Healthy Aging and Clinical Care in the Elderly launched

I'm pleased to announce the launch of Healthy Aging and Clinical Care in the Elderly, an open access peer reviewed journal published by Libertas Academica. The journal is fortunate to have the support of an excellent Editor in Chief, Dr David Simar, and an internationally respected editorial board. An interview with the Editor in Chief was published in this blog today.

Register to receive automatic notification of new articles and journal news. The Editor in Chief's introductory editorial is now available. The Editor in Chief writes:

It is my great pleasure to announce the launch of Healthy Aging and Clinical Care in the Elderly, a new peer-reviewed open-access journal published by Libertas Academica. I am very enthusiastic about this new challenge and consider it very stimulating to try to improve the level of diffusion of scientific literature.

I think the release of this new journal is particularly timely considering the current context of “global aging” of the population and the always increasing importance of the research in the field of aging. This has generated a real need for an efficient and quick way to diffuse high quality scientific research to the largest audience to allow a better translation of research findings into clinical practice. Achieving this will definitely contribute in a better care of the aging population through the development of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies based on experimental data.

I am convinced that this journal will be soon as well regarded as existing subscription-based journals and that scientists will realise the great opportunity that giving access in a quick and efficient way to their results to the largest audience represents. By doing so, this journal will contribute to provide a better access to research findings not only to the scientific community but also to all professionals involved in the care of the elderly.

Libertas Academica looks forward to working with the journal's Editor in Chief, editorial board and authors and readers.

Interview with Dr David Simar

This interview is with Dr David Simar, Editor in Chief of Healthy Aging & Clinical Care in the Elderly and a lecturer in clinical physiology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

Tom: What would you say is the primary focus of your research effort (and how do you refer to your 'sub-area')?

Dr Simar: My research is primarily focused on the mechanisms involved in the aging process and their consequences and manifestations from a cellular to functional point of view. I am particularly interested on the alterations of the muscle function during aging and its link with insulin resistance and oxidative stress.

Tom: What do you consider to be the most significant developments arising from research in your area?

Dr Simar: I think that we have been able to isolate some potential candidates involved in the aging process and a constant evolution of the techniques, as well as the development of animal models, have been of great help in that sense. However, although some strategies have been shown to positively impact those mechanisms we are yet to find the “elixir of eternal youth”.

Tom: What do you consider to be the most significant open questions and research challenges in your area?

Dr Simar: I think that a significant open question in the broad field of aging is why do some of us age better than others. This question that could sound trivial becomes really important when you try to develop new strategies or treatments to address some dysfunctions developed during aging and when you observe highly variable and individual responses to similar treatments.

Tom: Tell us about your collaborative research. Who else do you directly work with and what are the aims of your collaboration?

Dr Simar: On a general point of view I am interested in the prevention or improvement of dysfunctions arising during aging. More specifically, I am interested in the impact of the aging process on skeletal muscle function. This involves collaborating with colleagues from Australia or overseas. With Professor Maria Fiatarone-Singh from the University of Sydney, we are particularly interested on the impact of resistance training on insulin resistance in elderly people. Insulin signalling in skeletal muscle is an aspect of great interest to me and I actively collaborate on this with Professor Margaret Morris from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Dr Hui Chen from the University of Technology in Sydney and Professor Jacques Mercier and Dr Karen Lambert from the INSERM in Montpellier (France). I also collaborate with Dr Davide Malatesta from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) and Dr Corinne Caillaud from the University of Sydney on functional aspects and strategies to preserve or restore the locomotion in elderly. With Dr Laurent Maimoun from the Hormonology Department in Montpellier (France), we have also developed some collaborative works on the impact of the aging process on bone metabolism.

Tom: Is balancing all these activities challenging? How do you deal with it and what tools do you find useful in doing so?

Dr Simar: As you say, the challenge is to find the good balance. Very often you find yourself spending a lot of time on a particular aspects while having to give up a bit on others. I think that prioritising is the key and trying to plan ahead is very important in that sense. I should add to that that working with dynamic and supportive colleagues is also a very important component of the equation.

Tom: When did you decide to be primarily involved in the field that you are now in?

Dr Simar: I think “the story” started during my PhD, when I first got exposed to that field of research and I still find it fascinating and stimulating.

Tom: What resources do you find indispensible for your research work?

Dr Simar: The development of Internet access has been really important in the transmission and exchange of information. So I think that access to scientific literature and even to more general information is highly important.

