VITAL SIGNS
NAME: Journal of Huntington’s Disease
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Blair Leavitt, MD and Leslie Thompson, PhD
PUBLISHERLeslie Thompson, PhD: IOS Press
SUBSCRIPTION MODEL: Subscription and open access
SUBMISSION SITE: http://www.iospress.nl/journal/journal-of-huntingtons-disease/.
Please email info@isopress.nl with questions regarding manuscript submission.
The Journal of Huntington’s Disease launches in early 2012. The journal has a renowned editorial board and is currently accepting papers for peer review. Manuscripts will be published online and in quarterly print publications. At the 2011 Huntington Disease Clinical Research Symposium in Indianapolis, IN, Dr. Blair Leavitt sat down with HD Insights to discuss the new journal. Dr. Leslie Thompson also shared her thoughts on the new journal via email correspondence.
INSIGHTS: Why a new journal for HD?
THOMPSON: We want to have a single source bringing together all the various aspects of basic and clinical HD research. The field has grown significantly and we feel this would be of great benefit to HD researchers, clinicians, and other HD community members.
LEAVITT: We think there is a niche and a need for this. Given the number of publications each year in the field of HD, it was time for a journal dedicated specifically to HD.
INSIGHTS: How will the Journal of Huntington’s Disease be different from Movement Disorders, or Neurology or other journals that publish articles related to HD?
THOMPSON: The journal will also include meeting announcements, editorials, special interest pieces and reviews.
INSIGHTS: Why has it taken so long for a journal to be developed focused on HD?
LEAVITT: This journal has evolved out of sister journals that have really been quite successful, such as the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease. Dr. Patrik Brundin, the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, was the first to suggest that we should do this for HD. We think the field is ready for it.
THOMPSON: The field has grown over time to include hundreds of researchers, and interest in pharmaceutical development has grown. With the known mutation for the disease comes the opportunity for HD to serve as a paradigm for other neurodegenerative diseases.
INSIGHTS: What should reviewers expect?
THOMPSON: Clinical, basic science, patient care, and historical perspective manuscripts. We are working with the editorial board with the goal of reviewing high quality manuscripts.
LEAVITT: Reviewers should also expect fast but rigorous peer review, and rapid online publication.
INSIGHTS: What should readers expect?
LEAVITT: A one-stop journal, where they can see important and timely articles on all aspects of HD. In the same issue they can expect to see articles addressing issues of ethics, and issues relating to genetic testing. At the same time, they might see an article about basic molecular biology, or pathogenic studies on HD. They might also see an article looking at transgenic mouse models right beside one that looks at a similar study in humans.
INSIGHTS: Thank you for speaking with us, and good luck with the new journal.
