Surgical palliative care (SPC) integrates the principles of symptom-based care and relief of suffering into traditional surgical practice. From the perspectives of a bedside nurse, surgical critical care fellow, and surgical oncologist, there are natural opportunities to incorporate these principles and in doing so, progress towards SPC becoming the standard of practice.

Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) research has long emphasized maternal pregnancy behaviors as key determinants of child health. New evidence recently published in PLOS Medicine suggests the greatest opportunities to improve child health may lie in tackling socioeconomic disadvantage rather than maternal behavior alone.

Advances in medical and surgical treatment of congenital heart disease (CHD) now allows most affected individuals to reach adulthood and parenthood. While maternal CHD is associated with pregnancy complications, emerging evidence suggests a possible increased risk of developmental challenges in offspring, particularly among children of mothers with severe CHD.

Many assumptions around patient needs and support guide current oncology practice and cancer survivorship care in the digital era. Addressing these assumptions and providing smarter, holistic, tech-enabled follow-up models are essential for truly effective and sustainable person-centered care.

COVID-19 transformed viral outbreak response from a predominantly public health challenge into a political and security concern. Recent responses to Ebola, mpox, and other emerging infections suggest that preparedness is increasingly shaped by whose fears are prioritized in decision-making. The challenge is ensuring that competing perceptions of risk are managed in ways that are perceived as legitimate, fair, and inclusive.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing cells bear a great potential for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. While numerous challenges persist, recent technological developments have demonstrated the potential for CAR cells to reset dysfunctional immune systems and transform care for patients with autoimmune disease.