25th Congress of the APSR

Only one APSR Medal is bestowed annually at the APSR congress, but since the 2020 congress was postponed to 2021, two medals were presented at the APSR Congress in Kyoto, 2021, to Prof. Faisal Yunus (Indonesia) and Prof. Kwun Fong (Australia).

The Medal is awarded by the APSR in appreciation for the awardee's commitment to the advancement of respirology in the Asia-Pacific region, including major achievements in advocacy, teaching, clinical practice and leadership, enshrining excellence in respiratory research and research translation, and for the exceptional contribution made to the growth of the APSR.

A list of previous medallists and further information can be seen here.

Lurdes Planas-Cerezales

(Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain)

APSR 2020 Fukuchi Award winner for the best original research paper published in Respirology in 2019:
Predictive factors and prognostic effect of telomere shortening in pulmonary fibrosis DOI: 10.1111/resp.13423)

Eunice To

(School of Health Sciences and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia)

APSR 2020 Fukuchi Award winner for the best original research paper published in Respirology in 2019:
Novel endosomal NOX2 oxidase inhibitor ameliorates pandemic influenza A virus-induced lung inflammation in mice DOI: 10.1111/resp.13524)

Atsushi Suzuki

(Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Tosei General Hospital, Seto, Japan

APSR 2021 Fukuchi Award winner for the best original research paper published in Respirology in 2020:
Acute exacerbations of fibrotic interstitial lung diseases DOI: 10.1111/resp.13682)

Miranda Ween

(Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia)

2021 Fukuchi Award winner for the best original research paper published in Respirology in 2020:
Effects of E-cigarette E-liquid components on bronchial epithelial cells: Demonstration of dysfunctional efferocytosis DOI: 10.1111/resp.13696)

Click here to see the alumni of past awardees and their papers.

Afifah Aqilah Abdul Malik

(Respiratory Unit, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Malaysia)

Respirology Case Reports Poster Awardee Dr Afifah Aqilah Abdul Malik presented:
Hydrofluorocarbons pneumonitis as a complication of inhalation injury following air-conditioning repairs 10.1111/resp.14150_189

Galoeh Adyasiwi

(Departement of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia)

APSR / APTA Young Investigator Awardee Dr Galoeh Adyasiwi presented:
Factors affecting time to sputum culture conversion with drug resistant tuberculosis using short-term and longer regimen in Indonesia 10.1111/resp.14149_54

Sta Ana Charry Mae

(East Avenue Medical Center, Philippines)

APSR ERS Young Investigator Awardee Dr Sta Ana Charry Mae presented:
Factors affecting compliance to COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures and its effects on the risk of COVID-19 infection among physicians in a tertiary government hospital 10.1111/resp.14149_27

Saswati Das

(Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, India)

APSR / J Patrick Barron Medical Education Young Investigator Awardee Dr Saswati Das presented:
Online team-based learning: A novel pedagogical approach for undergraduate MBBS students 10.1111/resp.14150_268

Marian Dimabuyu

(Center for Thoracic and Critical Care Medicine, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Philippines)

APSR / PCCP Young Investigator Awardee Dr Marian Dimabuyu presented:
Determination of antibody titers of filipino healthcare workers after COVID-19 vaccination (Sinovac and Astrazenica) - A preliminary report 10.1111/resp.14149_47

Adam H Fox

(Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; Charleston, SC, USA)

APSR ATS Young Investigator Awardee Dr Adam H Fox presented:
Pulmonologists and molecular biomarker testing for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer 10.1111/resp.14149_84

Mihir Raman Gangakhedkar

(All India Institute of Medical Sciences Rishikesh, India)

APSR ERS Young Investigator Awardee Dr Mihir Raman Gangakhedkar presented:
IVC 'MIS'-guided fluids? An evaluation of the effect of different peep on the IVC indices of COPD patients on NIV 10.1111/resp.14149_66

Tumen-Ulzii Gankhuyag

(Department of Pulmonology and Allergology, Mongolian National University Medical Science, Mongolia)

APSR / J Patrick Barron Medical Education Young Investigator Awardee Dr Tumen-Ulzii Gankhuyag presented:
The effect of asthma education programme of asthmatic patients 10.1111/resp.14150_759

Philip Hester M Gilbuena

(Chong Hua Hospital Cebu, Philippines)

APSR Travel Awardee Dr Philip Hester M Gilbuena presented:
The peak expiratory flow rate and respiratory health of children 7 to 18 years-old living near the Inayawan Landfill Site, Cebu City, Philippines 10.1111/resp.14149_26

Yi-An Hsieh

(Center of Sleep Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan)

