Now it has come the time to gather around a bonfire and tell stories to keep you awake.
Long, long time ago, there was a scientist, a young and talented scientist with a brilliant mind and many ideas that one day would change society forever and for better. Years past and after so much work, the scientist woke up with white hair and tired eyes to the realization that none of those discoveries would ever make a difference.
Some time ago, there was a scientist, a young and talented scientist with a brilliant mind and many ideas that one day would change society forever and for better. Years past and after so much work, the scientist woke up with white hair and no teeth to the realization that none of those discoveries would ever make a difference.
Not so long ago, there was a scientist, a young and talented scientist with a brilliant mind and many ideas that one day would change society forever and for better. Years past and after so much work, the scientist woke up… and fell into the Valley of Death.
Modern medicine has made great advancements in the last decades moving forward with giant steps in areas such as nanomedicine, gene and cell therapy, big data and AI. Exciting times indeed, but still fails to translate most innovations from bench to the bedside, and that´s the gloom reality shared by many professionals -and patients- seeing how translational research is falling apart before reaching its clinical application. The perfect tale for this time of the year… if it just was a tale.
So, let´s go to the root of the problem. The gap between biomedical research and clinical application has been a black hole for innovation, and instead of building a solid bridge, we have built a path to quicksand. Translational scientists are sinking. Firstly, they are sinking because of the intricacies of the system and the fleeting financial support that puts them into a continuous struggle to keep afloat; and secondly, because of a need within the educational system that has not yet been met. Educational programs that integrate clinical and research skills are scarce and fail at providing a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of the translational process including molecular medicine, intellectual property, financing, regulation, and pre-clinical and clinical studies.
Hence, the career of translational scientists depend on educational programs with a more holistic view, but also commitment to long-term financial support from governments, interdisciplinary collaboration, and access to research infrastructures that can provide cutting-edge technologies in molecular and computational biosciences.
Does it sound enough challenging for you? Are you interested in becoming a translational research scientist after all? Welcome to the haunted house!. Learn more about what´s on campus:
- News: National school for cancer research to be started in Umeå https://www.umu.se/en/news/national-school-for-cancer-research-to-be-started-in-umea_11960172/
- SciLifeLab: https://www.scilifelab.se/services/infrastructure/
- Other things that might be of your interest:
- The Eureka Institute and the international certificate course in translational medicine (http://www.eurekainstitute.org/)
- Curious about the topic? check this out:
