Information overload and the ossification of immunological research

Abstract

Information overload and the ossification of immunological research Looking at how universities fund science and appoint faculty, as well as evaluating papers for publication – there comes an issue with the exploration and dissemination of the most innovative ideas and findings, argues Peter Bretscher, Faculty in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Saskatchewan. Addressing two foundational questions as to how immune responses are regulated and how answers may guide the prevention and treatment of clinical conditions associated with infectious diseases, autoimmunity, and cancer, Bretscher explores potential medical use in model systems for the prevention and treatment of disease, which still sit outside of mainstream immunology. In order to foster resilience in immunological research, he employs contemporary immunology as a case study, and proposes two parallel panels: a conventional one, and an alternative panel, also consisting of eminent researchers, but in neighbouring fields. The alternative panel would then fund more truly innovative proposals that challenge dominant frameworks, resulting in more impactful research.