APSR Young Investigator Travel Awardee Dr Yi-An Hsieh presented:
Intermittent hypoxia resulted in defective phagocytosis of phagocytes and poorer sepsis outcomes in murine and in vitro study 10.1111/resp.14150_789

Yi-An Hsieh

(Kaohsiung medical university hospital in Taiwan)

APSR Travel Awardee Dr Hung-Ling Huang presented:
Gut microbiota signature can distinguish latent TB infection among poorly diabetic patients 10.1111/resp.14149_51

Yen-Hsiang Huang

(National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan)

APSR / KF-CB Lung Cancer Research Young Investigator Awardee Dr Yen-Hsiang Huang presented:
High PD-L1 expression influenced the clinical outcomes of osimertinib in treatment naïve advanced EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer patients 10.1111/resp.14149_74

Tomohiro Ichikawa

(Department of Respiratory Medicine Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan)

APSR Travel Awardee Dr Tomohiro Ichikawa presented:
Role of reactive persulfide species in influenza virus-induced lung inflammation 10.1111/resp.14149_13

Satoshi Ikeo

(Kyoto University Hospital, Japan)

APSR JRS Young Investigator Awardee Dr Satoshi Ikeo presented:
Transplantation of lung progenitors derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells into the murine lungs 10.1111/resp.14149_14

Masaaki Iwabayashi

(Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kobe City Medical Center West Hospital, Japan)

APSR Young Investigator Travel Awardee Dr Masaaki Iwabayashi presented:
The effects of smoking cessation therapy on pulmonary function and predictive factor of the FEV1 increase 10.1111/resp.14149_29

Youlim Kim

(Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Republic of Korea)

APSR / KATRD Young Investigator Awardee Dr Youlim Kim presented:
Pulmonary hyperinflation and the risk of COPD exacerbation: Analysis from KOCOSS cohort 10.1111/resp.14149_68

Rachel S Knipe

(Massachusetts General Hospital, USA)

APSR ATS Young Investigator Awardee Dr Rachel S Knipe presented:
The Pulmonary Endothelium Plays a Critical Role in the Fibrotic Response to Lung Injury through S1PR1 and ROCK Mediated Cytoskeletal Rearrangements 10.1111/resp.14149_18

Hong Le

(Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Australia)

APSR Young Investigator Travel Awardee Dr Hong Le presented:
Traffic-related air pollution and respiratory health: A cross-sectional study among adolescents in Vietnam 10.1111/resp.14149_28

Hyun Woo Lee

(Division of Respiratory and Critical Care, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea)

APSR Young Investigator Travel Awardee Dr Hyun Woo Lee presented:
Risk factors of rapid lung function decline in COPD patients of real world 10.1111/resp.14149_64

Deebya Raj Mishra

(Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal)

APSR / Malcolm Winterburn Lung Cancer Young Investigator Awardee Dr Deebya Raj Mishra presented:
EBUS and EUS-B in resource-limited settings: a single center experience from Nepal 10.1111/resp.14150_664

Lam Nguyen-Ho

(University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

APSR-VNRS Young Investigator Awardee Dr Lam Nguyen-Ho presented:
Clinical characteristics of pulmonary melioidosis diagnosed at respiratory Department of the Tertiary Hospital in Southern Vietnam 10.1111/resp.14150_280

Minh Nguyen

(Emory University, USA)

APSR Young Investigator Travel Awardee Dr Nguyen Hoan Le Minh presented:
Current smoking by socioeconomic status in a representative Japanese population 10.1111/resp.14149_30

Koichi Nishino

(Division of Respiratory Medicine, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Japan)

APSR Young Investigator Travel Awardee Dr Koichi Nishino presented:
Isolation and characterization of lymphatic endothelial cells from lung tissues affected by lymphangioleiomyomatosis 10.1111/resp.14150_99

Soshi Okamoto

(Department of Geriatrics Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan)

APSR Young Investigator Travel Awardee Dr Soshi Okamoto presented:
Breathing irregularities before sleep onset on polysomnography in patients with heart diseases 10.1111/resp.14149_105

Tadasu Okaya

(Chiba University Hospital, Japan)

APSR Young Investigator Travel Awardee Dr Tadasu Okaya presented:
Clinical features of novel phenotype in pulmonary hypertension along with mild lung parenchymal change without severe ventilatory impairment 10.1111/resp.14149_134

Chiyako Oshikata

(Department of Allergy and Respirology, Hiratsuka City Hospital & Department of Pulmonology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan)

APSR Travel Awardee Dr Chiyako Oshikata presented:
Mite allergen avoidance decreases allergic symptoms in children in Ishinomaki City after natural disasters 10.1111/resp.14150_177