Tom: What do you think about the development of open access publishing and open access development? How has it changed your perspective on research or development practices?

Dr Simar: I think it represents an important improvement in terms of the diffusion of scientific literature and information. It allows not only younger researchers but also patients to keep up to date with the most current research. It also speed up the process of publication, which is highly important when you are dealing with critical results for your field.

Tom: What books do you think should be required reading for researchers working in your area?

Dr Simar: It would be hard to point a particular one or even a couple. Nowadays, I think it is hard to keep books up to date in terms of new findings and information. I am a bit clueless in terms of how we could reverse this but probably electronic format like eBooks could represent a solution. In that sense open access publishing represents a particularly attractive alternative.

Tom: What books are current on your reading list?

Dr Simar: "The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey" by Spencer Wells. (Amazon.com) Through a transversal approach, the author retrace the earliest migrations out of Africa and the colonization of our world.
Tom: Do you teach any courses? If so, which ones?

Dr Simar: I am mainly involved in teaching Clinical Exercise Physiology to undergraduate students. This covers the pathophysiology of the main chronic conditions affecting the cardiorespiratory and the immune or endocrine systems, including the aging process itself, as well as the prevention and or treatment of these conditions using medical procedures, medications and exercise.

Tom: Which historical research figures do you think have most influenced you in how you think about research? Why are they significant?

Dr Simar: I have always been amazed by Leonardo Da Vinci’s work. On scientific point of view he must be one of the most creative researchers who has ever lived. More recently, Professor Harman for developing the “Free Radical Theory of Aging” in the fifties and updating it in the seventies as the “Mitochondrial Theory of Aging”.

Tom: Which meetings do you attend on a regular basis?

Dr Simar: I attend to the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics conference, the French Society of Physiology conference and the Endocrine Society conference.

Tom: If you could change something about how research in your area is conducted, used, perceived, or resourced, what would it be?

Dr Simar: I think we have reached a point where a quick and efficient diffusion of scientific information is becoming more and more critical, especially to the general population (patients, general practitioners, specialists not involved in research…) But I think it is important to achieve this without altering the reviewing process to preserve the quality of what is being published.

My thanks to Dr Simar.

Journal of Cell Death launched

I'm pleased to announce the launch of Journal of Cell Death, an open access peer reviewed journal published by Libertas Academica. The journal is fortunate to have the support of an excellent Editor in Chief, Dr Garry Walsh, and an internationally respected editorial board. An interview with the Editor in Chief was published in this blog today.

Register to receive automatic notification of new articles and journal news. The Editor in Chief's introductory editorial is now available.

Libertas Academica looks forward to working with the journal's Editor in Chief, editorial board and authors and readers.

Dr Walsh writes:

It gives me great pleasure to announce the launch of Journal of Cell Death, an exciting new peer-reviewed, open access journal which will cover research into all aspects of cell death, both natural and pathological, at both the basic and applied levels. The journal aims to stimulate research on the mechanisms of cell death including those responsible for the disposal of senescent cells. An important aspect will be the role that these mechanisms play in various human disease processes including: cancer; viral infection; cardiovascular disease; neurodegenerative disorders; autoimmune disease; lung disease; osteoporosis; and ageing. Cell death is an expanding, high-profile and fast moving research area and this is an excellent time to launch a new journal in the field. We will be joining several subscription-based, high-impact, internationally recognised print-based competitors. However, the open access nature of the journal means that all published original and review articles will be accessible without boundaries to all internet users throughout the world. We will also aim to review papers rapidly, aiming for a decision within 6 weeks of submission. Accepted articles will be published within one week.

We have assembled an outstanding Editorial Board that consists of recognised international leaders in the field of cell death. I am sure that they will drive the journal forward in the critical early days ensuring that Journal of Cell Death becomes one of the leading resources in the field. It is to be anticipated that Journal of Cell Death will attract manuscripts of the highest quality. A longer term, allied goal will be to contribute to the facilitation of the development of clinical therapies against apoptosis-related diseases.

An interview with Dr Garry Walsh

This interview is with Dr Garry Walsh, Editor in Chief of Journal of Cell Death and Clinical Medicine: Therapeutics, and Reader in Immunity and Inflammation and Principal Investigator, Asthmatic and Allergic Inflammation Group, School of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen.

Tom: What would you say is the primary focus of your research effort (and how do you refer to your 'sub-area')?

