DiazGranados, Deborah

Since the early 21st century, team science has significantly influenced emerging perspectives, processes, and expectations across various industries, human development, and scholarly activities. Research over the past 25 years—drawing on psychology, management, social psychology, anthropology, organizational sciences, and sociology—has shaped best practices and redefined how academics and practitioners approach collaborative work. Despite substantial progress in understanding team dynamics, a critical gap remains: the absence of a clearly defined professional pathway for team scientists and science workers. Specifically, there is a lack of a secure, structured pipeline that supports training, recognition, and career advancement in team science roles. This paper addresses the limited presence of systematic organizational strategies that help science workers from the early stages of their careers through long-term professional growth. As higher education confronts a shifting paradigm, institutions must now prepare students not only as disciplinary experts but also as collaborators equipped to thrive in a cross-disciplinary, problem-solving environment that embraces the workforce competencies employers seek. We examine the organizational requirements and challenges necessary to ensure success in science careers, emphasizing developmental training, robust mentorship, the professionalization and institutionalization of team structures, and sustaining collaboration. These elements are essential for preparing a workforce that is capable, resilient, and ready for the demands of future collaborative scientific endeavors.

Abstract Medical researchers are increasingly prioritizing the inclusion of underserved communities in clinical studies. However, mere inclusion is not enough. People from underserved communities frequently experience chronic stress that may lead to accelerated biological aging and early morbidity and mortality. It is our hope and intent that the medical community come together to engineer improved health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Here, we introduce Health Equity Engineering (HEE), a comprehensive scientific framework to guide research on the development of tools to identify individuals at risk of poor health outcomes due to chronic stress, the integration of these tools within existing healthcare system infrastructures, and a robust assessment of their effectiveness and sustainability. HEE is anchored in the premise that strategic intervention at the individual level, tailored to the needs of the most at-risk people, can pave the way for achieving equitable health standards at a broader population level. HEE provides a scientific framework guiding health equity research to equip the medical community with a robust set of tools to enhance health equity for current and future generations.