COPD research needs to increase focus on rural health disparities and consider the impact of sociocultural and environmental exposures on health outcomes, according to a new perspective in the September 2025 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open access journal.

The Family Heart Foundation, the leading research, education and advocacy organization focused on genetic dyslipidemias, has launched the Lp(a) AW(a)RE^™ initiative to engage key U.S. healthcare stakeholders in advancing awareness,  screening and diagnosis of high lipoprotein(a) – also known as Lp(a). It is estimated that approximately 20% of the U.S. population has a genetic mutation for high Lp(a), yet only 1% in the general population, and 2% with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), have been tested for Lp(a).

Eli Lilly and Company is the initial sponsor of the Family Heart Foundation’s two-year Lp(a) AW(a)RE initiative. Designed for primary care clinicians, healthcare insurance providers and policy makers, Lp(a) AW(a)RE includes educational symposia presented at professional conferences across the U.S. In addition, many of these events will also offer free Lp(a) screenings and educational materials.

To address global challenges like climate change, emerging diseases, and antimicrobial resistance, among others, research infrastructures in Europe can provide pivotal, evidence-based solutions grounded in robust science. The Crete Declaration unites a large consortium of organisations in a commitment to strengthening collaboration, as they join forces to collaboratively advance FAIR data integration, support open innovation, and inform policy-making through integrated scientific knowledge. The Crete Declaration is published as a policy brief in the open-science journal Research Ideas and Outcomes.

International health policy and German development cooperation focus primarily on preventive measures. This is evident, for example, in diseases such as childhood blindness, which can be prevented through vaccinations or vitamin A supplements. However, eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma cannot be prevented. Only early diagnosis and surgery can protect affected children from going blind. In a discussion paper published today by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the authors therefore recommend that German development cooperation should focus on both strengthening treatment and maintaining a strong emphasis on prevention; an approach they refer to as “Global Clinical Care”. The paper “Focus on childhood blindness – Rethinking prevention and treatment” illustrates these proposals with practical examples from southern Africa.

Education experts at the University of South Australia say that to address teacher shortages, Australia must develop stronger government policies focused on the retention and career development of early career teachers, particularly those in casual and short-term contract roles.