Letter from the JCTS Editor
It is not often that I struggle to find words (so I am told). Today, I struggled. What possible message could I share amidst the uncertainty? The obvious - I encourage you to redouble your advocacy efforts and continue with your rigorous science. But somehow that doesn’t seem quite enough. So, I thought maybe I would remind you to collect data along the way to account the impact of policy change on health, science, and society in both the long and short term. And yes, I could implore you to seize the opportunity to innovate in the face of adversity. Many have said these things, and more, with greater eloquence than I can ever achieve. So, in these trying times, I struggled to find a message.
Over the past five years, our clinical and translational scientific community has demonstrated remarkable resilience and extraordinary imagination. We have made incredible advances in the methods used for research, leveraging advanced technologies in the clinic, the lab, in data science, and beyond. We are discovering what works to improve the health of our nation and the world at a pace never before realized. All this despite suffering the considerable institutional and individual losses of the pandemic, when our community banded together and showed the world how we can step up for global impact in a moment of need.
This moment doesn’t feel quite like the pandemic. Each day, I worry that instead of being resilient and bending with each new need, I wonder whether my research programs will survive at all. And I worry many of you may feel that way too. That was when I realized what I wanted to share.
In 2017, my wife and I lost our only son to a pulmonary embolism. It was sudden and devastating. This feels similar – everything we thought we knew changing in a moment. In the years surviving Alex’s death, we learned the Japanese art of Kintsugi, in which broken pieces of pottery are repaired with gold lacquer and reglazed. It is not a quick or easy process, but we find great comfort that the finished piece, while never the same as before, can be more beautiful than the original. It gives me strength to think that as our research ecosystems adapt, we can make them stronger and more impactful. For those of you whose lives are affected, I hope you find strength knowing that our community is resilient and resourceful, and history shows we are skilled in Kintsugi.
Clinical and translational research is dedicated to furthering the health of all, a mission with no borders or boundaries that will make progress regardless. As we seek opportunity in adversity, and march on with rigorous science, please take a moment to remember the words of the late writer Michelle McNamara: “It’s chaos, be Kind”. In your advocacy, remind our leaders that there are people behind the policy changes and actions, our colleagues, our research teams, our participants, their families and others. Then, as the full impact of the recent Executive Orders and subsequent court actions becomes clear, we can look towards building strong together – assuming we advocate for enough gold lacquer.
Chris Lindsell, PhD
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
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While only being in office for one month, President Trump has pressed forward with his plan to rework the federal government. A slew of Executive Orders sought to freeze all (and then some) federal funding, dramatically downsize the federal workforce, and target core abilities for research agencies and institutions to dispense and manage grant funding. A slew of subsequent lawsuits has created a patchwork of legal rulings and ongoing court cases. Uncertainty remains and it is unclear how long current disruptions will persist and what any long-term damage to the US biomedical research enterprise and global completeness might be. It is important to note that recent administration attacks on NIH and medical research drew the first rebukes from prominent Republicans in Congress, citing concerns over damage to local economies and disruption to critical research advancing national interests.
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