Dear Readers,

Progress in healthcare thrives on three fundamental pillars: unfettered curiosity, methodical persistence, and an unwavering commitment to advancing public health efforts. However, the delicate ecosystem supporting these pillars – built on integrity, transparency, and intellectual diversity – is neither indestructible nor incorruptible. 

Across the US, we're witnessing concerning shifts: healthcare data restrictions, dismantled DEI initiatives, and research funding increasingly subject to ideological interference. These concerning developments remind us that scientific progress is not inevitable – it requires our active stewardship to ensure innovation continues to drive policy, rather than allowing barriers to determine what science can investigate, who can contribute, and who benefits.

In this issue, we explore how researchers are navigating innovation in a period of political and regulatory uncertainty, finding creative ways to adapt and push scientific progress forward. One of the most controversial healthcare topics is vaccines. With challenges to inoculation schedules mounting in the US, we trace the development and impact of several prominent vaccines throughout history. And, with reproductive health for women under intensifying political microscopes, we ask if now is finally the time for male hormonal contraceptives to thrive. 

Plus, get to know UCB's Laura Starkie in this edition's 12 Questions With, find out how the FDA's first guidance on AI implementation could impact drugmakers, and discover why the UK is undergoing its biggest clinical trial shake up in decades. 

It's undoubtedly a challenging time for research, but as we have seen during the development of this issue, there are indeed glimmers of hope to be found across the industry.

Stay curious, 

Eloise McLennan
Deep Dive editor