May 2021
Issue 1
Letter From the President
When I start any new activity, I like to assess what I know and what I need to know. Starting my ACTS presidency, I find myself visiting our website, reading our mission and vision statement, and thinking on what lays ahead for clinical translational science. During this very difficult past year, where we were asked to make immense changes to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had record breaking attendance to Translational Science 2021 (TS21). This is a great accomplishment of our planning committee and its chair, Dr. Felicity Enders. But it also speaks to the need of our clinical translational research community to connect and network. I admit that I was surprised that I could enjoy this year’s meeting in our online format. We had an opportunity to learn, contemplate and plan changes for the difficult tasks that we have been asked to address. From diversifying our workforce, making our research address disparities and equity as well as how to learn from the pandemic. The meeting also made me realize that ACTS members want to participate in our association. We need to find ways for everyone to find their place within ACTS—being part of our committees or in one of our special interest groups (SIGs).
This means that we need to look at our structure as an organization and make sure that we have a place for all those members who want to volunteer. We have started by organizing our committee structures. We already had working committees such as Awards, Advocacy, Finance, Nominating, Program Planning, Publications, and Professional Development. We are now invigorating our committee structure by including the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee that will be chaired by Dr. Doris Rubio. This committee will guide the board of directors on how to make our association welcoming to all while also evaluating our progress towards a more equitable association. The Marketing and Communications Committee, chaired by Dr. Nicholas Kenyon and Dr. Elif Oral, will assist with making sure we maintain connections with all our members. We have also created the Parliamentary Committee that will be chaired by our secretary, Dr. Kathleen Brady, to continuously revise our bylaws and policies to keep up with our ever-changing association. We have also officially established a SIG Chairs Committee to give a voice to our special interest groups that will be chaired by Dr. Sean Mooney.
We also realize that we need to address the value of our membership and how we can include individual members beyond our institutional members. We are reaching out to the whole spectrum of the clinical translational research workforce including thinking about the pipeline into research. During TS21, for the first time, we had high school teachers and student join through our Ambassador program. Their energy and enthusiasm towards ACTS have opened discussions on how to best engage with future clinical translational researchers. With all these plans in mind, we have revived our Membership Committee which will be chaired by Dr. Felicity Enders.
If during TS21, you too felt connected to our great community and want to engage even more, please be on the lookout for all these membership opportunities. We look forward to making a space for you within ACTS.
Karen G. Martinez-Gonzalez, MD, MSc
ACTS President
News From the Hill: April 26, 2021
The Biden Administration has released a “skinny” budget request to Congress for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. The 58 page document identifies top-line funding numbers for federal agencies and calls for some specific initiatives. While details remain limited, it is clear that the administration is prioritizing significant investments in medical research and public health.
Read more on the ACTS Advocacy page.
Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
New look, same great articles: check out the thematic issue collections of the Journal of Clinical and Translational online today!
Visit our website for more information on the journal and how you can submit a manuscript. Submit your manuscript today to be featured in future issues of JCTS!
Career Center
The ACTS Career Center is the premier resource for connecting those in the field of translational science with career opportunities. Visit today to find a wealth of resources to help achieve your career goals.
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Translational Science Today
Implementing Team Science is Paying Off for Researchers
As highlighted in a recent UBNow story, researchers and teams from UB’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute that previously implemented elements of team science in their work were far better prepared to navigate the changes wrought by...