Of Timelines and Bylines
This issue of molecular interventions is something of a milestone, marking the end of our second year of publication and the third time (owing to the vagaries of scheduling yearly conferences) that molecular interventions will be distributed at ASPET’s annual meeting. I thought it might be therefore a fitting, on this occasion, to review some of the history and accomplishments of the past two years of publication.
In the past twenty-four months, molecular interventions has put out fifteen issues (that is, a bit more often than bimonthly). We’ve published several opinion pieces, from various professional venues, dealing with business and industrial aspects of pharmacology and biomedicine, as well as other op-ed pieces that have surveyed the unique challenges that face academicians. Our Reflections department has provided an outlet for science historians, medical anthropologists, and technology sociologists to discuss biomedical progress as a function and determinant of culture. (David Kirby’s contribution on the interplay between science and Hollywood film, on pages 54–60 of this issue, is an excellent example.) Our CrossTalk interviews have profiled the careers and scientific perspectives of thought leaders from industry, academia, and government (TIGR’s Claire Fraser appears on pages 62–66 of this issue). Our reviews of books and other media (see Beyond the Bench , pages 106–107), as well as highlights of Web sites (see Net Results , page 112), explore additional perspectives on science.
But first and foremost, molecular interventions aims to present its readers with scientifically rigorous overviews and perspectives of the diverse disciplines that touch on pharmacology. Over the past two years, we’ve published scores of review articles, invited from the researcher trailblazers who are laying the way for the therapeutics of the future and devising the technologies that are driving current progress in biomedicine. And beginning a year ago, with the arrival of Associate Editor John Nelson to our staff, molecular interventions has regularly brought its readers Viewpoints —John’s editions of short “dispatches from the frontlines of research.” Focusing on the very latest breakthroughs from the bioscientific literature, John has done an excellent job of seeking out authors who can offer critical views of new research findings. And like our review articles and department features, our Viewpoints rely on the graphic talents of Art Director Phillip Payette.
We look forward to serving our readers for years to come, and despite a difficult economic climate that has been felt in publishing as elsewhere, the commitment that ASPET has made to molecular interventions has been unfaltering. Although we have certainly experienced the growing pains that are part of any new venture, we have taken encouragement from the many kind responses, as well as the occasional sobering criticism, that come from our readership. The challenges that lie ahead of us—to remain in touch with new scientific developments, to reach out to and captivate a wider audience, and to expand and innovate upon our content and features—will require, above all else, that we continue to meet the needs and interests of our readership. So, let us continue to hear from you. We want to know your opinions, not only about the job that we’re doing, but also about the job that you think we ought to do.
- © American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Theraputics 2003
