Aims : The ERS Lung Science Conference is at the forefront of basic and translational respiratory science and it is an essential event for budding respiratory researchers looking to boost their career. It offers a unique opportunity to network with peers from across the globe and aims to present cutting-edge abstracts on novel experimental lung research. The Lung Science Conference 2020 took place on March 5-8 in Estoril, Portugal with the overarcing theme metabolic alterations in lung ageing and disease. This session features a selection of scientific presentations that were given at this conferenc. In addition, the session highlights the winners of the William MacNee Award - for young presenters (40 years old or less at the time of the Conference) who submitted an outstanding abstract, and of the Geoffrey Laurent Award - for the Best Oral presentation.