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Molecular Endocrinology: Origins and the Formative Years

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555

Molecular Endocrinology, 20 years old! My my, how you’ve grown. Twenty years ago, there seemed a clear need for such a journal. A desire to meet that need was the real start of Molecular Endocrinology. As the methods of molecular biology moved ever more strongly into use for the investigation of endocrine mechanisms, authors doing such work needed a place to publish. It was noted that many of the best papers in frontier endocrinology were being sent to general journals and that some prominent endocrine scientists did not even deign to belong to our Society. Clearly, there was a vacuum that needed to be filled. This was seen by our Society President, Bert O’Malley, who made the proposal that the Society create a new journal to feature results from this new and powerful research. After careful consideration and debate within the Society, the decision was made: The Endocrine Society would launch a fourth journal to add to its prestigious existing three.

The call went out for an Editor-in-Chief to start the journal. I was among the applicants because I believed then, as now, that the need was clear. Not only had I heard from others of their difficulties in finding appropriate venues to submit their papers, I had experienced the same problems myself. The personal excitement and vicissitudes of my appearance for interview have been recorded (Mol Endocrinol, 1997, 11:654–656) and need not be recounted here. The outcome was that I was selected as Editor-in-Chief, a sort of combined literary father, obstetrician, and neonatologist for the new journal. I was fortunate from early on to receive the support, assistance, and inspiration of Pam Diamond, whom I hired as Managing Editor. With a budget from The Endocrine Society and office space generously supplied free of charge by the University of Texas Medical Branch, my employer, we were off and running. We chose the name, designed a fresh new cover with artwork by Lois Bradbridge Thompson (also free of charge), selected a modern-looking font, and established an Instructions to Authors page. Each of these had to be examined and approved by a Publications Committee, which unfortunately still contained a few members who disapproved of the new journal. Nevertheless, we prevailed. We learned the ins and outs of the redaction process and, after meeting with our printer, the realities of the time intervals involved in those pre-electronic days of publishing. Fortunately, other scientists and endocrinologists felt as we did and, with a first issue containing papers by a series of prominent scientists, we caught the imagination and attention of the field.

We wanted Molecular Endocrinology to be fresh, top-quality, and unafraid of publishing daring new results—as long as they were backed by sound data. We wanted the journal to be of a quality to compete with the best, with high ethical and scientific standards. In particular, we sought to provide a forum for studies of interrelated signaling systems and not just traditional hormones. The similarity of mechanisms of the traditionally defined hormones and those of other signaling molecules was becoming obvious. It was already clear that what is now called "crosstalk" between such systems would be increasingly important. To artificially separate studies of such systems along lines of traditionally defined disciplines seemed wrong. I like to think that the existence of Molecular Endocrinology has helped develop the recognition and study of interactive signaling mechanisms.

After the first few months, when we no longer had to worry whether we would receive enough manuscripts, we grew to appreciate more and more the suggestions and support of key members of the Publications Committee, the members of our Editorial Board, and the many dedicated, sincere reviewers. I was continually impressed by their professionalism and objectivity. During the Society’s general meeting, we often received excellent feedback and suggestions for improvements.

Following my term as Editor-in-Chief, it has been a great satisfaction to follow the continued success of Molecular Endocrinology under the leadership of Editors-in-Chief Tony Means, John Nilson, and John Cidlowski. Each has brought fresh energy, new ideas, and high standards to the journal. Molecular Endocrinology now stands out as one of the best, if not the best, journal in its field. Molecular Endocrinology gives The Endocrine Society the opportunity to identify, seek out, and publish the kinds of science that move and change endocrinology. Under the leadership of the current Editor-in-Chief and those to follow, may it continue to strive for excellence in publishing the best frontier research.

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