On Monday, the ATS celebrated the incredible impact of women in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine during this year’s Women’s Forum. The forum adopted a panel format for the first time in 2026 to foster a lively, conversational discussion conducive to learning from women at different stages in their careers.

Session chair and moderator Alexandra Noël, PhD, MSc, associate professor and director of the Inhalation Research Facility at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, opened by recognizing women from more than 20 international peer societies.

“We are privileged to follow the path here by the remarkable women who have served as ATS presidents and the awardees whose commitment to members — membership remains a cornerstone of the Society,” Dr. Noël said.

Each year, the ATS presents the Elizabeth A. Rich award to a woman who has made significant contributions to the field and demonstrated a commitment to mentoring. This year’s recipient is 2023-2024 ATS Past President M. Patricia Rivera, MD, FCCP, ATSF, a lung cancer expert who Dr. Noël described as “a tireless advocate for the next generation. She is a transformative past president of the ATS and a ‘mentor’s mentor.’ A preeminent clinician scientist in thoracic oncology whose decades of servant leadership have fundamentally reshaped lung cancer care and opened doors for a generation of diverse faculty and trainees.”

Accepting the award, Dr. Rivera, chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said: “None of us does this work alone, and none of us arrives here alone. Every step forward in my career has been guided by people who challenged me and reminded me of the purpose of the work that we were doing.” She said the award honors the relationships that have shaped her professional life. “Through the ATS, I have grown not only as a physician scientist, but as a leader and a colleague. Serving in this organization has allowed me to create space for others to see what is possible for themselves.”

For the panel discussion, Dr. Rivera joined Annie Pardo, PhD, Distinguished Professor at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Mary Rice, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE); and Kathleen Oare Lindell, PhD, RN, ATSF, FAANA, associate professor at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Dr. Noël asked the panel how they overcame barriers and what advice they would offer early career women.

Dr. Pardo said she faced multiple challenges as a woman and a PhD student in Mexico that led her to change institutions. Due to the system at the time, many of her previous studies were not recognized, forcing her to start over. “In this context, not giving up was the only option for me, and this is my advice. The only thing you can do is to be persistent and determined.”

Dr. Rice recalled being pulled into an unexpected salary discussion shortly after becoming a mother and agreeing to an offer she realized later was too low. “I was just sleep deprived, blindsided, unprepared, and I left that meeting in a little bit of a daze,” she said. After discussions with colleagues about salary benchmarks, “I requested another meeting with the chief, and that time I was prepared. I discussed what I was bringing to the table, my expertise, and I had specific asks, and that meeting went very well.”

Dr. Rivera said a pivotal moment was recognizing that excellence alone would not break down barriers. A breakthrough came when she realized she needed to adopt a more proactive and deliberate approach to apply for various leadership positions. “I took an intentional approach,” she said.

Dr. Noël noted that many early career women feel pressured to say yes to every opportunity to prove commitment, which can dilute one’s impact.

Dr. Rice concurred with this sentiment, explaining, “I kind of have an algorithm when people ask me to volunteer for something. Is it aligned with my career purpose, and is it advancing it?”

Dr. Lindell admitted that she still struggles with saying no. “I would think at this point it would be okay, that I wouldn’t, but I have to remind myself. I’m trying to be better about thinking ‘What’s my North Star? Am I doing what I want to be doing, and does this help?’”

Dr. Noël also asked how to respond when one’s input is dismissed while maintaining professionalism.

“Often, we women are considered as part of a group but not as leaders, and we receive less recognition for our work,” Dr. Pardo said. “Being a woman from a Latin American country did not make things easy. You must raise your voice and speak. By having these conversations, we can continue to fight against sexism and really change things for the future generations.”

Dr. Rice said it’s important to acknowledge when this happens. “You can do this by saying, ‘I want to bring us back to what I was saying just before,’ and reiterate that point. Regarding team dynamics, you can also model that and amplify the voices of others when you see that happening. Call it out, have a culture where people don’t get dismissed.”

The panel agreed that reentering the conversation without apology and following up by email helps ensure recognition and credibility.