Here and There

From time to time, we all find ourselves in need of a new outlook. Whether it is a particularly challenging clinical case, a thorny ethical or legal issue, or research data that just do not add up, all of us face situations that call for a new approach or a fresh perspective. As we navigate through our careers, there are likely many times when we would benefit from examining an idea not previously considered or by viewing a familiar idea in a new context. We have only so much time, however, to examine and to challenge our convictions. Moreover, forces can conspire to cement our inclinations into tenaciously held beliefs, even among those of us who profess to be guided by data rather than dogma. As our convictions become more public with presentations and articles or our tenets provide comfortable routines in our clinical practice, this inertia can feel almost unstoppable. To change perspectives invites the ageold criticism of being capricious or, worse, ‘‘wishy washy.’’ Yet, history has shown us repeatedly that real progress often comes only when we can go beyond conventional wisdom, make new connections among ideas and think, using the widely overused phrase ‘‘outside of the box.’’ At the National Institutes of Health, movement toward this goal is called ‘‘translational,’’ referring to the application of knowledge in one area to another with the hopes of advancing science not only for us but for the next generation of physicians, clinicians, researchers, and patients. Regardless of the term used, it is useful to examine concepts and to adapt them for new situations. ‘‘Here and There’’ describes two new features that you will find lurking in the front pages of the Journal, starting in this month’s issue. This development represents the collaboration between a group of contributing editors and the Journal’s editorial team and production staff. Just years from finishing our clinical training and in the midst of establishing our careers, each of us has an interest in the application of current research findings to the clinical care of our patients. We each have unique interests and a shared mission to translate our enthusiasm for a wide range of research and clinical issues in an accessible, relevant, and intriguing fashion. We also hope to encourage readers to re-examine beliefs and make new connections among ideas. The first feature, ‘‘In This Issue,’’ will provide a road map through each month’s pages by briefly summarizing several of its key articles (Here). The second feature,