Perspectives in 2022

This Perspective outlines how cell atlases can provide the missing links between genes, diseases and therapies, with advances already being made in several fields, including COVID-19 and cancer.

This Perspective reflects on the past, present and future of the dynamic, expanding public health endeavor that is the Global Burden of Disease Study.

This Perspective delivers an introduction to syndemic thinking, and provides insights into how epidemics interact and what scientists, clinicians and policymakers can do with this information.

The authors propose a new conceptual model of critical illness that moves away from the current syndrome-based framework in favor of more precise biological descriptors—spurred by mounting translational evidence and insights from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) research.

Radical rethinking is needed to address the burning issues in cancer care in low- and middle-income countries. In this Perspective, the authors outline the main challenges and top priorities for cancer research now and into the future.

Precision medicine is reshaping cancer care, but the benefits are not accessible to all patients. This Perspective outlines the major challenges to the implementation of precision oncology and discusses critical steps toward resolving these.

In this Perspective, the authors discuss the new digital communications landscape in relation to vaccines and argue that trust is key to overcoming vaccine hesitancy.

Based on their experience of setting up genomic studies in underrepresented populations, the authors propose a roadmap to enhancing inclusion and ensuring that the health benefits of genomics advances are accessible to all.