The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Division of Lung Diseases is hosting the virtual workshop “Lung as the Gateway for Environmental Exposures in Pulmonary and Cardiovascular Disease” on Monday, January 26, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (EDT) and Tuesday, January 27, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EDT). Dr. Nadia N. Hansel (Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) and Dr. Mary B. Rice (Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School) are the workshop academic co-chairs.

This workshop will bring together basic scientists, primary care physicians, pediatricians, neonatologists, pulmonologists, pharmacists, epidemiologists, environmentalists, toxicologists, implementation scientists, data scientists, community representatives, etc., to discuss the unique role of the lung as the interface with the environment, and the pulmonary and cardiovascular consequences of inhalational exposures.

Specific objectives include consideration of research gaps and priorities in the following areas:
Mechanistic research to understand the pathogenesis of specific pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases following inhaled environmental exposures such as natural disasters and health emergencies (e.g., extreme temperatures, hurricanes, wildfires, etc.):
• Role of the lung as a sensor and as an immune organ;
• Understand characteristics of resilient and susceptible airway tree structure (airway dysanapsis);
• Mechanisms of pulmonary cellular senescence following inhaled exposures over the lifespan; and
• Pathophysiologic mechanisms of various environmental exposures individually and in combination, taking into account host susceptibility factors including sex as a biological variable.

Research tools:
• Multi-omic approaches; and
• Identification of novel biomarkers in biospecimens, and use of personal monitors and imaging to assess the exposures individuals have over their lifetime

Epidemiologic studies and data integration:
• Representative human cohort studies starting with children with longitudinal follow-up throughout their lifespan to enhance understanding of the association of inhaled environmental exposures and natural history of specific pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases; and
• Apply novel big data/machine learning approaches to harmonize databases of multiple climate and inhaled environmental exposures, socioeconomic/vulnerability indices, and human lung/heart diseases. Implementation science:
• Research into pharmacological and dietary interventions that may reduce susceptibility to specific pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases following inhaled exposures.