My career spans over 25 years during which my work has focused on the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms controlling the initiation and resolution of the inflammatory processes underlying asthma, allergic disease and more recently COPD. I also have considerable expertise in the anti-inflammatory effects of second generation antihistamines and their potential side-effects.

Tom: What do you consider to be the most significant developments arising from research in your area?

Apoptosis represents a fundamental biological process and is thus a large and challenging field, with many significant developments occurring on an almost daily basis. From my own perspective the recognition that the increased persistence of apoptotic cells in patients with chronic inflammatory lung diseases is a key pathogenic event has opened up a whole area of research endeavor.

Tom: What do you consider to be the most significant open questions and research challenges in your area?

I think that it is clear that present therapies for inflammatory-based diseases are often ineffective and for the most part are not disease-modifying in their nature. Furthering our understanding of defects in apoptosis and pro-inflammatory cell removal are fertile avenues for the development of novel and effective therapeutics for such conditions.

Tom: Tell us about your collaborative research. Who else do you directly work with and what are the aims of your collaboration?

My work is translational in nature and is therefore reliant on key collaborations with my clinical colleagues at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital. In addition, I have on-going collaborations with the Universities of Dundee and Glasgow. Other important co-workers are based at Trinity College Dublin, The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and Cellix Ltd, Dublin.

Tom: Is balancing all these activities challenging? How do you deal with it and what tools do you find useful in doing so?

I find this particular balancing act highly rewarding – in fact it’s one of the primary attractions of my career. I work consistently, delegate where possible and try to keep to deadlines (most of the time!). It also helps that my wife is an academic health professional and therefore understands the pressures incumbent on my time.

Tom: When did you decide to be primarily involved in the field that you are now in?

In the mid 1980s when I began working with my mentor, Professor Barry Kay, at the Cardiothoracic Institute in the Brompton Hospital, London.

Tom: What resources do you find indispensible for your research work?

All the computing and electronic devices that support a hectic, peripatetic lifestyle. The combination of e-mail and web-based research tools is invaluable and allows me to work from anywhere in the world.

Tom: What do you think about the development of open access publishing and open access development? How has it changed your perspective on research or development practices?

To my mind, open access represents one of the most significant developments in scientific publishing since web-based journals overtook paper-based publishing. It affords the capacity to speed up publication and reach a far wider audience.

Tom: What books do you think should be required reading for researchers working in your area?

Most books are out of date within a short time of being published – an appreciation of the current literature is therefore vital.

Tom: What books are current on your reading list?

I have recently revisited G.E. Christianson’s illuminating work “In the Presence of the Creator: Issac Newton and his Times” which is a potent account of the forces that shaped Newton’s scientific development. (Amazon.com)

Tom: Do you teach any courses? Is so, which ones?

I teach on undergraduate and postgraduate courses in immunology and biotechnology and am course coordinator for the MSc in immunology at Aberdeen. I also supervise undergraduate, postgraduate and medical students in my lab.

Tom: Which historical research figures do you think have most influenced you in how you think about research? Why are they significant?

Paul Erlich; he first identified the significance of the eosinophil, the leukocyte that started my research career and whose biology I still actively study.

Tom: Which meetings do you attend on a regular basis?

The American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society. I also spend a considerable amount of time at the European Commission in Brussels as a panel member and vice-chair for Marie Curie funding actions for Framework Programme 7.

Tom: If you could change something about how research in your area is conducted, used, perceived, or resourced, what would it be?

Convince the UK government to invest more in basic and clinical research and in funding our Universities. A dynamic knowledge based economy is the only way forward.

My thanks to Dr Walsh.

Tobacco Use Insights launched

I'm pleased to announce the launch of Tobacco Use Insights, an open access peer reviewed journal published by Libertas Academica. The journal is fortunate to have the support of an excellent Editor in Chief, Dr Zubair Kabir, and an internationally respected editorial board. An interview with the Editor in Chief was published in this blog today.

Register to receive automatic notification of new articles and journal news here. The Editor in Chief's introductory editorial is now available here.

Libertas Academica looks forward to working with the journal's Editor in Chief, editorial board and authors and readers in the future to bring the benefits of open access publishing to this important field.

Aims and scope of this journal:

Tobacco Use Insights is an open access, peer reviewed journal which covers all aspects of the health impacts of tobacco use, as well as smoking cessation. ‘Tobacco Use Insights’ is interested in submissions on the short and long term effects of both tobacco (including smokeless and spitless products) and marijuana use, and tobacco-related cancer and other chronic disorders. Another focus is the health and economic benefits of smoking cessation; challenges surrounding nicotine addiction and the opportunities of medical treatment and harm reduction strategies.

