Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 292: E653, 2007.
First published January 23, 2007; doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00041.2007
0193-1849/07 $8.00
EDITORIAL
A new leaf
Amira Klip, Editor
American Journal of Physiology-
Endocrinology and Metabolism
amira{at}sickkids.ca
March 2007, Volume 292 (55)
ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM were two of the pioneering areas of discovery in modern science. And yet, in the past few years, each has rendered new, unforeseen, revelations. New hormones are being described in "unexpected" tissues; inter-organ communication arises as a network (more intricate than a laptop's wiring) with positive and negative feedback loops, redundancy, and complementarity; and metabolites have become second messengers and regulators of gene patterning. The "language" of these phenomena and these communication systems is not only chemical but also entropic and temporal; and so the physiology of endocrinology and metabolism burgeons with signals that read in amplitude, location, and frequency. We have the privilege, in 2007, to be able to explore physiological phenomena from the standpoint of the molecules involved, their interactions, intra- and extracellular localization, their time courses, ranging from milliseconds (as in vesicular secretion) to months or years (as in the development of the metabolic syndrome), and their impact on simple and complex organisms, on population health, and even on public awareness and policy making. Never has the knowledge gained from discoveries in the fields of endocrinology and metabolism attracted more the layperson"s curiosity and the scientist's imagination.
In the face of such excitement in research, the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism represents the most identifiable medium to report and disseminate the underpinning discoveries. For over four decades, the Journal has been a pinnacle exponent of research spanning carbohydrate/lipid/protein metabolism, exercise physiology, stress pathways, and reproductive biology. As fields shift and grow, I would like to embrace the challenge of expanding the scope of the Journal in the direction of energy balance, neural regulation, and molecular interactions. We have the unique opportunity to become the natural home for studies on "old" and "new" hormones, from a molecular and cellular to more integrative platforms, and we will strive to be recognized as the niche for metabolic dissection from molecules to organisms. Along with cellular and comprehensive physiological studies, we will embrace publication of physical and spectroscopic methods for non-invasive analysis of multiple physiological parameters, as well as of mathematical analysis and modeling of complex endocrine and metabolic networks. We wish to energize young scientists to become part of the new wave of discovery in endocrine physiology by enticing them to consider AJP Endocrinol Metab as a natural habitat for strong and exciting papers in all areas of energy balance, metabolic control, and hormone secretion, action, and regulation.
In recent years, scientific journals have faced new challenges imposed by the growing complexity of science and by scientists seeking increased visibility and status. Against this background, the overriding value of the Journal will be fairness and speed in the rigorous selection of exciting scientific communications. To this end, the new team of enthusiastic and knowledgeable Associate Editors (Pat Brubaker, Meredith Hawkins, Charles Lang, Andre Marette, Kelle Moley, Martin Myers, and Juleen Zierath) and I will commit to stricter deadlines in the review process and to the selection of excellent research. Mechanistic and insightful papers will increase the standing of the Journal and of those publishing in it. We will build upon the success of our predecessor editorial team to continue to elevate the impact factor of the Journal. We look forward to your next submission!
Copyright © 2007 by the American Physiological Society.
