July 2026

PULMONARY

FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND STUDY AIMS TO ADVANCE PREVENTIVE LUNG HEALTHCARE

The American Lung Association (ALA) Lung Health Cohort Research Study is the first-ever large-scale lung health study. It aims to track 4,000 adults aged 25 to 35 for five years to evaluate how their environment, lifestyle and physical activity habits affect long term respiratory health. Ravi Kalhan, MD, MS, is a principal investigator.

“By studying the lungs of young adults, we hope to be able to predict what leads to chronic lung disease and lung cancer and determine a way to stop it before a person is diagnosed with a disease,” says Dr. Kalhan. More than 3,000 young adults have enrolled.

Each participant will visit the study site to undergo tests, including a low-dose CT scan, and answer questions. Following that visit, the participants will provide information about their lung health electronically, over the phone or by mail four times per year.

​The longitudinal study is made possible through a $24.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The ALA’s Airways Clinical Research Centers Network is conducting the study through researchers at a range of centers.
​
For more information, visit the ALA’s website.
Ravi Kalhan, MD, MS, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Louis A. Simpson Professor of Pulmonary Medicine, Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care

Refer a Patient

Northwestern Medicine welcomes the opportunity to partner with you in caring for your patients. ​

You May Also Like