PHA International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions occurs in even years, alternating with PHA’s PH Professional Network Symposium in odd years. 

PHA conferences feature two education tracks: one for patients and caregivers and one for health care professionals. The conferences offer the latest information about PH research, treatment and disease-management, as well as networking events, support group meetings and celebrations. Health care professionals can earn continuing education credit for attending sessions and abstract presentations. General sessions bring together patients and health care professionals for inspirational and informative presentations of interest to the entire PH community.

PHA 2026

PHA 2026 International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions attracted nearly 1,000 attendees from every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 57 countries. Attendees included longtime thrivers and newly diagnosed patients, spouses, parents, children and health care professionals.

Health care professionals attended scientific sessions that ranged from managing different five types of PH in adults and children to new technology using AI. They then joined patients and caregivers for general sessions that provided nourishment, inspiration and hope.

Watch the videos for a glimpse of the event.

Read our story about PHA 2026

Connecting the community from across town and around the globe.

PHA 2026

Previous highlights

PHA 2024

PHA 2024 began with a powerful video that celebrated the strength and unity of the PH community. Centered on the conference theme “Stronger Together,” the video featured interviews with Beverly Lipmyer, Candace Learman, Carla Kinsey and others. They shared their initial shock of diagnosis, day-to-day physical and emotional challenges, and resilience.

Our equally inspirational closing video featured interviews with PHA founders Judy and Ed Simpson; pulmonologist Greg Elliott, who was instrumental in creating the Research Room; and support group leader Gwendolyn Brown, who has lived with PH for 42 years. The video also showed PHA 2024 highlights, including education sessions, networking events and celebrations such as the Saturday night gala and fashion show.

PHA 2022

The PHA 2022 theme was “PHacing the Future Together.” The event was the first PHA conference since 2018 because of the pandemic. Watch the highlights to experience the fun.

History

PHA’s first International Conference in June 1994 brought 200 people from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia to a resort near Atlanta. For many of the 68 attendees with PH, it was the first time meeting others with the same condition. Thirty-two health care professionals attended in addition to family members, friends and caregivers.

The conference aimed to provide patients with first-hand information from experts. People with PH interacted with health care professionals to help them understand PH from patients’ perspectives. The theme was “Hearts and Hands for the Future.”

The event also connected health care professionals and patients with others in similar circumstances or with similar interests.

Traditions

Many longstanding PHA conference traditions began in 1994, including the Journeys presentation and Research Room. In Journeys, three pairs of patients and health care professionals relate their PH journeys.

The first Research Room began after researchers looking for genetic ties to PH asked to draw blood and obtain family histories from patients at the 1994 conference. As the largest gathering of people with PH, PHA recognized the event’s potential to further ongoing research.

Participating researchers agreed to share blood samples and data with others conducting PH research. The research from that conference eventually led to the discovery of a gene for familial pulmonary arterial hypertension.