Letter from the JCTS Editor

As we navigate a period of uncertainty, I want to take a moment to express deep gratitude to our authors, reviewers, and readers. Despite competing pressures and shifting priorities, you continue to step up. You continue to write, submit, review, and revise. By doing so, you strengthen the clinical and translational science enterprise.

JCTS exists to advance the science of moving discoveries into practice. We do this not only by publishing results from applied clinical studies, but also by disseminating innovations in research methods, workforce development, infrastructure, and implementation. These contributions are essential. As research becomes more complex, the need for methodological rigor and process transparency has never been greater. Publishing advances in how we design, conduct, analyze, and interpret research is central to the mission of our academic institutions and the mandates of our research funders. More importantly, it is the right thing to do—for our patients, our communities, and the public we serve.

I believe making research more efficient and informative is an ethical obligation. We encourage submissions that explore how to reduce waste, increase generalizability, accelerate translation, and improve reproducibility. We especially invite papers that provide conceptual clarity, real-world implementation strategies, and validated tools for others to adopt.

If you have developed a new approach that improves the research process—even if it doesn’t fit neatly into traditional disciplinary boxes—we want to hear from you. And if you are working at the interface of science and practice, we urge you to share your insights.

Thank you for continuing to contribute to the advancement of clinical and translational science. Your work matters, and we are proud to be your publishing home.

Chris Lindsell, PhD

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Clinical and Translational Science

ACTS Updates

Join Us for a Live Webinar with Felicity Enders, PhD

Back by popular demand, the ACTS Professional Development Committee is proud to present "Optimizing Hope for a New Generation of Clinical and Translational Science", the closing keynote from Translational Science 2025 by Felicity Enders, PhD, now as a live webinar! 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. Don't miss this chance to hear her transformative talk all over again, or for the the first time, on Friday, August 15 at 11:30am ET.

ACTS members can attend this webinar for free. Non-members must pay a $15 fee to attend, reduced to $10 for early career investigators. Save your virtual seat by registering today!

TIER SIG Grand Rounds with Antonio A. Bush, PhD

Don't forget to join the Translational & Integrative Engagement in Research (TIER) SIG for their next Grand Rounds webinar on Wednesday, August 6 at 12:00pm ET. Guest speaker Antonio A. Brown, PhD, will host a collaborative session on how to navigate the challenges of the evolving EDI research landscape. Save your spot by registering today!

Stories from our Members

A Decade-Long Program Investigating Understudied Proteins Builds a Foundation for the Future

In 2013, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched Illuminating the Druggable Genome (IDG), a program to help researchers learn about understudied proteins within the three most commonly drug-targeted protein families: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), ion channels and protein kinases. Supported by the NIH Common Fund and led by NCATS and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, IDG was designed to venture into unfamiliar areas. The program “attempted to shift science toward the unknown,” said Tudor Oprea, M.D., Ph.D., an IDG grantee who is currently the chief executive officer of Expert Systems, Inc., a company combining human and artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate drug discovery.

New study maps four key pathways to Alzheimer’s disease

UCLA Health researchers have identified four distinct pathways that lead to Alzheimer's disease by analyzing electronic health records, offering new insights into how the condition develops over time rather than from isolated risk factors.

The study, published in the journal eBioMedicine, examined longitudinal health data from nearly 25,000 patients in the University of California Health Data Warehouse and validated findings in the nationally diverse All of Us Research Program. Unlike previous research that focused on individual risk factors, the UCLA analysis mapped sequential diagnostic patterns that revealed how conditions progress step-by-step toward Alzheimer's disease.

Want to see your institution's stories featured in this section? Head to our new story submission form to share your recent articles!

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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.

Learning Library

The ACTS Learning Library is the centralized location for all ACTS educational offerings, including partner webinars and past Translational Science recordings. ACTS members receive complimentary access to webinars and recordings.

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ACTS News

July 2025

Issue 2