I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve as the next Editor of Drug Metabolism and Disposition (DMD). One of my first scientific papers was published in DMD in 1988, when Dr. Vincent Zannoni, a member of my graduate thesis committee at the University of Michigan, was the Editor. I have published regularly in DMD since then, benefiting tremendously from the high-quality reviewing and professional manuscript handling the journal has provided. My appreciation of the enormity of what the journal offers to authors and readers in our field became more profound after I joined the editorial board as an Associate Editor in 2010, appointed by Dr. Eric Johnson. Over the years, I have learned much from my predecessors, including Dr. Vincent Zannoni, Dr. Raymond Novak, and Dr. James Halpert, who inspired me to become an editor, as well as Dr. Eric Johnson, Dr. Edward Morgan, and Dr. Jeffrey Stevens, who were great role models of dedication and commitment to the success of the journal.

Like many of you, I consider DMD one of the preferred journals in which to publish my work. This confidence in the journal is built on the knowledge that my manuscripts will be reviewed by true experts and handled by a highly experienced and dedicated professional team of editorial staff. The journal is also overseen by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Board of Publications. The team is made up of Associate Editors who are all leading experts in our field. They are supported by a large international editorial board, whose members are selected based on areas of expertise, high standing in the field, and dedication to peer review. The vitality of the journal is further enhanced by a close association of the editors and editorial board members with the Drug Metabolism and Disposition Division of ASPET and several leading international conferences on relevant topic areas in the drug metabolism and disposition field, such as the “International Symposium on Microsomes and Drug Oxidations” and the “International Conference on Cytochrome P450” meeting series, which ensures that the journal covers the most current scientific content in the field.

My goal as Editor for DMD is to maintain the reputation of the journal as the leading international publication in drug metabolism and disposition and as a bedrock of the global DMD community. I am looking forward to working with my team of Associate Editors, editorial board members, and editorial staff to achieve this goal in an ever-changing landscape of scientific publication. We will strive to continue the efforts of my predecessors to increase the scientific impact of the journal, to uphold the strong tradition of rigor and reproducibility, and to embrace coverage of emerging topics and interdisciplinary research while serving all constituents of the drug metabolism and disposition field. I am confident that we will be able to accomplish these tasks, particularly knowing that I will have the continued support of a dedicated team of Associate Editors who strive to be ethical, fair, prompt, and transparent while maintaining the high scientific standards of the journal. The current Associate Editors and Review Editors, including Drs. Wayne Backes (Louisiana State University), Deepak K. Dalvie (Bristol-Myers Squibb), Robert Foti (Merck), Nina Isoherranen (University of Washington), Yurong Lai (Gilead Sciences), Steven Leeder (Children’s Mercy Research Hospital), Scott R. Obach (Pfizer Inc), Mary Paine (Washington State University), David S. Riddick (University of Toronto), John D. Schuetz (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital), Aiming Yu (University of California, Davis), and Xiaobo Zhong (University of Connecticut), provide expertise in all major subject areas published by the journal. In time, we will add new Associate Editors as well as editorial board members as the need arises to ensure adequate coverage. Strong efforts will be made to increase board membership from researchers in earlier career stages.

A special gratitude is owed to my immediate predecessor, Dr. Jeffrey Stevens, who successfully guided the journal through a number of notable challenges. Jeff was an exemplary and diligent editor. He oversaw a major transition in the journal’s manuscript handling system; he instituted changes in the manuscript workflow to make the editorial expectations more transparent; he strengthened the recruitment of minireviews; and he added several new members to the editorial board. Jeff was also very helpful in making the leadership transition seamless for me. Appreciations are also given to two Associate Editors who transitioned off the board recently, Drs. Bruno Stieger and Namandje Bumpus, who have both served with distinction.

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