The Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes outstanding major contribution(s) that advance the missions of the American Thoracic Society. Awardees have made substantial contributions to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of lung disease, critical illness, or sleep disorders through leadership in research, education, or critical care. The scope of accomplishments may also include advocacy, training, and mentorship. This award may recognize one major accomplishment or cumulative impact on the field.
| 1994 | Katherine H.K. Hsu, MD | |
| 1995 | Sol Katz, MD | Thomas L. Petty, MD |
| 1996 | Robert B. Mellins, MD | Robert O. Crapo, MD |
| 1997 | Alan K. Pierce, MD | Margaret R. Becklake, MD |
| 1998 | Robert M. Senior, MD | Ann J. Woolcock, MD |
| 1999 | No awards presented | |
| 2000 | Joseph R. Rodarte, MD | |
| 2001 | Mary Ellen B. Wohl, MD | Roberta M. Goldring, MD |
| 2002 | Robert M. Rogers, MD | Lynn Taussig, MD |
| 2003 | Kenneth L. Brigham, MD | A. Charles Bryan, MBBS |
| 2004 | Ronald M. Davis, MD | Lawrence D.H. Wood, MD, PhD |
| 2005 | Frank E. Speizer, MD | Martin J. Tobin, MD |
| 2006 | James H. Dauber, MD | Karlman Wasserman, MD, PhD |
| 2007 | Francois Lemaire, MD | David J. Pierson, MD |
| 2008 | Moira Chan-Yeung, MBBS | Kingman P. Strohl, MD |
| 2009 | Richard W. Light, MD | Richard C. Boucher, MD |
| 2010 | Jacques H. Grosset, MD | Robert A. Wise, MD |
| 2011 | John J. Marini, MD | J.A. Peter Pare, MD |
| 2012 | Francis X. McCormack Jr., MD | Galen B. Toews, MD |
| 2013 | Polly E. Parsons, MD | Alan L. Plummer, MD |
| 2014 | Bonnie Ramsey, MD | William Rom, MD, MPH |
| 2015 | Steven H. Abman, MD | Paul M. Quinton, PhD |
| 2016 | Claire M. Doerschuk, MD | J. Usha Raj, MD |
| 2017 | Jack Gauldie, PhD, DSc | Steven D. Shapiro, MD |
| 2018 | Qutayba Hamid, MBChB, PhD | Monica Kraft, MD |
| 2019 | John Hansen-Flaschen, MD, ATSF | Meir Kryger, MD |
| 2020 | John R. Balmes, MD | Anne E. Dixon, MA, BM BCh, ATSF |
| 2021 | Antonino Catanzaro, MD | Theodore F. Reiss, MD, MBE, ATSF |
| 2022 | Meilan K. Han, MD, MS, ATSF | Francine Comi, BS |
| 2023 | Sharron J. Crowder, PhD, RN | Jennifer L. Taylor-Cousar, MD, MSc |
| 2024 | Jeffrey L. Curtis MD, ATSF, FERS | Sonye K. Danoff MD, PhD, ATSF |
To nominate a colleague, please go to https://www.thoracic.org/professionals/respiratory-health-awards/index.php.