Luan Pham

(Department of Respiratory Medicine, 108-Military Central Hospital, Ha Noi, Vietnam)

APSR-Woolcock Vietnam Awardee Dr Luan Pham presented:
The efficacy of gefitinib as a first-line therapy in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR mutations 10.1111/resp.14149_89

Pandu Putra

(University Of Sumatera Utara, Indonesia)

APSR / Norbert Berend COPD Young Investigator Awardee Dr Pandu Putra presented:
The effectiveness of home-based upper arm endurance and strength exercises with eggwhite supplementation on functional capacity and quality of life in stable COPD patients 10.1111/resp.resp.14150_495

Takuya Saito

(Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan)

APSR JRS Young Investigator Awardee Dr Takuya Saito presented:
Siglec-1-negative alveolar macrophages are associated with COPD exacerbation and may represent pro-inflammatory phenotypes 10.1111/resp.14149_62

Nicole Sheers

(Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia,)

APSR TSANZ Young Investigator Award Education Awardee Dr Nicole Sheers presented:
Lung volume recruitment therapy in people with neuromuscular disease 10.1111/resp.14149_3

Hye-Young Shin

(Internal Medicine, Kangwon National University, Republic of Korea)

APSR Young Investigator Travel Awardee Dr Shin Hyeyoung presented:
Associations between long-term exposure to PM10 and NO2 and serum metabolite concentration in CODA cohort 10.1111/resp.14150_182

Atsushi Suzuki

(Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Tosei General Hospital, Japan, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan)

2021 Fukuchi Award winner for the best original research paper published in Respirology in 2020:
Acute exacerbations of fibrotic interstitial lung diseases 10.1111/resp.13682

Shun Takao

(Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan)

APSR Young Investigator Travel Awardee Dr Shun Takao presented:
Mesenchymal stem cells cultured in serum-free medium suppress murine bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis by enhancing regulatory T cell induction 10.1111/resp.resp.14150_98

Prakarn Tovichien

(Division of Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, Siriraj Hospital Mahidol University, Thailand)

APSR / Peter Sly Paediatric Young Investigator Awardee Dr Prakarn Tovichien presented:
Comparing admission days of tracheostomized children admitted with bTARTIs 6-month before and after home respiratory care training 10.1111/resp.14149_124

Yina Wang

(Geriatric Department, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, China)

APSR Travel Awardee Dr Yina Wang presented:
Information-motivation-behavioral skills intervention increases the CPAP adherence in old OSAHS patients 10.1111/resp.14149_104

Dhammika Leshan Wannigama

(Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship Research Unit, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Thailand)

APSR Young Investigator Travel Awardee Dr Dhammika Leshan Wannigama presented:
A novel broad-spectrum peptide therapy for acute and chronic lung infections with multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria 10.1111/resp.14149_33

Yasuyoshi Washio

(Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan)

APSR Young Investigator Travel Awardee Dr Yasuyoshi Washio presented:
Association of preserved ratio impaired spirometry with mortality risk: The Hisayama study 10.1111/resp.14149_65

Naoaki Watanabe

(Division of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Japan)

APSR JRS Young Investigator Awardee Dr Naoaki Watanabe presented:
Anomalous epithelial variations and ectopic inflammatory response in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 10.1111/resp.14149_63

Sasanka Wijayawardhana

(National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka)

APSR / Paul Zimmerman Physiology Young Investigator Awardee Dr Sasanka Wijayawardhana presented:
A novel mutation in SEPN 1 gene causing rigid spinal muscular dystrophy presenting as diaphragmatic dysfunction and respiratory failure in adulthood 10.1111/resp.14150_803

Charles Wong

(Department of Medicine, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, HKSAR, Hong Kong)

APSR / Hong Kong Young Investigator Awardee Dr Charles Wong presented:
Microbiology and treatment outcomes of pleural infection in a tertiary hospital in Hong Kong: A 10-year review 10.1111/resp.14149_44

Yuki Yoshimatsu

(Iizuka Hospital, Japan)

APSR / KYF Young Investigator Award for Geriatric Respirology Awardee Dr Yuki Yoshimatsu presented:
Development and implementation of an aspiration pneumonia diagnostic algorithm for the practical application of the JRS guidelines 10.1111/resp.14149_8

Yoshiaki Zaizen

(Division of Respirology, Neurology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan)

APSR Young Investigator Travel Awardee Dr Yoshiaki Zaizen presented:
Artificial intelligence-assisted pathological screening of acid-fast bacilli may be useful for early detection of mycobacteriosis 10.1111/resp.14149_52