Abstract IA-20: Team science: Lessons from a few decades on the pancreatic cancer research team

Abstract

Abstract With the exception of a few examples of solitary genius embodied by Alfred Russell Wallace and Gregor Mendel, biomedical research has arguably always been a team sport. However, the genomic era has been associated with the increasing realization that large, multi-disciplinary scientific teams are required to push forward ambitious research programs combining computational and experimental work. At the same time, institutional promotions and tenure committees are increasingly recognizing participation and success in “team science” as worthy criteria for academic advancement. Opportunities for multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary collaboration are especially abundant in pancreatic cancer research, as our field is known for its particularly strong sense of community and for its collegial and collaborative spirit. Motivations for pursuing collaborative team science vary widely, and include the need to assemble the necessary workforce required to complete an ambitious body of work, transcend individual research disciplines, provide optimal educational opportunities for trainees, defuse unproductive competition, avoid being “scooped”, and simply to build fulfilling lifelong relationships with scientific colleagues. There are also many strategies by which investigators can effectively pursue team science, not all of which involve multiple authorship. In this short talk, I will review these motivations and strategies, drawing on lessons learned during several decades on the pancreatic cancer research team. Citation Format: Steven D. Leach. Team science: Lessons from a few decades on the pancreatic cancer research team [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer; 2020 Sep 29-30. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(22 Suppl):Abstract nr IA-20.