A Measure of Respect for Translational Research

摘要

It was a pleasant surprise to see a special feature ("Careers in translational research," 17 August, p. 966) in Science focusing on translational research and its opportunities, risks, and challenges. In their respective articles, S. Carpenter (p. 966) and K. Garber (p. 968) highlight the concerns that translational researchers have about not being able to satisfy traditional measures of scientific success, including number of publications and impact factors. This apprehension is well founded. More worrisome is the scenario in which the onus is placed on the members of the translational community to prove their worth. I think it is too much.