Recruitment, Retention, and Training of Citizen Scientists in Translational Medicine Research: A Citizen Science Initiative on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Citizen science is a participatory science approach in which members of the public (citizens) collaborate with scientists and professional researchers and become involved in research and innovation activities, resulting in the co-creation of scientific knowledge and innovation. Citizen science has been widely applied in research, particularly in the social sciences, environmental sciences, information and communication technologies, and public health. However, the application of this approach in clinical sciences, particularly in translational medicine research, is still nascent. This exploratory study involved members of the public (citizen scientists) in a translational medicine experiment on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease that incorporated a lifestyle and weight-loss intervention. The aim of this paper is to report successful methods and approaches for the recruitment, retention, and training of citizen scientists. For the citizen scientists' recruitment, online calls placed on the websites of our research project and biomedical research center and targeted emails were the most helpful. Of the 14 members of the public who expressed interest in our study, six were recruited as citizen scientists. Citizen scientists were mostly female (n = 5, 83%), white (n = 3, 50%), over 50 years of age (n = 4, 67%), educated to postgraduate level (n = 5, 83%), and either retired or not in employment (n = 5, 83%). The retention rate was 83% (n = 5), and the dropout rate was 17% (n = 1). We arranged instructor-led interactive online training sessions (an hour-long one-on-one session and two-hour group sessions). Research skills training covered ethics in research and qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Citizen scientists were given several incentives, such as reimbursement of travel and care costs, selection as citizen scientists of the month, publications of their blogs and perspective articles, and co-authorship and acknowledgement in papers and project deliverables. To conclude, members of the public (particularly middle-aged white women with postgraduate education) are interested in becoming citizen scientists in translational medicine research. Their retention rate is higher, and they can contribute to different research activities. However, they need training to develop their research skills and expertise. The training should be simple, comprehensive, and flexible to accommodate the schedules of individual citizen scientists. They deserve incentives as they work on a voluntary basis.

A Potential Role for HUWE1 in Modulating Cisplatin Sensitivity.

Cisplatin is a widely used antineoplastic agent, whose efficacy is limited by primary and acquired therapeutic resistance. Recently, a bladder cancer genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out screen correlated cisplatin sensitivity to multiple genetic biomarkers. Among the screen's top hits was the HECT domain-containing ubiquitin E3 ligase (HUWE1). In this review, HUWE1 is postulated as a therapeutic response modulator, affecting the collision between platinum-DNA adducts and the replication fork, the primary cytotoxic action of platins. HUWE1 can alter the cytotoxic response to platins by targeting essential components of the DNA damage response including BRCA1, p53, and Mcl-1. Deficiency of HUWE1 could lead to enhanced DNA damage repair and a dysfunctional apoptotic apparatus, thereby inducing resistance to platins. Future research on the relationship between HUWE1 and platins could generate new mechanistic insights into therapy resistance. Ultimately, HUWE1 might serve as a clinical biomarker to tailor cancer treatment strategies, thereby improving cancer care and patient outcomes.

Medicina Traslacional en el Perú, generación de políticas y mejoras basadas en la evidencia / Translational medicine in Peru, policy making and evidence-based improvement

Introducción: la investigación traslacional es una rama de la ciencia de reciente creación, su objetivo principal es la aplicación del conocimiento que se genera de las investigaciones, que no quede formando parte de la literatura gris, en el papel o para unos pocos, sino que pueda servir a la mayor cantidad posible de individuos y/o poblaciones. Objetivo: determinar los avances que se han dado a lo largo de los últimos años en la aplicación de la medicina traslacional en Perú. Métodos: se realizó una búsqueda por conveniencia en bases de datos (Google Scholar, Pubmed). Se han brindado ejemplos de cómo la investigación traslacional en Perú puede aportar en gran medida a la mejora de realidades y problemáticas específicas, esto refuerza la necesidad de que las decisiones políticas deben basarse en la medicina basada en la evidencia. Resultados: la medicina traslacional en Perú enfrenta muchas dificultades, como lo son los recursos limitados, tiempo escaso para implementar la investigación formativa, carencia de modelos pedagógicos actualizados, docentes preparados en escuelas antiguas y con capacidad limitada para la educación médica continua; obstáculos que deben de superarse para poder asegurar que la ciencia -y por ende la sociedad- progresen. Conclusiones: en Perú, el avance de la medicina traslacional ha derivado en la generación de personal de salud más capacitado que ha proporcionado los medios para el desarrollo de múltiples políticas públicas. Dichas políticas en muchos casos han terminado plasmadas en normas, reglamentos y hasta leyes en el país(AU)

Introduction: translational research is a branch of science of recent creation. Its main aim is the application of the knowledge generated by research so that it will not become grey literature printed on paper or for the use of a chosen few, but serve as many people and/or populations as possible. Objective: determine the progress made in recent years in the application of translational medicine in Peru. Methods: a convenience search was conducted in the databases Google Scholar and PubMed. Examples are offered of the way in which translational research may greatly contribute to improve specific realities and problems in Peru. This reinforces the need that political decisions be based on evidence-based medicine. Results: translational medicine is faced with many difficulties in Peru, such as limited resources, scant time to implement training research, lack of updated pedagogical models, and teachers trained in old schools and with a limited capacity for continuing medical education. These hurdles should be overcome to ensure the progress of science and therefore of society as well. Conclusions: progress of translational medicine in Peru has resulted in the training of more skilled health personnel, providing the means for the development of multiple public policies. In many cases those policies have been included in standards, regulations and even laws in the country(AU)

Clinical research potential in Victorian hospitals: the Victorian clinician researcher needs analysis survey.

BACKGROUND: The 2012 McKeon Review highlighted the role of clinician researchers in patient based research and the need to foster this capacity. While anecdotal evidence suggests that clinician researchers are under threat and underfunded, Australian data on barriers and enablers of clinician-led research are scant. AIMS: To describe (i) characteristics of clinician researchers; (ii) for research-active clinicians: areas of research, barriers/enablers of research and factors associated with funding success; and (iii) for research-inactive clinicians: enablers of future research. METHODS: An online survey distributed through the Bio21 Cluster to clinicians (doctors, nurses, allied health professionals) in 15 Victorian hospitals between November 2011 and January 2012. RESULTS: Seven hundred and seventy of 1027 (75%) of respondents were research-active and were more likely to be male, medical doctors, aged 45-54 years, to work full-time and have a higher degree (all P < 0.01). Of clinicians with a higher degree, 28% were research-inactive. Clinicians identified protected research time (50%), designated research space (42%), clinical trial coordinators (35%), institutional funding (34%) and mentoring (33%) as critical enablers of research. Research-inactive clinicians identified protected research time as the key enabler of future research. CONCLUSIONS: To realise recommendations in the McKeon Review, hospitals and research bodies will need to protect research time and provide space and funding. Engaging research-inactive clinicians will build research capacity.