About Our Research

More than 4 in 10 Americans live with unhealthy air, and more than 33 million live with chronic lung diseases like asthma, COPD and lung cancer. In fact, lung disease is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. But research can—and doe— save lives.

For over a century, the American Lung Association has advanced medical and scientific research to move us closer to a world free of lung disease, through basic, translational and clinical research.

To put it simply, basic research is where all research begins to find new ideas, principles and theories that form the basis of scientific development that leads to exciting breakthroughs.

Translational research, also known as “bench – to- bedside” moves theory into medical practice and health outcomes.

Clinical research is then conducted to ensure that a new treatment, device, product or procedure is safe and successful.

It takes all of the pieces of this puzzle, working together to save lives through research. We’ve seen many successes, like our funded researcher Dr. Mary Ellen Avery who made a discovery in the lungs of babies with respiratory distress syndrome that saved an estimated 800,000 children over 50 years following her discovery and led her to win the national medal of science.

And when our Airways Clinical Research Centers discovered that the flu vaccine was safe for people with asthma, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed their recommendations so that all individuals receive the flu vaccine. This life-changing discovery is estimated to avoid 104,000 hospitalizations every year if everyone with asthma got the flu shot.

It takes all of us to work to save lives through research. Together we can watch as the number of lives saved continues to grow and we get one step closer to a world without lung disease.

Medical breakthroughs pioneered by American Lung Association researchers and their colleagues worldwide have reduced the burden of lung disease on patients and their loved ones, allowing them to live healthier, more active lives.

Since 1915, our researchers have made significant contributions to the fight against lung disease by revolutionizing treatment and unlocking secrets of the body's immune system. We have funded breakthroughs in the fight against tuberculosis, identified genes that cause the development of lung cancer and cystic fibrosis, and developed new ways to treat respiratory distress syndrome.