The main focus of this journal is multidisplinary (including research from the social, psychological, epidemiological, prevention, economics, and treatment arenas). Tobacco control and advocacy topics from developing countries and for vulnerable groups are specifically encouraged.

An interview with Dr Zubair Kabir

This interview is with Dr Zubair Kabir, the Editor in Chief of Tobacco Use Insights and Visiting Scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Tom: What would you say is the primary focus of your research effort (and how do you refer to your 'sub-area')?

Dr Kabir: To have been trained both in public health medicine and in epidemiological research, my research addresses the population health impact of life style factors from a disease outcome perspective. My primary research focuses on preventing and reducing tobacco use among all segments of the society but particularly among vulnerable population sub-groups such as pregnant women, young children and immigrant population. Specifically, my research looked at comprehensive tobacco control programs in the context of population health impacts (mainly cardiovascular, lung cancer and COPD) applying previously validated comprehensive epidemiologic models.

Tom: What do you consider to be the most significant developments arising from research in your area?

Dr Kabir: Significant policy developments have taken place with regard to tobacco control based on sound scientific evidence-driven research. The FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) is the most significant development in tobacco control. The FCTC is the only international public health treaty to date that has been ratified by more than 160 countries across the globe. The WHO MPOWER package is a next significant development that embodies six proven strategies to combat tobacco use. The US has made great strides in introducing state-wide comprehensive tobacco control programs and workplace smoking bans. The next most probable significant step could be the FDA regulating tobacco products. Recent internal tobacco industry document analyses have marshalled the tobacco control advocates to fight against the tobacco industries. Many European countries have also introduced workplace smoking bans, with Ireland leading the way in March 2004. Positive health impacts are reported post smoking bans, thus averting many premature deaths. Such programs and bans are also underway in a few developing countries as well. Comprehensive nationwide 100% smoke-free-homes are also going to be significant health policy developments to further reduce second-hand-smoke exposure. So, has tobacco control reached the tipping point? I do not know!

Tom: What do you consider to be the most significant open questions and research challenges in your area?

Dr Kabir: Tobacco use has no geographical boundaries, and likewise tobacco control research. I think there is still a long way to go before ‘denormalizing’ and ‘deglamourising’ smoking behaviour in its entirety. It is high time that developing countries start learning from the experiences of the developed countries. Tobacco industries have hired the best scientists and are hugely resourced- now poisoning the East as stronger legislations are in place in the West. Our battle against the tobacco industries will continue until making smoking history worldwide. Nonetheless, local information and research supporting effective proven tobacco control strategies both in demand and in supply reductions are imperative. One size does not fit all! Smuggling of cigarettes is fast emerging as a barrier to effective tobacco control. Research is also limited in this area. The economics of tobacco use is also not overwhelmingly accepted and understood. Harm reduction methods, tobacco product regulations and illicit trading will be real challenges in the progress of tobacco control for the near future.

Tom: Tell us about your collaborative research. Who else do you directly work with and what are the aims of your collaboration?

Dr Kabir: Tobacco control research is a trans-disciplinary collaborative platform. The aims of my research are to reduce tobacco use both in the general population and in vulnerable population sub-groups through proven tobacco control strategies. However, I am also interested in evaluating tobacco control policies in the context of population health impact.
I am so deeply grateful to be working with several teams of astoundingly talented colleagues. These researchers include Gregory Connolly, Howard Koh, Hillel Alpert and Vaughan Rees from Harvard, Luke Clancy, Pat Goodman and Kathleen Bennett from Ireland, and Prakash Gupta from India. I am also fortunate that many of these outstanding researchers are represented on the editorial board of Tobacco Use Insights.

Tom: Is balancing all these activities challenging? How do you deal with it and what tools do you find useful in doing so?

Dr Kabir: Research is demanding. At the same time life is a meaningful journey- wonderful opportunities and sometimes herculean challenges. Setting and prioritizing activities in a very organized manner is essential to meeting tight deadlines. Working as a team with all kinds of support and infrastructure also makes life much easier. My most important mechanism, however, is seeking peace and solace through religious activities and getting that wonderful support from my family.

Tom: When did you decide to be primarily involved in the field that you are now in?

