deliberations, policies, and activities.