Ashley Losier Selected for ATS Early Career Recognition Award

Ashley Losier, MD, assistant professor of medicine in Yale School of Medicine’s Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine (Yale-PCCSM), has been named the recipient of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Assembly on Pulmonary Infections and Tuberculosis (PI-TB) 2026 Early Career Recognition Award.

The award recognizes a PI-TB member with a demonstrated commitment to advancing the missions of both the PI-TB Assembly and ATS, with contributions across research, clinical care, teaching, or service.

Losier will be honored at the PI-TB Assembly Membership Meeting on May 17 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

As a clinician, Losier treats chronic lung infections, including non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections (NTM), a group of bacteria found in soil, water, and dust that can cause disease in people with lung conditions, weakened immune systems, or advanced age.

She also cares for people with bronchiectasis, a condition in which the airways become permanently widened, causing mucus buildup, recurrent infections, and chronic inflammation.

Losier is drawn to pulmonary infections because of their complexity and the long-term nature of care. “These patients often require nuanced, multidisciplinary care, and there is still so much to learn about optimizing diagnosis and treatment,” she says.

Losier was nominated for the award by her fellow Yale-PCCSM colleagues, Margaret Pisani, MD, MPH, Yale-PCCSM professor of medicine, and Charles Dela Cruz, MD, PhD, Yale-PCCSM associate professor adjunct.

“I have had the privilege to watch Dr. Losier grow from a Yale-PCCSM fellow to one of our outstanding junior faculty members,” says Pisani. “She excels in patient care and service, and her scholarship is designed to have direct patient impact.”

“Since joining ATS in 2014, she has built a record of contributions in clinical education, teaching, and mentorship, with growing leadership in pulmonary infections and bronchiectasis,” Dela Cruz adds. “It has been one of the great privileges of my career to watch her thrive.”

"Dr. Losier has made substantial contributions to addressing NTM and bronchiectasis in our region and nationally," says Naftali Kaminski, MD, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary) and chief of Yale-PCCSM. "We are all grateful and proud of her achievements."

Losier says the award reflects the mentorship, collaboration, and community she has found within the ATS PI-TB Assembly.

“This group has played a central role in my development as a clinician-educator and investigator,” she says. “The intersection of clinical care and evolving science is constantly highlighted within the PI-TB Assembly, deepening my interest in TB and NTM and making the field intellectually engaging.”

Looking ahead, Losier aims to advance more patient-centered and personalized care for people with bronchiectasis and NTM. Her work includes improving the identification of individuals at risk for these diseases, tailoring airway clearance and antimicrobial treatments, strengthening provider education, and integrating emerging therapies into clinical trials.

She also wants to expand access to clinical trials and design studies that better reflect real-world patient groups and priorities.

“I’m especially grateful to be part of a community that is deeply committed to advancing care for patients with pulmonary infections and bronchiectasis while also investing in early-career growth, research, and leadership opportunities,” Losier says.

Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine is one of 10 sections in the Yale Department of Internal Medicine. To learn more about Yale-PCCSM, visit PCCSM's website, or follow them on Facebook and X/Twitter.