William Heberden and reverse translation.

Beginning with the 18th-century physician-scientist William Heberden, the elder, Science Translational Medicine introduces a new article series about historical figures whose transformational contributions to science, medicine, and society remain relevant today.

Clinician-investigators as translational bioscientists: shaping a seamless identity.

Established biomedical scientists counsel early-career clinician-investigators and translational bioscientists on mechanisms for molding successful research careers that advance clinical medicine.

What accounts for the wide variation in life span of genetically identical organisms reared in a constant environment?

Individual organisms show marked variability in life span, even when they are of the same genotype and are raised in a common environment protected from extrinsic hazards. This intrinsic variability of life span is thought to arise from the stochastic nature of the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling development and ageing. In this article we review what is currently understood about the factors underlying the variability of life span and consider the implications for research that aims to improve the predictability of health in old age.