Letter from the President

We have all been captivated by the stellar athletic performances in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where we come together as a nation to appreciate the spirit of collegial competition. I especially appreciate the “behind the scenes” stories of athletes, their significant others, coaches, trainers and how they are committed to high level performances in their respective sports. Although its inspiring to see the apparent ease of a world class athlete performing, in my opinion, the most compelling stories are those of how athletes respond to adversity. And adversity abounds. Injuries. Burnout. Subpar performance. Upsets. The Twisties. Here we learn of how athletes and their teams have taken stock of their situation to develop a new plan, modify their technique, or change training patterns to prevail in subsequent competition. 

We are all familiar with the trite comparisons of Translational Teams to sport. Players performing their role, working together to achieve a common goal. But the analogy is much deeper. These Olympics stories show how teams adapt to disruptive events. 

Observational studies show that disruptive events abound in translational research, too-new technologies. Outside work that challenges existing paradigms. Loss of funding. Changes in personnel. New regulatory requirements. As successful athletic teams do, Translational Teams use sensemaking to respond to disruptive events, changing their research approaches or refining hypothesis. This process stimulates an adaptive learning cycle, enhancing team capacity and enabling new innovation. This process is embedded in the Translational Team “evolutionary learning model” of the phases of team maturation advanced by the ACTS Team Science Professionals working group. 

Learn more about Translational Teams:

https://www.actscience.org/About/Special-Interest-Groups

JEDI Virtual Grand Rounds: Innovative Strategies to Diversify Clinical Trials

There are still open slots for the first ever JEDI SIG Virtual Grand Rounds. This first installment of a new series of educational talks will feature guest speaker Dr. Holly A. Massett, OCR Director for the National Institute on Aging and a leading expert in planning and recruiting for clinical trials. Join us online on Wednesday, September 4 at 12:00pm ET!

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Translational Science 2025 Planning Committee Selected

The ACTS Board of Directors recently approved the appointment of 25 members to the Translational Science 2025 Program Planning Committee. The committee, led by Jareen Meinzen-Derr, PhD, MPH, FACE, is tasked with shaping the educational program for next April's Translational Science meeting in Washington, DC. We're looking forward to seeing this group of experts build off the success of Translational Science 2024. Visit our website to meet the new committee, and stay tuned for more information on submitting poster and session proposals!

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Special Interest Groups

ACTS offers its members the opportunity to participate in Special Interest Groups (SIGs) related to the field of clinical research and translational science. SIGs connect individuals who share similar goals and interests, providing a channel to network and participate in knowledge and resource sharing among peers.

Learning Library

The ACTS Learning Library is the centralized location for all ACTS educational offerings, including partner webinars and past Translational Science recordings. ACTS members receive complimentary access to webinars and recordings.

Translational Science Today

N3C Study Finds Long COVID More Likely After Initial Infection Than After Reinfection

Using N3C data, researchers found that long COVID may be more likely after an initial infection than after a reinfection.

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