Dr Kabir: I was drawn to public health during my medical training in India. I worked as a primary care physician in India in the early 1990s and strongly felt the need for prevention rather than cure to a healthy population. However, population health research was never attractive or even a funding priority in India. I was trained further in epidemiologic and in population health science research in Ireland where my PhD dissertation was on lung cancer epidemiology. As a post-doctoral research fellow both in Ireland and in Harvard I refined and sharpened my skills and expertise surrounding tobacco control research programs. Now I feel rewarding that some of my research activities could be translated into public health policies in the foreseeable future. Tobacco use will kill a billion people by the turn of this century, and 70% of these will be in the developing countries.

Tom: What resources do you find indispensible for your research work?

Dr Kabir: Yes, computers and emails and all the 3G stuff! However, to keep going with research work one has to be funded. No government is soft on health research funding. Unfortunately, population health and epidemiologic research has never been that attractive to the most of the funding agencies. Securing research grants are competitive, uncertain and always time-consuming. An adequate research infrastructure is indispensable for any relevant research grant application. Timely application with the right balance of science and appropriate skills complemented by past experiences and recent collaborations might keep us resourced! Tobacco control research is trans-disciplinary and collaborative, involving substantial resources both human and financial. Innovative and relevant research ideas- not necessarily cutting-edge researches are cornerstones for successful research grant applications.

Tom: What do you think about the development of open access publishing and open access development? How has it changed your perspective on research or development practices?

Dr Kabir: Open access publishing is a modern age revolution- bridging the digital divide between print and electronic media. Open access publishing has reduced the time to publication from months to hours- a death to distance! I do not have to wait for months to see my articles indexed on PubMed- the barometer of research work. The knock-on effect of open access publishing is a faster translation of information into policies and also instant sharing of important scientific evidence with the global community. Quicker dissemination of scientific evidence also reduces the quantum of duplication of research work and burden. The deepest impact of an open access publishing (if provided free access) could be the wider accessibility to the scientists and to the research institutes of the low-income countries. Many open access publishing group journals although recently launched have gathered very high impact factors in a short span of period, thus attracting very high quality papers. I see open access publications growing further- but needs to be regulated and adequately monitored and well-resourced.

Tom: What books do you think should be required reading for researchers working in your area?

Dr Kabir: Tobacco control research is trans-disciplinary. Epidemiologic research is the bedrock and is fast evolving as an exact science. Obviously, I will recommend "Modern Epidemiology" (3rd Edition) by Ken Rothman (Amazon.com). To get an overview of tobacco epidemiology a recent Oxford University Press publication, edited by Peter Boyle and colleagues, Tobacco: Science, Policy and Public Health" would be a good start (Amazon.com).

In addition to text books, international tobacco control specialty journals are also helpful. Examples include Tobacco Control; Nicotine and Tobacco Research; Tobacco Induced Disease; Addiction to name a few PubMed indexed journals. A few selective international public health journals (Am J Pub Health, Eur J Pub Health, WHO Bulletin, etc) will also help a tobacco researcher stay updated and tuned. Also I think one should go through a few policy documents such as the WHO FCTC and the MPOWER (available on the WHO website).

Tom: What books are current on your reading list?

Dr Kabir: Definitely not the ‘Origin of Species’ at the moment! I will shortly embark on the widely-reviewed text book by the Harvard Historian Dr Alan Brandt, who took 20 long years to compose this! I think I can only do justice to this epoch book if I am able to assimilate the stuff at least not less than a year! You guessed right- I was referring to “Cigarette Century: The Rise, Fall, and Deadly Persistence of the Product That Defined America." (Amazon.com)

Tom: Do you teach any courses? If so, which ones?

Dr Kabir: I currently am not on any University faculty teaching courses, but tend to supervise both PhD and Masters Students especially in their thesis work affiliated to our Research Institute. However, I am involved in developing a curriculum on tobacco control research program in India in collaboration with the Tobacco Control Research Program based in Harvard School of Public Health.

Tom: Which historical research figures do you think have most influenced you in how you think about research? Why are they significant?

Dr Kabir: Recent stalwarts such as Sir Richard Doll and Former US Surgeon General- Dr Luther Terry. Both opened up a Pandora’s Box in relation to smoking and health effects in the early 1950s and the 1960s. Because of their scientific contributions our younger generation one day will live in a tobacco free society! However, my greatest inspiration is the Holy Quran which has answers to many of our still unsolved scientific mysteries! Not only the ill health effects of smoking and other addictives are clearly spelled out, but also the concept of circumcision and quarantine as means of public health measures were adopted 1400 years ago when recent medical science was just able to piece the so-called puzzle now!

