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On 5 October, the Champalimaud Foundation opened its seaside Center for the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal. The center will host about 600 researchers and physicians and 300 patients when it reaches full staffing levels. Former Portuguese Health Minister Leonor Beleza, who was named to lead the foundation, spoke about what lies ahead.
The recognition that many diseases present worldwide challenges has spurred nations and institutions to participate in the development of what is known as 'global health governance'. But this new form of governance will only succeed with strengthened country commitment, collaborations across disparate sectors and improved accountability.
Animal experiments have produced an explosion of information about pain, but this knowledge has failed to yield new painkillers for use in humans. This abysmal track record has led to calls to overhaul the design of preclinical studies. Elie Dolgin goes to great pains to learn how monitoring rodents' facial expressions and brain activity might offer a more effective and humane way to test drug candidates.
New medications to fight the altitude sickness suffered by mountain climbers promise to aid peak performance. But the same drugs could also yield new treatments for people with breathing disorders. Brendan Borrell meets one man at DARPA, the US Defense Department's research agency, who's trying to move mountains for a new therapy.