Letter From the President
During this summer, it is particularly important to stop, take a breath and reflect on how much we have accomplished during this year. It has been a great time to be a clinical translational researcher. There have been so many lay articles related to science especially about the importance of reliable scientific information. When thinking about the translation of scientific discovery to communities and COVID-19, so many interesting ideas have been brought forth on how to reach and engage everyone. There is still much work to be done, but here in ACTS we are already thinking on how clinical translational science will look like during 2022.
We are thinking about Translational Science 2022 (TS22). Will we be able to have an in-person meeting, or will we continue to have virtual or hybrid meetings? Virtual meetings have allowed us to keep doing our work and moving our research, but the loss of personal connection has surely influenced all of us. In his book Together: the Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, Vivek H. Murthy states that there are four strategies to strengthen our social connections, fortify communities and protect each other. These four strategies are: 1) Spend time each day with those you love; 2) Focus on each other; 3) Embrace solitude; and 4) Help and be helped. We are now ready to be with our work and scientific communities and to connect with those we have not been able to talk to for these past 15 months. The best way we can think of ACTS helping with these strategies is to continue to provide our members with activities where we can share our knowledge and experiences. So, stay tuned for important information about TS22.
There are also many important ways that you can engage with your state and local officials to ensure that funding for clinical and translational science continues. There is an interest in maintaining the level of discovery and scientific translation that we have seen for COVID-19. This is the moment to use that experience to target all diseases. How can we move faster from discovery to implementation? How can we promote equity with our research? ACTS continues to move forward with our advocacy efforts in collaboration with Clinical Research Forum and many of our other collaborators to ensure that the awareness on the impact of clinical translational research does not dwindle with the ongoing advances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is no way to predict the progress of the COVID-19 pandemic and we can only theorize about how our labs, clinics and offices will function in the future. But we can say that when scientific minds come together, we can address the most difficult problems. And we do know that clinical translational science will be on the forefront of what is needed for this possible post-pandemic world. ACTS will also be here to support all our members through that journey.
Karen G. Martinez-Gonzalez, MD, MSc
ACTS President
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Translational Science Today
Vaccine infographic available in 15 languages
Research News By CHRISTOPHER SCHOBERT In an effort to help explain how the COVID-19 vaccines were developed and how a vaccine works, UB's Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), the International Institute of Buffalo and the Erie...
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www.buffalo.edu