HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Extract Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nader Rifai Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Nader Rifai,

Clinical Chemistry: A Glimpse into the Future

Editor-in-Chief, Clinical Chemistry, Washington, DC

Address correspondence to this author at:, Children’s Hospital Boston, Department of Laboratory Medicine, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, E-mail Nader.Rifai{at}tch.harvard.edu

After 18 years of distinguished service, Dr. David Bruns has retired from his post as the editor in chief of Clinical Chemistry. During his tenure, the journal was transformed into the world’s leading publication in laboratory medicine, with the highest impact factor and citation index. Over the years, Clinical Chemistry has evolved to reflect changes in the field by publishing articles addressing not only traditional clinical chemistry but also emerging areas such as molecular diagnostics, evidence-based medicine, and proteomics.

I am honored to have been given the opportunity, as the new editor in chief, to continue the fine tradition established by those who have previously led this journal. In this new role, my first crucial task was to assemble the best editorial team possible. I am delighted that Drs. James Boyd and Thomas Annesley have agreed to serve as deputy editors. They both bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the journal, with which they have had a long association and are intimately familiar. In addition to assisting me in conducting the usual editorial duties, the deputies will act as close advisors to help implement my vision for the journal and to strive to enhance its scientific and educational values.

The journal cannot exist without the contributions of the associate editors, who work tirelessly to determine which articles, in their respective areas of expertise, are worthy of publication. With a current acceptance rate of approximately 20%, the selection of articles with the best scientific merit that are also of interest to our readers, is clearly a daunting task. We are fortunate that Drs. Fred Apple, Glen Hortin, David Sacks, Mitchell Scott, and Carl Wittwer, who have contributed so importantly to the journal, have agreed to continue to serve in this capacity. In addition, I am very pleased to announce the addition of several distinguished scientists to our leadership team: Drs. Dennis Lo (China), Michael Oellerich (Germany), Greg Miller (US), Karel Moons (The Netherlands), and Ian Young (Northern Ireland). This international team of associate editors, which reflects the nature of the journal and the AACC, is ideal to guide the journal to a higher level of excellence.

Over the coming years, the journal will continue to focus on cutting-edge research in technologies and clinical applications of novel markers. However, in addition to publishing articles on the development and validation of assays for new markers, the journal will also focus on attracting seminal reports describing the clinical and epidemiologic applications of these markers. To achieve these goals, individuals with new talents and expertise were added to the editorial board. The new members, and their areas of expertise, include David Altshuler (microarrays), Steven Carr (proteomics), Nancy Cook (biostatistics), José Manuel Fernández-Real (diabetes), Allan Jaffe (cardiology), Wolfgang Koenig (preventive cardiology), Matthias Schwab (pharmacogenomics), Meir Stampfer (epidemiology), Teun Van Gelder (immunosuppressants), and Jennifer West (bioengineering).

In addition to publishing reports of original research, the journal has a goal of promoting education and advancing the profession by reaching a broader sector of the AACC membership, including trainees. Pursuit of this latter goal has involved strengthening some existing sections of the journal and adding new features.

• Reviews and Mini-Reviews, written by world-renowned scientists, will be a regular feature of every issue. Dr. Michael Bennett will lead this challenging task and serve as the reviews editor.
  
• Clinical Case Studies will be a new section presenting an educational rather than a rare case. These case descriptions will be published with comments of a clinician and a laboratory scientist. Six weeks before the publication of the article, the case, along with 5 questions, will be posted on the websites of the AACC and its British and Australian counterparts and will be sent to training programs around the world. The case can thus serve as an educational tool for trainees, who can then read the complete article upon publication. Drs. Ann Gronowski and James Hooper will be the editors of this section.
  
• Perspectives will highlight a clinical, analytical, or basic science report that was published in a journal other than Clinical Chemistry but has implication for the practice of clinical chemistry. Dr. David Bruns will serve as the perspectives editor.
  
• Inspiring Minds will be a new series of biographical articles presenting not only the achievements of distinguished clinical chemists, but also their philosophical views on the profession and life.
  
• Citation Classics will be a monthly feature highlighting a landmark article in the field of clinical chemistry. In this feature, one of the authors of the original article will provide some historical insights and anecdotal stories surrounding its publication. Dr. Eleftherios Diamandis is the section editor for this feature.
  

The editorial office of the journal has been relocated to the AACC headquarters in Washington, DC. Such a move will assure continuity in the editorial process and retention of experienced staff as editors change. We are indeed fortunate to have attracted Ms. Sheehan Misko to head our editorial office. Sheehan came to us with a wealth of experience from the Journal of Clinical Oncology, where she was an assistant managing editor. Ms. Kristina Sine and Ms. Marie-Therese Wright, who are excellent and experienced individuals in the peer-review process, are our editorial coordinators.

As you can see, your journal has been redesigned to have a contemporary look and a more reader-friendly article layout. The graphics on the cover will change monthly to reflect a published article in the issue. Although such illustrations have an obvious aesthetic appeal, finding the appropriate image to put on the cover will present a challenge. Therefore, I am asking your help in locating and forwarding candidate images to the editorial office. Such images might depict a structure of a common molecule or particle, a metabolic pathway, or a pertinent photo that you think would be suitable for the cover of the journal.

Authors submitting papers to the journal will find changes to the forms for conflict of interest, funding sources, role of the sponsor, contribution of authors and, most importantly, the electronic copyright form. Such changes are needed to align the journal with current expectations and practices in scientific publishing. In addition, the journal remains committed to providing expert, fair, confidential, and timely review of submitted articles. Currently, the time from submission to electronic publication averages 185 days. The goal is to further shorten this time by approximately 27 days by electronically publishing accepted manuscript before final editing, when appropriate.

I hope you agree with the direction in which the journal is heading and like the new features and design. I encourage each of you, if you have an interesting clinical case, a suggestion of a topic for a review article, or a new idea, to contact the appropriate section editor or me. This is your journal and it can only improve with your help.

The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:

				C. C. Tangney, Y. Tang, D. A. Evans, and M. C. Morris Biochemical indicators of vitamin B12 and folate insufficiency and cognitive decline Neurology, January 27, 2009; 72(4): 361 - 367. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This Article Extract Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nader Rifai Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Nader Rifai,