The global CLINICAL24 conversation
Letter from the managing editor
1 Oct 2025
Sonia Nicholas, Managing Editor, SelectScience
A year has passed since SelectScience® hosted its first ever ’24 Hours in Clinical’ global conversation. During those three months, we reached an astonishing 1.6 MILLION laboratory scientists and healthcare professionals, in over 170 different countries. By speaking to industry experts, societies, institutes and our own SelectScience members, we learned so much about the challenges facing clinical laboratories currently.
Some of the challenges didn’t surprise me, I expected to hear that staffing shortages and budget constraints were a big issue. Perhaps more insightful was the influx of information we received on just how difficult labs are finding it to implement new technologies, train new staff and manage staff burnout. Plus, we uncovered a significant shared concern that laboratories have around the rapidly changing use and application of AI and machine learning – a challenge that has evolved considerably over the last 12 months.
What I really wasn’t expecting was how much accordance there was globally on these issues. Labs in locations such as Ghana, Belgium, USA and the UK had the same story. It really doesn’t seem to matter where in the world these scientists and healthcare professionals are based, labs are all experiencing similar challenges.
Now more than ever, I believe that we need to communicate, collaborate and innovate. So that together, we can achieve our shared goal of advancing healthcare, accelerating science and ultimately, improving patient care
This year, our focus is very much on exploring the technology solutions that will help clinical laboratories solve these logistical challenges, as well as more specific challenges around particular technology developments and disease states. The industry is facing unprecedented times, and we simply couldn’t have predicted even at the beginning of this year just how challenging delivering the diagnostic service would become, or how much change the world of clinical research would experience.
Our editorial team has travelled the world this year attending conferences, visiting laboratories and interviewing the experts working at the very forefront of clinical laboratory science. Our themes this year have been carefully chosen to represent the topics we see most questions, interest and concern around. We hope that you enjoy exploring and learning with us over the next three months.
Now more than ever, I believe that we need to communicate, collaborate and innovate. So that together, we can achieve our shared goal of advancing healthcare, accelerating science and ultimately, improving patient care.
Have a story to tell? Email me at editor@selectscience.net.