Zorana Jovanovic Andersen elected Advocacy Council Chair of the European Respiratory Society (ERS)

ERS is the world’s largest respiratory society, bringing together over 35,000 lung health professionals—including clinicians, nurses, and scientists—from more than 160 countries, all dedicated to improving lung health globally. As Chair of the Advocacy Council, Professor Andersen will work to translate scientific evidence into policy, raise the visibility of respiratory health issues, and promote lung health worldwide.

From 2020 to 2024, Professor Andersen served as Chair of the ERS Environment and Health Committee, where she played a pivotal role in translating research on air pollution and health into actionable policy for the European Union. Working closely with the European Commission, the World Health Organization (WHO), environmental and health NGOs, researchers, respiratory health professionals, and patient communities, this collective effort contributed to the 2024 revision of the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive. The updated directive introduces significantly stricter air quality standards that will lead to cleaner air, improved lung health across Europe, and help the EU achieve its Green Deal goal of a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.

Drawing on this extensive experience, Professor Andersen will use her new role to address a broad range of emerging challenges to lung health. Beyond air pollution, accelerating climate change—manifested through rising temperatures, heatwaves, wildfires, longer and more intense aeroallergen seasons, new allergens, storms, flooding, and dust events—poses significant threats. Other ongoing challenges include tobacco use, occupational exposures, and persistent social, gender, and regional health inequalities across Europe, particularly between East and West. Additionally, war-related disruptions to healthcare, migration crises, disinformation, and growing attacks on science further complicate the landscape of respiratory health advocacy.

To address these complex issues, Professor Andersen will ground her advocacy in robust scientific evidence and a strong commitment to partnership. She will work to build alliances with global, regional, and local organizations—including the WHO, EU institutions, medical and patient associations (in respiratory, cardiovascular, and cancer fields), environmental and public health organizations, and grassroots groups—to advance policies that protect and promote lung health for all.

In recognition of her contributions, Professor Andersen received the ERS Mid-Career Gold Medal in 2022 for her research elucidating how air pollution affect the risks of asthma, COPD, lung cancer, pneumonia, and COVID-19.

ERS Leadership Elections 2025: meet our newly elected leaders - ERS - European Respiratory Society