Latest ATS/CSL Behring research grant recipient focuses on COVID-19 ARDS study

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.Jul 13 2021

The ATS Research Program is pleased to announce that William Zhang, MD, of Weill Cornell Medical Center is the recipient of the 2020-2021 ATS/CSL Behring Research Award in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. The $50,000 award will support Dr. Zhang's research study, "Hyperferritinemia in COVID-19 ARDS: Friend or Foe?"

ARDS is a life-threatening illness in which the lungs are severely inflamed and injured. Tissue damage throughout the lungs causes tiny air sacs (alveoli) to be injured and blood vessels to leak fluid. The alveoli then fill with fluid and can collapse, preventing the lungs from working well.

"With the COVID-19 pandemic, we are again reminded of the devastating impact of ARDS in public health," said Michelle Gong, MD, MS, chair of the ATS Critical Care Assembly. "Almost all patients who die of COVID-19, die because of ARDS from COVID-19. While there have been breakthroughs in treatment of COVID-19, most are directed at patients with milder diseases rather than patients on mechanical ventilators. This partnership with CSL Behring brings an important opportunity to focus on improving survival and long-term function and outcomes in ARDS and in the sickest patients affected by respiratory pandemic like COVID-19."

Congratulations to Dr. Zhang on being the recipient of the ATS/CSL Behring Research Award in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Supporting Dr. Zhang's study is another example of the strength of CSL Behring's ongoing partnership with ATS as we work together to fund promising research that has the potential to help patients impacted by serious respiratory diseases like ARDS. As an organization that is driven by its promise to patients, CSL Behring looks forward to working with ATS as we continue to support emerging investigators through our partnership."

Lars Groenke, MD, CSL Behring's Vice President for R&D Respiratory