Translating a laboratory discovery into the clinic where it can benefit patients requires knowledge and experience that is typically outside the realm of a basic scientist’s training.
Aimed at encouraging more HSCI junior faculty members to get involved with translational research and learn what it takes to bring a discovery to the clinic, HSCI Executive Committee chair Leonard Zon, MD, held a Translational Research Workshop in May to provide younger scientists with information they require to successfully navigate this new terrain.
The workshop began with an overview and examples of translational research presented by Zon, whose stem cell research led to a clinical trial now underway in cancer patients. HSCI principal faculty members included: Jerome Ritz, MD, and Leslie Silberstein, MD, who addressed regulatory issues in translational research; and George Daley, MD, PhD, who discussed how to define the medical and clinical need for a product. Both Daley and Gregory Verdine, PhD, talked about commercialization strategies, how to work with venture capitalists, and how to participate in companies’ scientific advisory boards.