Abstract

Clinical or translational science is the field of study devoted to investigating human health and disease, interventions and outcomes for the purposes of developing new treatment approaches, devices, and modalities to improve health. New molecular tools and diagnostic technologies based on clinical and translational research have lead to a better understanding of human disease and the application of new therapeutics for enhanced health.

Clinical and Translational Science is designed as the most authoritative and modern resource for the broad range of investigators in various medical specialties taking on the challenge of clinical research. Prepared with an international perspective, this resource begins with experimental design and investigative tools to set the scene for readers. It then moves on to human genetics and pharmacology with a focus on statistics, epidemiology, genomic information, drug discovery and development, and clinical trials. Finally, it turns to legal, social, and ethical issues of clinical research concluding with a discussion of future prospects to provide readers with a comprehensive view of the this developing area of science.

• Clinical research is one of the fastest growing fields in private practice and academic medicine with practical biological, physiological, cellular, and therapeutic applications
• Contributions from international leaders provide insight into background and future understanding for clinical and translational science
• Provides the structure for complete instruction and guidance on the subject from fundamental principles, approaches and infrastructure to human genetics, human pharmacology, research in special populations, the societal context of human research, and the future of human research