Meet the 2024 Award Winner: Moises Selman, MD 

Dr. Selman earned his MD degree at the University of Chile, and trained in Pulmonary Medicine at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He joined the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias in Mexico where established the first Research Branch, and since 1983, is the Interstitial Lung Diseases Program Director. 

Dr. Selman has had a longstanding interest in ILDs, mainly in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis where he has made important contributions both in the clinical area as well as in the pathogenic mechanisms, and has earned international recognition as one of the foremost experts in pulmonary fibrosis. He has served as a member of the Review Committee of Protocols on IPF of the NIH.

He has published around 300 original papers, reviews, and book chapters, and was Associate and Deputy Editor of the Blue Journal. He has achieved several distinctions including the National Prize in Sciences and the Recognition Award for Scientific Achievement of the ATS. In 2015 he was elected to the Association of American Physicians. Most recently the Mexican Secretary of Health honored him by naming the Research Unit of its Institute as Dr. Moises Selman Building of Respiratory Research. 

Among his key scientific achievements are the proposal that IPF, historically considered as a fibrosis caused by unresolved chronic inflammation, was an epithelial-driven fibrosis. He participated in the first genomic studies performed in IPF and contributed to the pioneering research identifying the transcriptional signatures that distinguish some of the fibrosing lung diseases.

Dr. Selman has also focused on the role of aging in lung behavior studying a large cohort of individuals over 65 years and models of natural and accelerated aging. Based on this research he coined the term "Fibroaging" as a pathologic characteristic associated with aging, that was incorporated in the recently published “Hallmarks of Aging” 

More recently, published a provocative proposal suggesting that Usual interstitial pneumonia should be considered as a stand-alone diagnostic entity. 

Dr. Selman has served on multiple international working groups, including the ATS, ERS, and ACCP. He was a founding member of the Latin American Thoracic Association, and in Mexico, was President of the Mexican Society of Pulmonology.

Dr. Selman is passionate about training physician-scientists and has received numerous accolades as an outstanding teacher, mentor, and physician. He established a highly regarded course Interstitial Pulmonary Diseases at the Faculty of Medicine of the UNAM.

 Currently is a Distinguished Investigator in its Institute.

Description:

The RCMB Assembly serves as a vibrant hub for its diverse membership across the globe, thus enhancing the respiratory science community. This award will recognize an RCMB member with a primary appointment outside of the United States or Canada who has an established record of cutting-edge high impact research that contributes to the understanding and treatment of lung diseases coupled with service within the Assembly and a commitment to the RCMB mission“to promote the long-range goal of the ATS to decrease morbidity and mortality from respiratory disorders and life-threatening acute illnesses through an improved understanding of the biological basis of lung disease”.  The inaugural award presented, honours Geoff Laurent, Ph.D. and Tomoko Betsuyaku M.D., whose passion for knowledge, service to our community and impact on our understanding of the biological basis of lung disease inspired its creation.

Criteria:

The nominee:

• must have a current primary appointment outside of the United States or Canada
• should have performed the majority of their research outside of the United States or Canada
• should have an excellent track record of international collaborations and service to the RCMB Assembly
• should have demonstrated mentorship for a diversity of mentees
• must be a RCMB member (primary or secondary)
• must attend the ATS International Conference and be present at the RCMB Membership Meeting

Guidelines for submitting a nomination

A nomination must include:

• The nominee’s curriculum vitae
• A 2-3 page narrative discussing the impact of the nominee’s research program on an understanding of the biological basis of lung disease and the nominee’s service contributions to RCMB.
• One nomination letter supported by the signatures of 3-5 investigators who attest to the impact of the nominee on the RCMB mission.

Scoring metric weight:

• 1x - Scientific Contributions/Products
• 1x - Teaching/Mentoring/Educational Contributions
• 1x - Participation in Assembly and ATS Activities (administrative, committees, workshops etc.)
• 1x -Overall impact/impression of dossier submitted for award application

View Previous Award Recipients