Tom: Which meetings do you attend on a regular basis?

Dr Kabir: I regularly attend the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) - the 2009 will be hosted in Dublin (April 2009) and the World Tobacco Conference- the 14th WCOTH will be held in Mumbai-March 2009. I also attend a few epidemiologic meetings such as the Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) and the World Congress of Epidemiology.

Tom: If you could change something about how research in your area is conducted, used, perceived, or resourced, what would it be?

Dr Kabir: My vision is a tobacco free planet! However, I should be realistic at this stage when still 5 million tobacco-related deaths are continuing on a yearly basis and that will increase to 10 million deaths annually, to be mostly concentrated in low-resource settings. Tobacco control is a global phenomenon but local initiatives and local research are equally important. A critical mass of local tobacco control scientists is imperative but we have to work together in a trans-disciplinary fashion both at home and in the workplace. Charity begins at home. Each of us at the family level should be made aware of the harmful health effects of tobacco use (through science and advocacy) and with the support of local civil societies and religious groups a mass movement has to be generated. To generate such science, you do not have to go through a RO1 grant of the NIH. For instance, sending text messages on tobacco use to mobile phone users on a regular basis will not cost millions but can reach a billion people worldwide within minutes. Therefore, low-budget and high-impact tobacco control research projects can be equally attractive and rewarding!

My thanks to Dr Kabir.

Ophthalmology and Eye Diseases launched

I'm pleased to announce the launch of Ophthalmology and Eye Diseases, an open access peer reviewed journal published by Libertas Academica. The journal is fortunate to have the support of an excellent Editor in Chief, Dr Joshua Cameron, and an internationally respected editorial board. An interview with the Editor in Chief was published in this blog today.

Register to receive automatic notification of new articles and journal news here. The Editor in Chief's introductory editorial will be published within the next week.

Libertas Academica looks forward to working with the journal's Editor in Chief, editorial board and authors and readers in the future to bring the benefits of open access publishing to this important field.

Aims and scope of this journal:

Ophthalmology and Eye Diseases is an open access, peer reviewed journal covering all aspects of ophthalmology and vision science, especially the prevention, diagnosis and management of disorders of the eye. Related pathophysiology, genetics and epidemiology are also included.

An interview with Dr Joshua Cameron

This interview is with Dr Joshua Cameron who is Editor in Chief of Ophthalmology and Eye Diseases and has positions at Harvard and Northeastern Universities and Schepens Eye Research Institute.

Tom: What would you say is the primary focus of your research effort (and how do you refer to your 'sub-area')?

Dr. Cameron: My current research looks to better understand the genes involved in eye and retina development and function. Retinoic acid and other vitamin A derivatives are essential for normal retinal development and function. Gene expression profiling is being used to discover the gene targets of retinoic acid. Understanding the role of retinoic acid during eye development will provide insight into the mechanisms involved in both retinal development and disease. Once novel genetic pathways for eye development are revealed, emphasis can be turned to the discovery of novel disease variants in those genes or perhaps currently known variants can be better explained.

Tom: What do you consider to be the most significant developments arising from research in your area?

Dr. Cameron: I think that the technological advances over the last several years have been instrumental in allowing research to progress at such a rapid rate. Advancements such as more powerful computing tools being available to everyone for minimal cost and high throughput gene sequencing technologies have definitely been a boon to both quality and quantity of research.

Tom: What do you consider to be the most significant open questions and research challenges in your area?

Dr. Cameron: Like many other areas of scientific research, translating basic research to clinical applications is a pressing concern. The last several years have seen great advances in scientific knowledge and understanding. Taking this new information and molding it to benefit others remains a challenge.

Tom: Tell us about your collaborative research. Who else do you directly work with and what are the aims of your collaboration?

Dr. Cameron: I work in a large zebrafish group at the Cambridge campus at Harvard. Although the projects and goals are varied in scope, we find a lot of common ground and find the broad base of knowledge extremely useful. I have also been able to work with many others in both the zebrafish and vision science community.

Tom: Is balancing all these activities challenging? How do you deal with it and what tools do you find useful in doing so?

Dr. Cameron: Balance is always tricky. Just when I think I have a grip on things, something slips. I am lucky to have a wife who runs the show for pretty much every aspect of my life except for my research – even then she is often my behind the scenes editor and listens to some of more fanciful ideas.

