Promoting Growth Amid Change

Abstract

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change”—Charles Darwin It is with great enthusiasm that I begin my term as the fourth Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (JBMR). I follow in the footsteps of the past editors who have made this Journal great—Larry Raisz, Marc Drezner, and John Eisman—and I pledge to the readership to protect their historic legacy. The broad mission of the Journal remains the same: to publish high-quality original papers on the clinical, cellular, and molecular mechanisms of skeletal metabolism under normal and abnormal circumstances with the view to understanding disease pathogenesis and to developing effective therapeutics for human bone diseases. Thanks to the hard work of John Eisman, the JBMR has increased its impact factor to 6.635, solidifying its place as the premier journal in the bone field. However, as the Darwin epigraph above suggests, ongoing change and growth are essential for our survival, particularly in the fast moving arena of science publications. Consequently, several new features are being planned to broaden the appeal of the JBMR. In the spring of 2008, we will launch a Special Features section. Articles in this series will take different forms, from commentaries to reviews to point-counterpoint debates. My editorial team and I feel that this section will provide an ideal forum in which to address issues that impact biomedical research and its translation into clinical practice. In addition, the JBMR website will be further developed as a focal point for access to the Journal's content as well as a place for information, dialogue, and debate on issues that are important to you. I am joined in my editorial efforts by a new team of Associate Editors selected on the basis of their broad scientific expertise. At the top of the Journal's masthead I have appointed two Senior Associate Editors: John P Bilezikian and Xu Cao. The Senior Associate Editors' roles will include helping me to establish JBMR as the repository of choice for the best biomedical research in bone from all investigators, whether they are MDs, PhDs, or MD-PhD scientists. They will also help to solicit Special Features. In addition, I have appointed nine outstanding individuals who will serve as Associate Editors. Their diverse backgrounds cover literally all aspects of our field and will help to insure that the very best research finds its way into the JBMR. All of us invite your suggestions, comments, and constructive criticism. As Editors, we are acutely aware of the trust placed in us to perpetuate the JBMR's mission. The JBMR belongs to you—its readers and contributors—who will ultimately be the best judges of our efforts. Finally, my job will be made infinitely easier because of the excellent editorial office under the leadership of Lisa Dittrich and her extraordinary staff in Durham. I look forward to working with all of you as we enter an era that promises to experience tremendous breakthroughs in basic and clinical research in bone and mineral diseases.