Table 1 Comprehensive list of tools needed in translational medicine
From: The advancement of translational medicine—from regional challenges to global solutions
Field | Tools and skills needed |
|---|---|
Biomedical research | Comprehensive knowledge of the field, ability to perform solid bench work and knowledge of appropriate study design |
Intellectual property | Access to experts for development and protection, basic understanding of the process, strategies and importance of intellectual property, and knowledge of patents |
Funding | Knowledge of funding sources, ability to negotiate and ability to develop contacts in government and industry |
Regulatory agencies | Knowledge of various regulatory bodies (national, international and supranational), ability to navigate through the system and awareness of forms, processes. |
Legal issues | Awareness of intellectual property laws, patients' rights, investigator's rights and legal framework for the interaction between academia, start-ups and industry |
Ethical issues | Knowledge of patient and animal rights, understanding of university and regulatory body rules for protocol development and support, and knowledge of risk-benefit analysis |
Communication skills | Ability to talk to various audiences, prepare manuscripts and other documents, and interact between departments |
Preclinical testing | Knowledge of regulatory requirements before clinical testing, ability to evaluate the viability of standard operating procedures and ability to strategically plan to optimize resources |
Design of preclinical and clinical trials | Knowledge of the process, challenges and concerns, ability to effectively plan, possession of critical thinking skills to overcome challenges, ability to develop a protocol and ability to forge collaborations |
Fundamental skill sets (applies to all fields) | Networking, team-building and communication skills and strategic thinking and creative problem solving |
