Molecular Psychiatry (2010) 15, 878–879 & 2010 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved 1359-4184/10 www.nature.com/mp EDITORIAL The First International Conference on Translational Medicine Molecular Psychiatry (2010) 15, 878–879; doi:10.1038/ Table 1 First International Conference on Translational mp.2010.91 Medicine (The 13th Frank and Bobbie Fenner Conference), 1–4 November 2010, John Curtin School of Medical Research, As our mission to foster translational medicine ANU, Canberra, Australia continues to evolve, we have now conceptualized Participant leaders from the USA, Europe, China, and launched a new international conference to cover Singapore and Australia: the transition from discovery to healthcare and global Warwick Anderson, CEO, NHMRC, Australia health. The First International Conference on Transla- Juan Carlos Lopez, Chief Editor, Nature Medicine tional Medicine (the 13th Frank and Bobbie Fenner Anthony Hayward, Director, Clinical and Translational Conference) has a highly innovative mission of Program, NIH, USA bringing together into a global domain what have so Alan Schechter, Chief, Molecular Medicine, NIDDK, far been nationally focused efforts in translational NIH, USA medicine, such as the United States Clinical and Clay Johnston, Director, UCSF Clinical and Translational Translational Science Award (CTSA) mechanism and Science Institute the United Kingdom Academic Health Science Centre Anantha Shekhar, Director, Indiana Translational Institute, USA (AHSC) program. Initiatives from Ireland, which Dame Sally Davies, Director General of Research and created one academic health science center for the Development and Chief Scientific Adviser for the entire country, from China, Singapore and Australia Department of Health and NHS, London, UK will also be discussed and presented (see Table 1). Alastair Buchan, Head, Medical Sciences Division (Dean While carefully thought out and well-funded of Medicine), University of Oxford, UK programs have been developed in many countries to Stephen Smith, Dean of Medicine and CEO, Imperial foster translational medicine, the vast majority of College Healthcare and AHSC those efforts are funded by national taxpayers’ sources Bill Powderly, Dean of Medicine, CEO, Dublin Academic and are therefore restricted for use within each Medical Centre country. What is currently lacking in the world is an Jun Wang, Executive Director, BGI-China Lin He, Director, Bio-X Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong international structure that integrates various national University and Dean, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, translational efforts, promotes cross-fertilization, Fudan University, Shanghai, China thereby avoiding duplication of effort, and that brings Ranga Krishnan, Dean, Duke-NUS Medical School, the fruits of research to those who are less privileged, Singapore through global health initiatives. By bringing together Alain van Gool, Director, Translational Medicine a very elite group of academic leaders in translational Research Centre, Merck Singapore medicine, we will start an organized process to Eran Leitersdorf, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew address these pressing issues. University of Jerusalem, Israel The discussion of whether the outcomes of transla- Sir Gustav Nossal, AC, CBE, FAA, FRS tional research will be restricted to rich, industrial Bruce Singh, Acting Dean, University of Melbourne Steve Wesselingh, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and post-industrial countries with an economic basis Monash University to nurture national efforts in translation is of Bruce Robinson, Dean, University of Sydney School considerable importance. That being the case, what of Medicine happens to countries that cannot support such efforts? The premise of translation is to improve Conference website: http://bit.ly/cl0pnZ. health, and if that is being done only in wealthy countries, will translational medicine become a lever to further raise the rich, while the poor stay behind? translational approaches to the diseases that cause so Are we simply expanding the abyss in health out- much morbidity and mortality the world over? comes that exist between disadvantaged nations and Of course, translational medicine is fundamental traditionally (or rapidly emerging) rich countries? If for chronic, non-transmissable illnesses. However, that is not the desired outcome, how can translational the diseases of the rich are to a large degree the medicine be brought to the poor, whose health needs outcome of affluence. If we eliminated overeating, are so profound? How will translational research underspending of calories due to sedentary lifestyles, on neglected tropical diseases or on illnesses that drugs, alcohol and cigarette smoking, health in have long ceased to be public health problems in developed countries would be greatly improved, developed countries be funded? Who will develop without any translational medicine. Editorial 879 Translational strategies that go from bench to fundamental discovery, versus what goes into build- bedside to clinic to health policy are sorely needed ing the infrastructure and pipeline of translation. to address malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, Chagas and Both are equally needed and healthcare and global diarrheal diseases, among others. The case could be health cannot be improved by one without the made that the public health relevance of those other. diseases would be greatly reduced by improved social These three very hot topics will be approached in a and economic standards. That is true; however, it is moderated discussion or workshop format: not fair to let hundreds of millions die around the How to Create Academic Structures and Partner- world over the coming decades as we sit and wait for ships that Integrate Fundamental Discovery, the quality of life to incrementally rise across the Translational Medicine, Health Care and Global globe. In parallel to promoting better standards of Health. Moderated open discussion led by Robert living, we need to bring translational approaches to Wells (Australian Primary Health Care Research address not only the diseases of the rich, but also the Institute and Menzies Centre for Health Policy, diseases of the poor. Are these efforts the responsi- ANU). bility of international bodies, such as the World Developing a Global Translational Research Work- Health Organization, or are they best funded by force. Workshop led by Michele Pato (University of non-governmental organizations, such as the Bill & Southern California), Monika Ehrhart-Bornstein Melinda Gates Foundation? Should national transla- (University of Dresden, Germany) and Julio Licinio tional programs in the developed countries dedicate a (John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU). percentage of their budgets to initiatives that are of Where Should the Money Go? To Fundamental more direct benefit to poorer nations? What is the role Discovery or Translation? Moderated open discus- of rapidly emerging countries? sion led by Eran Leitersdorf (Dean, Faculty of These difficult questions will only become more Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel), pressing over time and will be a major challenge Anthony Hayward (Director, Division of Clinical for the translational research leaders of the future. Research Resources, NCRR, NIH), Warwick Are we effectively developing in sufficient numbers Anderson (CEO, NHMRC), Alastair Buchan (Dean a global workforce in translational medicine? How of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK), and Julio do we train academic leaders who can direct the Licinio (Director, JCSMR, ANU). multidisciplinary translational research teams of the future? They will have to simultaneously under- We invite you and your colleagues to come to stand in depth and navigate the worlds of discovery beautiful Canberra on 1–4 November 2010 to attend and healthcare, survive and thrive tough peer this transformative conference that will for the first review, and will moreover need to acquire extra- time bring into one venue some of the most ordinary skills not only in the multidisciplinary competitive initiatives in translational medicine science and practice of medicine, but also in the worldwide. We also invite you to submit to our poster communication of science, fund raising, manage- session. I am looking forward to welcoming you to ment, advocacy and community engagement. How Australia. can those future leaders be identified, nurtured and transitioned into the right positions at the optimal J Licinio (Editor) time in their careers? John Curtin School of Medical Research, Finally, a very clear-minded dialogue must exist to Australian National University, Canberra, Australia estimate the proportion of funding that goes into E-mail: [email protected] Molecular Psychiatry.