Neurotherapeutics: Concept, Translation, Transition

Abstract

The mission of ASENT is to facilitate the clinical translation of basic neuroscience discoveries to improve the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. When established 15 years ago, ASENT decided, after several years, to develop a sponsored journal that would focus on translational neuroscience. In 2004, NeuroRx was initiated as a self-published, quarterly journal; it included critical reviews that were thematically organized. To address the need for higher visibility, the journal name was changed to Neurotherapeutics and we established publishing relationships—first with Elsevier and, more recently, with Springer. Both publishers were highly supportive of the journal’s mission, with Springer now forming a close and mutually beneficial relationship with the society. Neurotherapeutics began to accept original research articles in 2011. Our goal was to become a preferential site for papers in translational neuroscience. Research papers are only accepted if they pass stringent peer review following initial critical review by the editors, and must be explicitly rated by reviewers among the top 10–15 % of papers in that specific area. Our overall acceptance rate is now about 10 %, consistent with accepting only the best papers that are deemed to be of broad interest. The journal’s impact factor has been consistently high, averaging 6.0 during the last 3 years. This places Neurotherapeutics in the top 10–15 % of journals in both the clinical and basic neuroscience areas. In a recent analysis of data from Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge, Neurotherapeutics was identified as a “Rising Star” in the field of neuroscience and behavior. This status is conferred based on increased citations; the increase for Neurotherapeutics surpassed that of any other journal in its field. Now at the end of my term as Editor-in-Chief, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to our outstanding Associate Editors, Rohit Bakshi and David Fink, for their strong support and dedicated service to the journal. Dr. Bakshi has served as an editor since the journal’s inception and has also served as guest editor for several well-reviewed thematic issues. Linda Powell has provided exceptional editorial support since the journal began, and will continue in this role. With Dr. M Maral Mouradian as the new Editor-in-Chief, and Drs. Rajiv Ratan and Gregory Bergey serving as Associate Editors, the stewardship of the journal is clearly in excellent hands. Dr. Mouradian brings experience, vision, and energy to this role, and I wish her and the new Associate Editors every success as they assume leadership of the journal and continue its role as a leading publication in the field.