On our own behalf: a new editorial board and focus of EAPCN

Abstract

EAPCN looks back to a long history since its foundation in 1868. During its development from an originally German to today’s English format, it continuously has been under guidance of outstanding editors—Alois Alzheimer is just one to name in the prominent list. In the last two decades, it was Hans-Jurgen Moller who decisively shaped the journal’s scope. Originally stemming from a northern town in Germany, directly after obtaining his degree in medicine, Hans-Jurgen Moller headed southwards: After specializing in psychiatry and postgraduate training at the Max-PlanckInstitute of Psychiatry in Munich, he was assigned as professor at the psychiatric department of the Munich Technical University. In 1988, he was appointed as chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Bonn. In 1993, 1 year before his return to the same position in Munich at the Ludwig-MaximiliansUniversity (LMU), the former work space of famous psychiatrists like E. Kraepelin or A. Alzheimer, Hans-Jurgen Moller resumed the managing editorship of EAPCN and ever since has substantially shaped its bias. As author or co-author of more than 1,300 publications, he always strongly focused on the methodology of clinical research in psychiatry, biological psychiatry of schizophrenia and depression, clinical psychopharmacology and psychogeriatrics. Hans-Jurgen Moller furthermore has been member of the executive committees of several national and international psychiatric societies, among them the past presidentship of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA), as chairman of the Section on Pharmacopsychiatry of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) plus presidency of the Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum (CINP). He is honorary president of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP), which he chaired from 1997 to 2001, and headed—last not least—the German Society for Biological Psychiatry (DGBP) from 1995 until 1999, for which EAPCN since 1997 is the official publication platform. His work was honoured by various academic prizes and honorary titles. Concordant with his primary interest in clinical research, EAPCN owes Hans-Jurgen Moller, the publication of outstanding and excellent clinical studies. In the light of his retirement, he now chose Peter Falkai as follower, who in July 2012 also overtook his position as chairman of the department at the LMU in Munich. But no worries: Moller will stay on the ball and be in charge of keeping his critical editorial eye on special issues and invited reviews of EAPCN. Peter Falkai, longstanding member of EAPCN’s editorial board and account managing editor since May 2011, as new chief editor of EAPCN (starting in October 2012) intends to strengthen the journal’s focus towards neurobiological topics without intentions to distract authors from furthermore submitting thorough clinical studies of high quality. Congruent with his personal continuous interest, with this bias, Peter Falkai plans following the direction of the DGBP towards neurobiological substrates and their neurobiological origins as well as causal treatment options. This core area has been visible throughout his entire academic career. Before overtaking the aforementioned position as chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Munich, he held the same position at the Universities of Saarland (2002–2006) and P. Falkai (&) A. Schmitt Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Nusbaumstr. 7, 80336 Munich, Germany e-mail: Peter.Falkai@med.uni-muenchen.de