Editorial

doi:10.1124/dmd.111.000009

As I assume the position of Editor-in Chief of this journal, I am acutely aware of the high honor and expectations that have been bestowed upon me. Drug Metabolism and Disposition (DMD) has always aspired to be a top journal in the field of pharmacology and toxicology and to provide a forum for scientists from academic, industrial, and government laboratories to publish their best work. This aspiration has been reflected by the journal's leadership, who, throughout the years, were pioneers in the field. The first issue of the journal was published in 1973 under Dr. Kenneth Leibman's editorship, and it comprised 482 pages from 63 articles based on presentations at the Second International Symposium on Microsomes and Drug Oxidations held at Stanford University in 1972. Initially, the journal published six issues per year with an average of seven to eight research articles, containing 50 to 60 pages per issue. Dr. Vincent Zannoni assumed editorial responsibilities in 1984, and he guided the journal until Dr. Raymond Novak took the reins in 1994. In 1995, the journal began publishing monthly issues, and it now averages approximately 300 articles and 2300 pages per year. As acknowledged by Dr. James Halpert in his Editorial after succeeding Dr. Novak in 2000, Dr. Novak oversaw a significant increase of the journal's pharmacological rankings; this trend continued under the vigorous leadership of Dr. Halpert and, in 2006, Dr. Eric Johnson. The introduction of online manuscript submission and review in March 2004 resulted in a surge of approximately 25% in the number of manuscripts submitted to the journal. During Dr. Johnson's tenure, DMD began depositing articles with PubMed Central on behalf of authors to satisfy the requirements of their funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Wellcome Trust, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the UK Research Councils, and the journal moved to an online-only, paper-free publication this year.

The efforts and achievements of my predecessors have contributed greatly to the current high standing of the journal. However, they will readily acknowledge their gratitude to a dedicated cadre of Associate Editors and Editorial Advisory Board members who have worked tirelessly to establish and maintain the high scientific standards of the journal and to ensure that authors receive fair and timely reviews and editorial decisions. I am extremely fortunate to have inherited many of these people in my editorial team. I thank them on behalf of the journal for all they have done, and I look forward to working with them in taking the journal forward. Special thanks are due to retiring Associate Editors Stephen Hall, Russell Prough, and Kenneth Thummel for their stalwart work over the years. At the same time, I am delighted to announce the appointments of five new Associate Editors: Dr. Wayne Backes from Louisiana State University Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Balthasar from the University of Buffalo, Dr. Chantal Guillemette from Laval University, Dr. Mary Paine from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and Dr. Bill Smith of Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development. Together, we bring new expertise that spans the gamut of research published by the journal, including the following areas that we will target for expanded journal coverage: biologics and biologic drug interactions, transporters, phase II metabolism, and pharmacogenetics. The Editors are supported by an adept staff in the ASPET Journal office, whose experience with the logistics of publication allows the Editorial Board to focus on the science.

My goals for the journal as its Editor are simple: 1) to continue the effort to be the premier forum for publishing research in the field of drug metabolism and disposition; 2) to continue the upward trajectory of the journal by attracting the best research papers; and 3) to recognize and target emerging and expanding areas in the general field. As mentioned above, one of these areas is the disposition of therapeutic proteins and their interactions with other drugs, large and small. A second area is the broad area of bioinformatics, in silico approaches, and systems biology. We also continue to encourage submission of papers in the areas of pharmacogenetics, drug transporters, development of novel in vitro approaches, and toxicology, as well as Minireviews on subjects of contemporary interest.

In conclusion, the breadth and depth of expertise in our editorial team ensure that your work is reviewed appropriately and delivers an average submission-to-first-decision time of 30 days. Manuscripts are published online within a few days of acceptance, and the journal has an impact factor of 3.75 (fluctuating between 3.6 and 4.0 in recent years). I look forward to working with my team in the coming years to maintain and improve these high standards, and I encourage you to continue to submit your best work to Drug Metabolism and Disposition.