The association has invested $22 million in research over the past year, funding 139 grants aimed at improving lung health and advancing treatments for conditions such as asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and respiratory infections.

RT’s Three Key Takeaways:

  1. $22 Million Investment: The American Lung Association invested $22 million in research over the past year, supporting 139 research grants focused on advancing lung health.
  2. Wide Range of Focus: The funded projects cover diverse areas including asthma, COPD, lung cancer, respiratory viruses, and health equity in lung disease.
  3. Research Advancements: Notable studies include improving asthma treatments, exploring the link between metabolic dysfunction and viral infections, and developing therapies for lung cancer.

The American Lung Association Research Institute announced a $22 million research investment in the past year, funding 139 research grants, including the Airways Clinical Research Centers, and strategic research partnerships focused on finding ways to identify, treat, and cure lung disease.

“The newly funded projects, spanning from asthma and COPD research to lung cancer and respiratory viruses, are a vital part of the Lung Association’s mission to save lives by improving lung health,” says Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association, in a release. “We are proud to increase our research investment to $22 million to help us identify, treat, and ultimately cure lung diseases that affect millions of people across the country.”

This year, awards were given in different categories addressing many aspects of lung disease:

  • American Lung Association/AAAAI Allergic Respiratory Diseases Award
  • American Lung Association/ATS/CHEST Foundation Respiratory Health Equity Research Award
  • Catalyst Award
  • Emerging Respiratory Diseases (formerly, COVID-19 Respiratory Virus Research Award)
  • Public Health & Public Policy Research Award
  • Hastings Innovation Award for Interstitial Lung Disease
  • Dalsemer Interstitial Lung Disease Award
  • Innovation Award,
  • Lung Cancer Discovery Award

Research projects funded by the Lung Association are selected through scientific peer review, and awardees represent the investigation of a wide range of complex issues.

Three recent grantees are:

  1. Public Policy and Public Health Award – James Krings, MD, Washington University of St. Louis School of Medicine. Krings’ study, titled “Dissemination of a cost-analysis of guideline-recommended Single Maintenance and Reliever Therapy (SMART) for asthma,” is working to increase Medicaid payor awareness of a single asthma inhaler treatment called SMART, which combines a long-term anti-inflammatory medicine and quick-relief medicine and reduces risk of asthma flare-ups by about 30% compared to two separate inhalers. This research hopes to improve outcomes for asthma patients by making a more convenient and effective treatment.
  2. Emerging Respiratory Pathogen Award – Sergejs Berdnikovs, PhD, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Berdnikovs’ study, titled “Airway metabolic dysfunction and severe respiratory viral infections,” is working to better understand the link between metabolic diseases and viral infections. People with diabetes and obesity are at a significantly higher risk for severe viral infections, including serious complications from COVID-19. The findings from this study could improve be used to develop prevention strategies or treatment to protect people with diabetes and obesity from viral disease.
  3. Lung Cancer Discovery Award – Milica Momcilovic, MD, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles. Momcilovic’s study, titled “Estrogen-GPCR signaling axis drives resistance to targeted therapy,” is working to determine how an experimental drug called TAK228, inhibits tumor growth in lung squamous cell carcinoma, a subtype of non-small cell lung cancer, in combination with other drugs. This research is especially important for females as previous studies have shown that there is an estrogen-related link to this type of cancer.

The Lung Association’s Research Institute includes the Awards and Grants program, and also our Airways Clinical Research Network, a not-for-profit network of clinical research centers dedicated to asthma and COPD treatment research. 

The Lung Association is currently accepting applications for its 2025-2026 research awards and grants cycle. For more information about the active research funding opportunities, visit Lung.org/awards.

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