January 2021

Letter From the JCTS Editor: A New Year – New Horizons

We finally closed the books on 2020 but so far 2021 does not appear that much different. Vaccines for COVID are being produced but we do not seem to have an organized, planned and well executed strategy to ensure a broad availability. When writing the next month’s letter, the hope is we will be experiencing the fruits of change and that the federal government will have taken charge of the pandemic. It is striking that we plan for complex space missions with all the challenges this involves but appear to be unable to organize a successful vaccination and prevention program for a national and global threat. However, hope is eternal and maybe finally we will do the right thing.

At least in regard to JCTS, 2020 turned out to be a good year. Thanks to the support of all of you, we received a record number of excellent submissions with an increase of about 25% compared to 2019. We published our first two thematic issues with one focused on Dissemination and Implementation science and the other on Rural Health. We currently have the first thematic issue ready for publication in 2021, which address Data Science. As many things transition with the new year, JCTS is also transitioning to a new format without regular issues. Papers will be published in their final form as they are accepted. While at present submitted versions are made available upon acceptance, instead of collecting the final versions of accepted papers into 6 issues per year, the publications will appear as the galley proofs are finalized. One can wonder how we successfully will be able to manage thematic issues and identify a series of papers that can be published together. Our website has a location for Thematic Issues and this is where these publications will appear – within a specific Thematic Issue, all publications will be grouped together and as a rule, anchored by an introductory editorial.

The upcoming Data Science thematic issue was initiated by a planning group consisting of our ACTS President Chris Lindsell with Sean Mooney, Gina-Maria Pomann, Reginald Lerebours, Felicity Enders and Robert Oster. In all, the issue contains 21 manuscripts and I encourage everyone to read the upcoming exciting and informative papers. The areas covered include data management, statistical and analytical approaches, methodologies, databases, networks and data mining, as well as training. As Data Science has virtually exploded over the last decade and become a critical component of clinical and translational science, we aspire for JCTS as a natural home for these types of submissions. I hope that the upcoming thematic issue will serve to underscore our interest in this area, and we look forward to future submissions. Also, additional ideas for thematic issues related to data science are welcome. 

Again, we must recognize and support our colleagues at the frontlines in every way we can. They have carried an extremely heavy and often dangerous load since the early spring and they deserve the nation’s gratitude. A familiar quote comes to mind – “Never have so many had so few to thank for so much.” That feeling is as relevant today as it was 80 years ago, and the final glimpse of hope we see now represents the result of the immense workload and professionalism of our clinical colleagues as well as the dedication and brilliance of the many scientists developing new treatments and vaccines. Ultimately, this may turn out to be one of the finest hours of the discipline of clinical and translational science. As we move forward there are many lessons to be learned and during the coming year, JCTS will be publishing a thematic issue on what we have learned from and how we have adapted to a world with COVID-19.

Best wishes for a safe, productive and exciting new year in 2021.

Lars Berglund, M.D., Ph.D.

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Clinical and Translational Science (JCTS)

Translational Science 2021: Register Now to Save

While we may not be able to gather in-person this year, we can still come together as a community to break barriers and build bridges across clinical research and science at Translational Science 2021!

Join us March 31—April 2, 2021 to explore more innovative research than ever before through both live and on-demand sessions. Register by Friday, February 12 to take advantage of early bird pricing.

Journal of Clinical and Translational Science: Call For Papers

The Journal of Clinical and Translational Science is issuing a call for papers for a special themed collection. This themed collection will focus on Educational Innovations for Teaching Clinical and Translational Science. The intent is to enable the reader, including educators, faculty, aligned healthcare professionals, and trainees in the clinical and translational research community, to gain knowledge in the skills and tools required to be an effective educator of clinical and translational science (CTS) that impacts a range of both lay and scientifically grounded audiences and learners.

A summary submission (3-6 sentence summary of the topic and/or work) is highly encouraged. If duplicate efforts are identified, there is an opportunity to link authors together to develop a collaborative paper.

View the full call for manuscripts for this collection here. The deadline for summary submissions is February 1, 2021.

ACTS 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.

ACTS members receive a 50% discount on the site--use code ACTSMEMBER to save!

News From the Hill: January 22, 2021

The 117th Congress got off to a bumpy start, but since then a bipartisan calm has settled over Capitol Hill. Even while lacking a final power-sharing agreement and new committee appointments, the Senate managed to work quietly and quickly to review and confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s national security team.

Read more on the ACTS Advocacy page.

Translational Science Today

UMass Medical School researchers to start trial of...

UMass Medical School researchers are about to start enrolling adolescents ages 12 through 17 in a clinical trial to test the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine made by Moderna. The vaccine has already been authorized for emergency use in adults 18 years or...

Read more
www.umassmed.edu