The most useful tool I have is the Internet. I rely on iGoogle to check my e-mail, calendar, and to-do lists. I can allow others to add to my calendar as well as see their calendars. I can even synch with the school calendars for things like the academic calendar and department seminar series. iGoogle allows me to access all of this information at work, at home, on any computer or phone with an internet connection all on one web page. I also must confess that I use sticky notes a lot to keep me on task – not the most technical, but very reliable.

Tom: When did you decide to be primarily involved in the field that you are now in?

Dr. Cameron: I made my decision to work in science as an undergraduate working in a Dr. Heidi Vollmer-Snarr’s bioorganic chemistry lab at Brigham Young University. I was synthesizing A2E, a bis-retinoid found in the eye. We would then use the compound for light induced toxicity treatments in leukemia cells. I then added the fields of genetics and ophthalmology to my repertoire as a graduate student in Dr. Kang Zhang’s lab at the University of Utah. I am still involved with retinoids, genetics, and ophthalmology as I work with Dr. John Dowling at Harvard University and plan to continue to do so in the future.

Tom: What resources do you find indispensible for your research work?

Dr. Cameron: Bright, dedicated people. They make all of the research happen. Second to the people is information and technology. Powerful search tools and data repositories make finding and sharing data easy – well easy enough if you know what you are doing. Computing technology and low-cost lab tools can turn just about any lab into a state-of-the-art center of discovery. Funding from government agencies and private foundations/donors is also critical.

Tom: What do you think about the development of open access publishing and open access development? How has it changed your perspective on research or development practices?

Dr. Cameron: Remembering all of the times I have searched for an article only to find that I could not read more than the abstract without paying a hefty fee has made me more appreciative of that “free full-text download” statement on pubmed searches. Even worse, was when I published in a journal, and could not even access my own paper without buying reprints. Science needs to be tried and tested. How can that happen unless we can see what others have done in a timely, cost-efficient manner? Open access is a large part of the answer.

Tom: What books do you think should be required reading for researchers working in your area?

Dr. Cameron: I am not sure that I would single out any one book – they change so frequently. Bruce Alberts’ "Molecular Biology of the Cell" (Amazon.com) and John Dowling’s "The Retina: An Approachable Part of the Brain" (Amazon.com) are probably high on the list. I would hope that most spend time reading the latest reviews, publications, and attend meetings – the frontlines of scientific research.

Tom: What books are current on your reading list?

Dr. Cameron: I am currently reading "How the Mind Works" by Steven Pinker (Amazon.com). So far I am enjoying it. Next on my to-read list is "Mormon Scientist: The Life and Faith of Henry Eyring" by Henry J. Eyring (Amazon.com).

Tom: Do you teach any courses? Is so, which ones?

Dr. Cameron: Yes. I just finished teaching a course on critical thinking for research at Northeastern University. I am teaching a Responsible Conduct for Research course to Harvard postdoctoral fellows this spring. I am also assisting with Neurobiology of Behavior, an introductory neurobiology course for Harvard undergraduates.

Tom: Which historical research figures do you think have most influenced you in how you think about research? Why are they significant?

Dr. Cameron: Two figures come to mind, both completely out of my field, but influential none-the-less. The first is Albert Einstein. Who is not fascinated by this man’s science? I have been inspired by his thoughtful approach and have read books about his life and research since being a teenager. The second is Henry Eyring. As a man of similar faith and science, I admire his insight into the relationship between the two.

Tom: Which meetings do you attend on a regular basis?

Dr. Cameron: I usually attend the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Tom: If you could change something about how research in your area is conducted, used, perceived, or resourced, what would it be?

Dr. Cameron: I would like to see all clinicians in a research laboratory for a semester maybe even two during their training and vice versa for research scientists. We rely on each other to benefit the granting agencies and their constituents. I think it would be to the betterment of all if we get a feel of what the other hand is doing as we conduct both basic and clinical research.

My thanks to Dr Cameron.

Immunotherapy Insights launched

I'm pleased to announce the launch of Immunotherapy Insights, an open access peer reviewed journal published by Libertas Academica. The journal is fortunate to have the support of an excellent Editor in Chief, Dr John Barrett, and an internationally respected editorial board. An interview with the Editor in Chief was published in this blog today.

Register to receive automatic notification of new articles and journal news here. The Editor in Chief's introductory editorial will be published within the next week.

Libertas Academica looks forward to working with the journal's Editor in Chief, editorial board and authors and readers in the future to bring the benefits of open access publishing to this important field.

