Behavioral Science

David H. Au, MD
Chairperson

Our Assembly represents clinicians and researchers from throughout the world who are interested in behavioral, psychological, and social factors that affect lung health and disease and critical illness. While many members of the Assembly are behavioral scientists, including psychologists and psychiatrists, we also have a growing number of researchers who focus on clinical epidemiology and health services research.   Together, our interests include not only understanding and improving health behaviors of patients, families, clinicians and systems of care, but also on identifying and improving the quality and delivery of health care to patients with chronic lung diseases and critical illness.   

Our members have expertise in clinical research designs including clinical trials and observational study design.  Some of our research focus include but are not limited to assessment of health behaviors and interventions, biostatistical modeling methods, qualitative methods, measurement and use of health status and health related quality of life, adherence to medical therapy, psychosocial effects on lung health, predictive modeling and assessment of health care quality and delivery.  
Our members have a breath of clinical focus including air pollution, ARDS, asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, Interstitial lung disease, lung cancer, palliative and end-of-life care.

We welcome all professionals who have interest in the behavioral sciences within the mission of the American Thoracic Society.  We especially invite younger and international professionals who seek involvement in the Society.  Please feel free to attend our annual meeting and we welcome participating in a number of our assembly projects and committees.  As an ATS member, you can choose the Behavioral Science Assembly as your primary assembly, or as a secondary assembly. You can designate up to two secondary assemblies, and there is no additional cost when you add a secondary assembly.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about our assembly or wish to become involved.