Letter from the JCTS Editor
As we approach the close of the year, it is hard not to pause and reflect on just how demanding it has been. Across institutions, disciplines, and career stages, this past year has tested our stamina and our confidence in the systems that support clinical and translational research. Yet what stands out to me is not the strain, but the resilience. Investigators have yet again adapted in real time to new realities, and our community has continued to engage despite fatigue and uncertainty. The collective response shows me that clinical and translational science is not defined by ease or stability, but by a shared commitment to improving health even when conditions are far from ideal.
Looking across the past several months, the external environment remains unsettled. Signals of support for biomedical research, data-driven policy, and innovation coexist with fiscal pressures, shifting political priorities, and growing skepticism toward science and expertise. Emphases on efficiency, accountability, and rapid translation align directly with our field, but they carry risk if speed is favored over rigor, or if short-term priorities crowd out sustained investment in people, infrastructure, and trust. While there are opportunities embedded in this moment, threats to funding stability, to workforce morale, and to public confidence in evidence warrant realism. Navigating this landscape will require vigilance, adaptability, and a continued willingness to explain not only what we do, but why it matters. I encourage you to bring your why to Translational Science 2026 and share how you are accelerating translation at this time of change.
As we look ahead to the coming year—and to a season often marked by reflection and gratitude—I am encouraged by the position our community occupies. Clinical and translational science has repeatedly shown that it can respond to urgency without sacrificing rigor, innovate without abandoning ethics, and collaborate at scale while remaining grounded in local impact. The Journal of Clinical and Translational Science exists to support that work: to disseminate lessons learned, surface emerging methods, and provide a forum for thoughtful debate about how we make research more effective, equitable, and trustworthy. Thank you for the science you conduct, the ideas you share, and the persistence you bring to this field. I look forward to what we will build together in the year ahead, with renewed energy and a well-earned sense of hope.
With best wishes for a restful holiday season and a strong start to the new year,
Chris Lindsell, PhD
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
ACTS Updates
Office Update: ACTS Headquarters will be closed for the holiday season from Wednesday, December 24, 2025 through Thursday, January 1, 2026. We will not be monitoring emails or phones during this time. We look forward to connecting with our members again in the New Year!
Sign Up for the 3MT® Competition at Translational Science 2026
ACTS is happy to offer Translational Science 2026 attendees the opportunity to participate in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition! The 3MT is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia that cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills. By participating in the 3MT held during Translational Science 2026 participants will have the opportunity to take part in a highly respected, globally recognized competition to demonstrate their mastery of research communication skills, an essential skill required in all areas of the field. Win or lose, participating in this competition is an incredible learning opportunity to boost presentation confidence, meet a supportive group of like-minded peers, and add a great activity to their resume.
Applications are now open for competitors across each of our three categories: Predoctoral Trainees, Postdoctoral Trainees, and Early Career Faculty Scholars. The deadline for submissions is Monday, January 19, 2026. Visit our website to learn more about the competition rules and judging criteria and apply today!
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Team Science Practitioner Digital Badge Now Available
The next ACTS Digital Badge is here! We're excited to have once again teamed up with the Team Science Professionals Special Interest Group (TSP SIG) to roll out their second offering for ACTS members, the Team Science Practitioner Digital Badge. This new verified credential is being soft-launched using TeamMAPPS as its verified training resource.
We're also happy to announce that applications for the Team Science Fundamentals Digital Badge have resumed, also in a soft-launch phase. Full launches for both digital badges with multiple verified trainings is planned for April 2026. Anyone interested in contributing trainings for the expanded badges can learn more here.
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Stories from our Members
Ivy Tech Research Scholars Program opens the door to research careers
As a student growing up in Venezuela, Leonardo Alarcon loved biology. “I read and re-read my biology textbook during my free time,” he recalls. “It was my favorite of all the subjects.” That same intense interest persisted as he immigrated to the United States with his family, and, later, pursued an associate’s degree at Ivy Tech Community College. He wanted to explore what a career in research might look like and was “craving” real-world experience outside of the classroom. When he learned about the Ivy Tech Research Scholars Program, he thought, “This is perfect. I need to apply right away.”
Alarcon was right: the program was exactly the opportunity he needed to launch his career in research. In the summer of 2024, he spent eight weeks in the Lim Lab at IU School of Medicine, studying chronotropic incompetence (or a slower than usual heart rate during exercise) in people with chronic kidney disease.
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Translational Research Institute Honors Community Partners at 10th Annual Celebration
Despite a decidedly chilly breeze permeating the night air, more than 100 supporters from across Arkansas gathered December 5 in Little Rock for the 10th Annual Translational Research Institute Community Partner Celebration.
The annual ceremony and dinner organized by the institute’s Community Engagement Core recognizes the pivotal role of community partnerships in helping the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) advance research and improve health.
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