Dr. David Zielinski in the spotlight!

Dr. David  Zielinski has been awarded the American College of Chest Physicians CHEST Distinguished Service Award for 2026. This award is conferred to a CHEST Fellow (FCCP) who has held a CHEST leadership position; led significant society achievements; and/or donated time, leadership, and service to CHEST.

Dr. Zielinski was also elected as secretary of the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) for the 2026-2027 term. He brings exceptional continuity and leadership experience within CTS, anchored by his longstanding service in the CTS Pediatric Assembly. He completed a full executive leadership cycle within the Assembly, serving as secretary, chair-elect, chair, and past chair, and is currently serving his second term on the CTS Board of Directors  as pediatric assembly representative. This progression reflects sustained trust from peers and provides him with deep institutional knowledge of CTS governance, executive function, and board-level decision-making.

In addition to his CTS roles, Dr. Zielinski has extensive experience in board governance and large-scale organizational leadership through the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST). He has served as chair of the Council of Networks and as a member of the CHEST Board of Regents, contributing to strategic oversight and organizational decision-making at the highest level of the society. He also served as vice-chair and co-chair of the CHEST Annual Meeting, one of the largest international educational conferences in respiratory medicine, roles that required complex program coordination, cross-assembly collaboration, and sustained organizational leadership. In parallel, he is a highly sought-after educator, with more than 70 invited presentations across CHEST, American Thoracic Society, European Respiratory Society, and Canadian Respiratory Conference meetings.

In addition to his governance experience, Dr. Zielinski has made substantial contributions to clinical practice guideline development, an important component of CTS's mandate. He is a co-first author of the Canadian Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline on Pediatric Home Mechanical Ventilation, a contributing author to the American College of Chest Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline on the Respiratory Management of Patients with Neuromuscular Weakness, and a contributor to a recent American Thoracic Society guideline on Pediatric Tracheostomy.

Dr. Zielinski currently serves as medical director of the Pediatric Sleep Laboratory at the Montreal Children's Hospital and as provincial medical director of Québec's National Program for Home Ventilatory Assistance. He previously served as associate chair (Education) in McGill University's Department of Pediatrics. Together, these roles demonstrate sustained administrative leadership, accountability, and cross-institutional coordination.

Congratulations Dr. Zielinksi!