March 2026
Issue 2
Letter from the JCTS Editor
Colleagues,
Conference season has a way of concentrating our field into a series of intense, overlapping conversations. It is busy and, at times, exhausting, but it remains one of the clearest reminders of why our work matters. When we gather, we see ideas being tested, challenged, and advanced in real time.
As we look ahead to Translational Science 2026, I find a sense of cautious optimism. Not because the challenges have eased—they have not—but because the community continues to engage with them directly. That persistence is the foundation of progress.
Meetings like this are more than venues for dissemination. They are where barriers soften—between disciplines, roles, and individuals—and where the field recalibrates. With that in mind, I encourage you to come find us. Meet the editorial board. Talk to us. Journals should not feel opaque or exclusionary. If we are serious about advancing translational science, then access to the processes that shape it must be equally open.
We will also host a reviewer training session at the meeting. Reviewing is central to scientific rigor, yet rarely taught. This session is intended to strengthen our collective ability to provide constructive, efficient, and thoughtful review, while offering a pathway for broader engagement in the editorial process.
Looking forward, we will soon introduce a new article type: Translational Design Studies. These will focus on the decisions that shape research before results are known—design choices, constraints, and tradeoffs that determine whether studies succeed. If we are to improve how research translates into impact, we must study not only outcomes, but how we design for them.
I look forward to the conversations ahead and seeing you in Milwaukee.
Chris Lindsell, PhD
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Clinical and Tranlsational Science
ACTS Updates
Translational Science 2026: Hotel Booking Ends Tomorrow
The last day to book your Translational Science 2026 stay through one of our two attendee hotel blocks is Friday, March 27. This marks your last chance to guarantee the best rates available for when you're in town! Attendees have their pick between the Hilton Milwaukee and the Marc Hotel, both directly connected to our Baird Center meeting space. Remember that ACTS hotel blocks are for registered attendees only, so this is the best time to register if you haven't already!
Translational Science 2026 will be held in Milwaukee, WI from April 20-23, 2026. Remember to take a look at our online program and Milwaukee travel guide to start planning your trip!
News Release from the NIH Office of Science Policy
NIH views clinical research participants as vital partners in turning discovery into health. Ensuring participant safety, rigorous research, and public trust are NIH’s highest priorities. With this in mind, NIH is excited to announce:
- The availability of two draft resources aimed at supporting participants in implantable device clinical trials. These two resources provide guidance on post-trial considerations for participants along with points to consider and sample informed consent language. Comments will be accepted on these two resources until May 25, 2026. More information, including how to comment can be found here.
- Two stakeholder engagement campaigns to develop NIH policies relating to:
- Sharing of Summary Level Study Results with Participants in NIH-Supported Clinical Research (event co-hosted with the MRCT Center of Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard); and
- Modernizing NIH’s Data and Safety Monitoring Policy
The above stakeholder engagement campaigns will include webinars, the ability to provide on-demand comments through the OSP website, and numerous other opportunities to provide feedback to help inform the development of draft policies.
More information about stakeholder engagement for developing a policy for the sharing of summary level study results can be found here.
Information about how to get involved with the modernizing of NIH’s Data and Safety Monitoring Policy can be found here.
To learn more about how this suite of efforts ties into the NIH mission, please see the most recent Under the Poliscope blog by Dr. Lyric Jorgenson, NIH Associate Director for Science Policy.
Questions may be sent to SciencePolicy@od.nih.gov
Partner News
News from the Hill
Throughout March, Congress and the Administration continued to struggle with completing the lone outstanding Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As TSA agents missed paychecks and proposals were lobed back and forth, policymakers have yet to find a compromise. Congress is also now contending with a request for $200 billion in supplemental defense funding for U.S. activity in the Middle East, and the ensuing debate on Capitol Hill is likely to cover additional funding for non-defense programs.
"News from the Hill" briefings are generously provided by our advocacy partners from the Health and Medicine Counsel
MasterMind Transform - Enrolling Now for the June Cohort & FREE Workshop to Ruthlessly Reclaim Your Time
MasterMind Transform is a 6-month transformative leadership development and group coaching program promoting the wellbeing, professional fulfillment, and career advancement of faculty-level Scientists with significant caregiving responsibilities.
MasterMind Scholars report statistically significant gains in key areas, including greater psychological empowerment, reduced burnout, improved self-efficacy, a greater sense of belonging, reduced work-family and family-work conflict, and lower parental guilt.
Interested? Check out what MasterMind is all about by attending an upcoming FREE group coaching workshop, "Ruthlessly Reclaiming Your Time". In demanding careers and complex systems, time is often the first thing we lose. This highly interactive workshop is an invitation to take that time back.
Attendees will leave with:
- A personalized time-reclamation experiment designed to withstand anticipated barriers
- Built-in accountability from a peer
- Practical peer coaching tools they can immediately apply in their work and leadership
Register here or schedule a free discovery call to learn more!
Stories from our Members
Digital health symposium explores real-life application of new technologies
As artificial intelligence and digital health technologies increasingly shape the future of health, faculty and students from three Florida universities came together last month at the University of Florida to discuss how to effectively and responsibly advance the technologies’ real-world use in health care.
The 2nd Annual Digital Health Symposium: Accelerating Real-World Applications in Informatics, AI and Innovations featured two keynote speakers, panel discussions, oral presentations, poster sessions, mentoring and networking.
Teens and young adults with ADHD and substance use disorder face treatment gap
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder, affecting 12%–13% of adolescents in the United States, according to some studies. The pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity can interfere with daily life, raising problems at home, work or school. At the same time, individuals diagnosed with ADHD are at a higher risk of developing substance use disorder.
But treating the combination of these two conditions can be complicated. A team, led by researchers from Penn State College of Medicine, identified a treatment gap among adolescents and young adults diagnosed with both ADHD and substance use disorder.
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
Share your Stories
Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized for outstanding or groundbreaking work? Is your institution embarking on an exciting project? Send ACTS your story using this form to be highlighted in future issues of the ACTS Connection.
Professional Development
ACTS offers multiple tools to aid in your professional development. Check out past webinars and Translational Science sessions in the Learning Library, or apply to earn one of our new Digital Badges!
Upcoming Events
Tufts CTSI Translational Science Day 2026*
Online | April 10, 2026
Translational Science 2026 - Building Trustworthy Translation: Rigor, Reproducibility, and Real-World Impact
Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI | April 20-23, 2026
*Promoted event; Not hosted by ACTS