Language barriers in translational research

Further to my earlier post about us biomedical engineers tending to focus on the tip of the iceberg when it comes to investigating biomechanically-based cardiovascular risk factors, a recent editorial in Nature Medicine, on the challenges of translating research into practice ("In the Land of the Monolingual"), suggests that this iceberg is also a Tower of Babel (how's that for mixing metaphors!).

On the bright side, the editorial highlights the efforts of Toronto's MaRS Centre to break down the language barriers separating ivory and business towers. It is also an encouraging echo of our own small efforts to break down the verbal and visual language barriers separating bench and bedside.