American Scientist

In 2016, the National Science Foundation (NSF) named the growth of convergence science as one of its 10 Big Ideas. But what does convergence science actually mean? How does it differ from the standard idea of interdisciplinary research?

The 2014 National Academies report Convergence: Facilitating Transdisciplinary Integration of Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering, and Beyond acknowledges that “the goal of merging expertise to address complex problems is not new.” But it goes on to clarify: “At the heart of the current momentum for convergence, however, is the realization that physical and biological sciences can each benefit from being more fully integrated into the intellectual milieu of the other.”

Writing in this report as the chair of the Committee on Key Challenge Areas for Convergence and Health of the National Research Council, Joseph DeSimone (First Person interview) notes that “convergence provides us with an opportunity not only to discuss strategies to advance science but also to elevate discussions on how to tackle fundamental structural challenges in our research universities, funding systems, policies, and partnerships.”

In a way, what defines convergence science is its overarching goal of solving what the NSF calls “vexing research problems,” meaning ones that are complex and focus on societal needs. Another primary characteristic is the deep integration of researchers across disciplines to reach these goals by developing novel ways of framing research questions.

This special issue explores advances that have emerged from the application of convergence science to public health concerns. What makes public health particularly compelling? The 2016 Massachusetts Institute of Technology report Convergence: The Future of Health—for which this issue’s authors Cato Laurencin and Nicholas Peppas were scientific advisors—emphasizes that “an accelerated convergence research strategy can lead to truly major advances in fighting cancer, dementia, and diseases of aging, infectious diseases, and a host of other pressing health challenges.” The report notes that convergence science also has potential to alleviate the increasing humanitarian and fiscal costs of health care.

This point is echoed by Victor J. Dzau, president of the National Academy of Medicine, who wrote in The Lancet in 2018 that “improving the health of populations requires an understanding of the myriad factors that influence health” and “requires scientific understanding of education, social services, economic development, environment, nutrition and food marketing, and urban design.” Writing in PNAS Nexus in 2022, Dzau and his colleagues point out that “responsibility for solving these challenges lies far beyond the health and medical arena. They are fundamentally connected to changes in our environment, our communities, our cultures, how we live and work, and society writ large.”

The articles in this issue therefore focus on factors related to public health in the broadest sense, such as disaster resilience, the availability of resources such as food and water, infrastructure’s role in controlling disease, sustainable approaches to education, and the need to center equity in discussions of health care. Our authors also look at the concept of convergence itself, examining its effects in solving so-called wicked problems, and highlighting breakthroughs in which a convergence approach has made a difference. The issue showcases problem-solving work in which researchers in different fields have collaborated to come up with solutions, such as cutting-edge treatments for cancer or chronic diseases, maps of the brain, organ-on-a-chip devices, medical implants, and regenerative medicine. We hope you find these articles about new approaches to science and research to be inspiring and thought-provoking. —Fenella Saunders (@FenellaSaunders)