Canadian Content in the Pages of Drug Metabolism and Disposition: A Comprehensive Historical Analysis.

Abstract

Scientists from Canadian institutions have a rich history of making interesting and important contributions to the journal Drug Metabolism and Disposition (DMD) over the past 51 years. A goal of this minireview is to highlight these contributions and pay tribute to many of the scientists at Canadian institutions that have aided in the evolution of the discipline through their DMD publications. We conducted a geographical and research sectoral analysis of the temporal trends of DMD publications originating from Canadian sources. The fraction of total DMD papers of Canadian origin achieved a peak during the 1990s and since that time, this metric has displayed a pronounced and steady decline to the present situation, where the country needs to be concerned about its potentially vulnerable global status within the realm of drug metabolism and disposition science. Stronger and timely investment by Canadian academic institutions in drug metabolism and disposition science may help to restore the nation's research excellence in this discipline and ensure a more robust pipeline of appropriately trained scientists to take on careers in academia, industry, and government. Significance Statement The substantial contributions made by scientists at Canadian institutions to the journal Drug Metabolism and Disposition (DMD) are highlighted and celebrated in this minireview. Analysis of temporal trends in the fraction of total DMD papers of Canadian origin paints a concerning picture of Canada's current global status in the realm of drug metabolism and disposition science. Further investment in this discipline at Canadian universities may be needed.