Atul Malhotra, M.D., receives prestigious lifetime achievement award

Recognized by the American Thoracic Society, Malhotra has been honored with the 2024 Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology Lifetime Achievement Award

2024-08-20

(Press-News.org) Atul Malhotra, MD, Peter C. Farrell Presidential Endowed Chair in Pulmonary Medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and pulmonologist at UC San Diego Health, has been named recipient of the 2024 Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Thoracic Society.

The award is given annually to honor the career of an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of sleep or respiratory neurobiology in terms of both scientific and scholarly advances, as well as in mentoring, teaching and advocacy to advance public health.

Recipients are recognized for achievement in scholarship over the course of an entire career.

“Dr. Malhotra is a thought leader in the field of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, and is one of the most productive scholars in the world over the past several decades,” said Jess Mandel, MD, Kenneth M. Moser Professor of Medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at UC San Diego Health. “His efforts have made a significant impact internationally, but especially so at UC San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Health in the research he conducts and the leading-edge clinical care he provides to patients.”

At UC San Diego Health, Malhotra provides a full spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients with sleep-related disorders, including sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy and sleep disorders associated with medical or psychiatric conditions. He also provides care for patients in the intensive care units at Hillcrest Medical Center and Jacobs Medical Center in La Jolla, with major expertise in the areas of lung injury, sepsis and mechanical ventilation.

“I am incredibly honored for this recognition by the American Thoracic Society and my esteemed peers,” said Malhotra, research chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “My work spans outpatient settings and intensive care units, while also managing a National Institutes of Health funded laboratory. It’s extremely rewarding to conduct studies that are identifying novel treatment options and then be able to provide those therapeutics to my patients and see them live more quality lives.”

Specifically, Malhotra has a special interest in the treatment of sleep apnea. His recent research successfully identified the first drug therapy option for sleep apnea, which showed promising results of enhanced sleep and overall health for patients diagnosed with obesity and living with obstructive sleep apnea.

“Dr. Malhotra’s research has deepened our knowledge of fundamental disease mechanisms, which has translated into new therapies that are improving patient outcomes,” said Zea Borok, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “His contributions to sleep apnea research are particularly notable in that he has advanced our understanding of the disease by identifying various mechanisms underlying the clinical manifestations. This has moved the field beyond a one-size-fits-all approach, leading to more personalized and effective treatments.”

Malhotra also supports future physicians and scientists by serving as a mentor for numerous resident physicians and junior researchers both locally and internationally.

“Through mentorship, my focus has been to attract and retain the best and brightest in the field, with a goal of developing a diverse next generation of leaders,” said Malhotra. “It’s been a joy to hear the success stories from around the world of our trainees that have benefitted from our programs.”

Before joining UC San Diego Health in 2013, Malhotra practiced pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Brigham and Women's Hospital. He was associate professor at Harvard Medical School and medical director of the Brigham and Women's Hospital Sleep Disorders Research Program.

Malhotra has served on numerous national and international councils in executive leadership roles, including for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and as president of the American Thoracic Society. He is a principal and co-investigator on numerous NIH grants relating to sleep apnea and serves as an ad hoc reviewer for many leading journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Sleep and the Journal of American Medical Association.

“I truly believe that this work and research is making a difference in the lives of patients around the world, which is extremely fulfilling for me and one of my greatest achievements,” said Malhotra.

For 2024-2025, U.S. News & World Report ranked UC San Diego Health No. 1 in San Diego and among the nation’s best in 11 adult medical and surgical specialties, including 10th in the country for pulmonology care.

Learn more about lung disease and respiratory care at UC San Diego Health.

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