Daily News Boston CHEST 2024

October 6-9, 2024

CHEST 2018 Speaker Spotlight: Margaret Pisani, MD, MPH

Margaret Pisani, MD, MPH
Margaret Pisani, MD, MPH

SESSION: What are My Options for Promoting Sleep in the ICU? on Monday

Please summarize your session in a tweet: Sleep in the ICU is absent but important and we can impact change to improve sleep and circadian rhythm in the ICU. Come to our case-based session to learn how.

How did you develop a passion for pulmonology/sleep medicine/critical care? In my previous life, I was a biomedical engineer, and the physiology of pulmonary disease and critical illness as well as the application of technology in the ICU drew me into this field. I love that I get to think about all organ systems and their interactions on a daily basis.

What’s your best method for preparing for your presentation? I reread all of the literature I used when I developed my presentation. Then I practice my talk several times to be clear about what are the key messages I want the audience to take away from the presentation.

Who has had the biggest impact on your professional life and why? Dr. Richard Matthay. He was the fellowship program director when I started fellowship and has been an amazing mentor and supporter of my career. He has played an integral role in recruiting women to the pulmonary division at Yale over the years, and we have the largest number of women faculty in the country.

What do you hope to see while you’re visiting San Antonio? I was there recently for another meeting, so I have already checked the Alamo off of my bucket list. I did not have time to see any museums, so I would like to find time to do that and try some more of the local cuisine.

Your most indispensable tool in San Antonio: Twitter. It keeps me up to date on what is happening at the meeting. Thanks to Dr. Chris Carroll and the social media team at CHEST.

Most memorable career moment: Feeling very proud to see my current and former fellows present at meetings and get recognition for their contributions. Dr. Drew Harris comes to mind. He received a grant from the CHEST Foundation and has parlayed that into obtaining more grants and launching his research career into health disparities in asthma. This is just but one of many examples.

Number of steps you think you’ll take at CHEST 2018: Lots I hope. It is great to run early in the morning along the Riverwalk. I am going for 75,000, but this may force me to pace while listening to lectures to get that many.