August 2025
Issue 1
Letter from the President
As a founding member of the Coalition for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), ACTS is actively continuing its advocacy work with the Health and Medicine Council (HMC). To this end, I was encouraged by the language in the U.S. Senate’s FY26 Labor-HHS appropriations bill that recommended preserved fiscal support for the 2025 CTSA Program, reinforcing its commitment to translational science. The Committee also recognized the vital role of the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) CTRs and called for deeper collaboration with the CTSA program. With both CTSA and IDeA CTRs as institutional members of the ACTS, we at ACTS are in an ideal position to promote these collaborations, and can be an important strategy for expanding our national research infrastructure and accelerating innovation in clinical and translational science.
This broad endorsement of a robust CTSA program is a critical step toward ensuring its continued impact on biomedical research and workforce development. It reflects growing recognition of the program’s role in training the next generation of researchers, fostering localized partnerships, and enhancing research capacity across the country.
Of course, while this support is meaningful, more work lies ahead. We must continue advocating for expanded CTSA capacity to meet the evolving needs of the research community and to fully realize the program’s transformative potential. Please help us keep our joint coalition website updated with CTSA-related impacts and help us to contribute to impactful stories. We need stories of your impact to be successful!
Allan Brasier, MD
ACTS President
ACTS Updates
Translational Science 2026: Call for Proposals Now Open
We're now accepting your proposals for posters and scientific sessions at Translational Science 2026! Help us shape our educational program for next April with content themed around "Building Trustworthy Translation." The call for scientific session proposals closes on September 22, 2025. The call for poster abstracts will remain open until October 20, 2025. A full list of topics you can submit proposals for as well as instructions for submitting are available on our website.
Translational Science 2026 will be held in Milwaukee, WI from April 20-23, 2026. Keep checking back here for more updates about the meeting, including registration, awards, and keynote speakers, as they become available!
Tomorrow: Live Webinar with Felicity Enders, PhD
Don't forget to join us tomorrow, August 15 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time, for "Optimizing Hope for a New Generation of Clinical and Translational Science", a live webinar presented by Felicity Enders, PhD. Federal guidance has shifted away from research in special populations. Dr. Enders offers principles for research in this new landscape. Three examples will inspire not only hope but scientific excellence across clinical care, the scientific workforce, and cutting edge science.
ACTS members can attend this webinar for free. Non-members must pay a $15 fee to attend, reduced to $10 for early career investigators. Don't miss out on your last chance to register!
Partner News
News from the Hill
Congress managed to narrowly pass H.R.1, the Big Beautiful Bill Act, sending the bill to the President’s desk for a July 4 signing ceremony. H.R. 1 used a mechanism known as budget reconciliation, which meant that it could pass with a simple majority, but also that it could only include provisions relevant to taxes and spending on entitlement programs (like Medicaid and SNAP). Ultimately, the measure included the fix for Medicare physician reimbursement, telehealth provisions, and the Kids Access to Care Act, but restructured and restricted Medicaid benefits. The final analysis from the Congressional Budget Office said that the bill would create 10 million uninsured while adding $3.4 trillion to the national debt.
"News from the Hill" briefings are generously provided by our advocacy partners from the Health and Medicine Counsel.
Stories from our Members
Catheter and Surgical Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Bryce E. Montané, MD, Assistant Professor and Brian F. Gage, MD,MSc, Professor of Medicine, WashU Medicine Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics, led an interdisciplinary team to review trials of ablation of atrial fibrillation. They found that compared with medical therapy, catheter ablation reduced the relative risk for ischemic stroke by 37%, for death by 27%, and for heart failure (HF) hospitalization by 32%. They also found that surgical ablation reduced the risk for stroke.
Want to see your institution's stories featured in this section? Head to our new story submission form to share your recent articles!
Engage with ACTS
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.
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!
Upcoming Events
Optimizing Hope for a New Generation of Clinical and Translational Science - Live Webinar
Online | August 15, 2025
Pragmatic Research Planning Workshop*
CU Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO | August 22, 2025
Online | September 5, 2025
*Promoted event; Not hosted by ACTS