Basic Principles of Translational Research

Translational research turns fundamental new science and innovations into a product that has value to the public. The process is difficult because it combines a variety of diverse disciplines and skills from basic science, clinical medicine, engineering, business, public health, laws and regulations. These areas are so wide apart that it is very difficult to combine. The author has engaged in translational research since the early 1980’s and will describe the processes, pitfalls and rewards through typical examples from his projects that include: development of imaging monitored cryosurgery from concept to treatment of hundreds of thousands of patients, transgenes in food engineering from basic science to a twenty year wait for FDA approval, microelectroporation from basic concept to incorporation of the technology by numerous companies and non-thermal irreversible electroporation from basic concept to current clinical use in over 50 hospitals and over thousand treated patients.