Summary: The European Respiratory Society (ERS) announced the 2024 award recipients, which included recognizing two sleep medicine specialists for their contributions. Sophia Schiza, MD, PhD, received the ERS Teaching Award for her work in educational content development, particularly in sleep-disordered breathing. Pei-Lin Lee, MD, PhD, was honored with the Best Abstract Grant for her research on the effects of CPAP on energy balance, chronotype, hormones, and body composition in sleep-disordered breathing patients.
Key Takeaways:
- Sophia Schiza’s Educational Leadership: Schiza was awarded the ERS Teaching Award for her contributions to sleep medicine education, including authoring over 160 peer-reviewed articles and developing university-based PhD programs.
- Pei-Lin Lee’s Research Recognition: Lee received the Best Abstract Grant for her research on CPAP therapy’s impact on sleep-disordered breathing, focusing on key physiological metrics like energy balance and body composition.
- International Contributions: Both recipients are involved in international sleep societies, advancing research, guidelines, and educational initiatives within the field of sleep medicine.
The European Respiratory Society announced the ERS award winners for 2024, which included two sleep medicine specialists recognized for their contributions to the field.
Each year, ERS presents a number of awards to recognize the achievements of a select group of leaders and their potential for further developments in all respiratory areas and within the society.
ERS Teaching Award
Sophia Schiza, MD, PhD, a professor of respiratory and sleep medicine, head of Sleep Disorders Unit of the Department of Respiratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, was presented with the ERS Teaching Award in recognition of her contributions to ERS educational content development.
Schiza, has authored more than 160 peer-reviewed articles on her main research interests in sleep-disordered breathing, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and obstructive sleep apnea/COPD overlap syndrome.
She is one of the editors of the ERS Sleep Handbook (published in 2023), field editor of sleep medicine. She has also an increasing role in the generation of guidelines and task force statements within ERS and in collaboration with the European Sustainability Reporting Standard and the American Thoracic Society, according to her biography.
At both the national and European levels, she plays a key role in developing educational activities, including university-based PhD programs and fellowships in sleep, with a primary focus on sleep breathing disorders. Since 2016, she has chaired the Educational Committee of the Hellenic Sleep Research Society.
On the European stage, she has been involved in creating numerous educational initiatives for the ERS Assembly 4 on Sleep-Disordered Breathing, collaborating with the European Sleep Research Society and the American Thoracic Society. Additionally, she has supervised numerous master’s, PhD, and research projects.
Best Abstract Grants in Assembly
The ERS sponsored Best Abstract Grants in Assembly are offered to authors having the best graded abstract within each of the 14 ERS Assemblies.
Pei-Lin Lee, MD, PhD, FAASM, a clinical associate professor at the School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, and an attending physician at the Center of Sleep Disorders, National Taiwan University Hospital, received the Best Abstract Grant for Assembly 4 (Sleep-Disordered Breathing) for the abstract “CPAP effects on energy balance, chronotype, hormones, and body composition: a randomized controlled trial.”
Lee holds several positions in sleep societies, including Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and co-chair of its International Assembly, as well as a committee member of the Sleep Medicine Education Task Force for the Asian Society of Sleep Medicine.
Her current research focuses on the integration of new technologies and big data in sleep medicine, along with clinical phenotyping and interventions for obstructive sleep apnea.
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