Payam Nahid received the ATS Award for World Lung Health at the ATS conference in Orlando, FL, May 15–16. This award recognizes outstanding contributions to improving world lung health, with special emphasis on efforts to eliminate gender, racial, ethnic, or economic health disparities worldwide.
Throughout his career, Dr. Nahid has helped shape the global tuberculosis research agenda through research, mentorship, and advocacy. He co-led the landmark clinical trial of the 4-month rifapentine-moxifloxacin regimen, conducted across 13 countries, which shortened treatment for drug-susceptible TB to four months, a major advance endorsed by the CDC and WHO and now adopted worldwide. He serves on the WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Tuberculosis and as Senior Research Advisor to the multinational SMART4TB Consortium, funded by the U.S. Department of State to accelerate new diagnostics and therapies in high-burden countries. With Vietnam's National TB Programme, he co-founded a clinical trials and research collaboration unit in Hanoi that has strengthened national TB programs and advanced locally led scientific leadership.
Dr. Nahid has chaired major U.S. and international TB guideline groups on behalf of the American Thoracic Society and represented the Society in national policy discussions advancing global lung health. His work continues to train a diverse next generation of TB scientists across pulmonary medicine, infectious disease, and beyond. Across his career, Dr. Nahid has shown consistent commitment to translating science into action, expanding access to life-saving TB care and reducing disparities in lung health worldwide. Learn more at this link.