Three faculty members from the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine (PACCSM) have received 2026 awards from the American Thoracic Society, recognizing their contributions to pulmonary research, translational science, mentorship, and innovation.
Kambez H. Benam received the Respiratory Health Award’s Research Innovation and Translation Achievement Award, recognizing investigators advancing respiratory health through translational innovation and collaborative science. Benam is associate professor of medicine and bioengineering and director of innovation and entrepreneurship within PACCSM. His laboratory develops advanced Lung-on-a-Chip and microphysiological systems that model lung and immune function, helping accelerate translational research, therapeutic development, and regulatory science in pulmonary medicine.
Charles S. Dela Cruz received the Assembly on Pulmonary Infections and Tuberculosis Senior-Level Peer Recognition Award, which honors investigators with longstanding contributions to research, clinical care, mentorship, and leadership. Dela Cruz serves as professor of medicine, associate dean of faculty research and career enhancement, and director of the Center for Lung Injury and Infection at Pitt. An internationally recognized expert in pneumonia and lung infection, his research has advanced understanding of immune responses to respiratory infections, including COVID-19, and has shaped national clinical practice guidelines and research priorities through his leadership within ATS.
Alicia N. Rizzo received the Assembly on Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology Recognition of Early Academic Achievement Award (REAAch), which recognizes outstanding early-stage investigators in respiratory science. Rizzo is an assistant professor in PACCSM and an attending physician in the medical ICU at UPMC Presbyterian. Her research focuses on the role of the alveolar epithelial glycocalyx in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), with an emphasis on developing glycan-targeted precision medicine strategies and diagnostics for critically ill patients.
Together, the awards highlight the breadth of scientific leadership and innovation within PACCSM, spanning pulmonary infections, critical illness, translational bioengineering, and precision medicine approaches to respiratory disease.