The School of Health at the Industrial University of Santander highlights the participation of third-year Internal Medicine resident Dr. Cristian Henao Niño at the 2026 Colombian Congress of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery, held in Bogotá and organized by the Colombian Association of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery.
At this important academic and scientific event—considered one of the country’s leading forums for the dissemination and discussion of research in respiratory health—the resident presented a paper titled “Radon, Mining, and Lung Function: Clinical and Spirometric Findings in a Population in Eastern Colombia,” based on his residency thesis.
The study evaluated the association between radon exposure, mining activity, and various clinical and respiratory functional findings in a population from eastern Colombia. The results provide relevant scientific evidence regarding environmental and occupational risks that may affect lung health, contributing to a better understanding of the determinants of respiratory diseases and to the strengthening of future strategies for surveillance, prevention, and research in public health and pulmonology.
This study was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Leslie Vargas Ramírez, a pulmonologist at the Instituto Neumológico del Oriente (INO); Carolina Figueroa, research coordinator at the INO; Dr. Fabio Bolívar of the Instituto Neumológico del Oriente; and Dr. Álvaro José Idrovo, a professor in the Department of Public Health at the School of Medicine of the Universidad Industrial de Santander.
Dr. Henao’s participation reflects the commitment of residents at the School of Health to generating scientific knowledge with regional and national impact, as well as the role of medical residency training as a driving force for the development of clinical and epidemiological research aimed at addressing the community’s priority health needs.
Through such contributions, the Industrial University of Santander continues to strengthen its scientific output and its presence in high-level academic forums, promoting research that contributes to the well-being and health of the population.
