Facilitating Transdisciplinarity in HPE

The need for transdisciplinary research to address serious scientific and medical issues, such as variable drug response in humans, is widely recognized but difficult to deliver. A primary obstacle hindering such research is the absence of shared language and conceptual frameworks among potential investigators. Joint activities (such as seminars) mitigate but do not solve the problem. To succeed, investigators need to work explicitly to develop a common ground. As yet, no easy technique for the task exists. This project considers three different strategies to facilitate transdisciplinary research. They include a survey to examine investigator understanding of disciplinary boundaries operative among HPE participants, a concept mapping exercise to create a conceptual map of HPE as it is understood by the group as a whole. A third strategy combines elements of the first two but focuses more narrowly on a specific concept such, as risk, and how it is defined both within and across the disciplines that contribute to HPE. The short term goal of the project is to strengthen transdisciplinary connections among HPE investigators.  The long term goals are to foster a self-sustaining capacity for such work and to familiarize investigators with strategies that facilitate transdisciplinarity so that we can choose one that serves HPE’s future needs most efficiently and effectively.