Aims and scope of Immunotherapy Insights:

Immunotherapy Insights is an open access, peer reviewed journal which covers all aspects of manipulation of the immune system to treat disease or allergies. Types of immunotherapy may include cancer immunotherapy (BCG, topical, dendritic cell or T-cell based), immunization (active, passive, secondary), and allergy immunotherapy. Related topics may include immune suppression and tolerance, vaccination administration and debate, and research on the allergens and factors causing the immune responses or lack thereof.

An interview with Dr John Barrett

This interview is with Dr John Barrett, the Editor in Chief of Immunotherapy Insights and Section Chief of Stem Cell Allotransplantation in the Hematology Branch of the National Heat Lung and Blood Institute at the US National Institutes of Health.

Tom: What would you say is the primary focus of your research effort (and how do you refer to your 'sub-area')?

Dr Barrett: The central component of my research has been the use of stem cell transplantation to treat human malignancies. This clinical activity has led me into the study of the alloimmune response, immune reconstitution and tumor immunology. Specifically I study the role of T cells and Natural Killer (“NK”) cells in anti-tumor responses and the application of cell and vaccine based immunological approaches to treating malignant diseases.

Tom: What do you consider to be the most significant developments arising from research in your area?

Dr Barrett: The identification of both T cell and NK cell mediated graft-versus-leukemia effects following stem cell transplantatin has stimulated a continuing effort to identify the immunological mechanmisms underlying these potent clinical effects and to then devise new strategies to improve the GVL effect and apply principles learned in allogeneic stem cell transplantation to a wider context of immunotherapy for malignant disease.

Tom: What do you consider to be the most significant open questions and research challenges in your area?

Dr Barrett: The main challenges in this area are firstly to define the antigens driving T cell responses to leukemia, characterize successful T cell-leukemia cell interactions and apply translational research to adapt these findings into clinical strategies – developemnt of leuikemia vaccines, adoptive transfer of T cells and so on. Secondly, in the field of NK cell research we need to better understant the rules of engagement between NK cells and their target, define the way in which NK cells can control malignancies and again develop translational approaches to using NK cells in clinical treatments. and then to translate, and identify the NK-target cell interactions that lead to successful immunotherapy with NK cell infusions or methods to boost NK numbers and function.

Tom: Tell us about your collaborative research. Who else do you directly work with and what are the aims of your collaboration?

Dr Barrett: I believe collaborative research is the most effective way of moving the field forward – not only in the lab where at NIH we are fortunate in having almost limitless opportunities to work with scientists with diverse and highly specialise skills, but also in clinical research. This is particularly the case with our leukemia vaccine trials, where we are faced with the need to test a wide variety of schedules and indications. At a single institute it would take years to find enough patients to fully explore the various treatment approaches. We have therefore formed a “vaccine consortium” of five centers in the USA Europe and Australia with a view to sharing in coordinated but diverse trial approaches the vaccines, the outcome measurements, and the results of the trials. Similarly, stem cell transplantation is always a collaborative effort, both within the hospital unit where a multidisciplinary team is needed to assure the safe outcome for the patient, but also in the wider arena of the transplant community where ideas and results are shared rapidly among the specialists in the field.

Tom: Is balancing all these activities challenging? How do you deal with it and what tools do you find useful in doing so?

Dr Barrett: Diversity of effort always brings the challenge of keeping all the balls in the air and not ignoring one component of the operation. As well as having weekly meetings I have divided the activities of my research group into three sections and I meet with each subgroup for an hour a week. Keeping up with progress in the field is easy to do with the number of planned meetings I attend or those to which I am invited to participate as a speaker. The risk here is being away too much, although it is always valuable to talk to colleagues from around the world on a regular basis.

Tom: When did you decide to be primarily involved in the field that you are now in?

Dr Barrett: Many years ago! In 1970 I participated in the management of a child with severe combined immunodeficiency disease and was excited and fascinated by the successful outcome of this patient (the first allogeneic stem cell transplant for SCID in the United Kingdom). I think the scientific and clinical challenge of applying stem cell transplantation to the treatment of otherwise incurable diseases has never left me.

Tom: What resources do you find indispensible for your research work?

Dr Barrett: It's the combination of having a clinical research program closely linked to strong immunologically-based laboratory research that matters to me. The clinical work continually provides therapeutic challenges that require laboratory investigation to understand at the cellular and molecular level, with a view to moving back through translational research to apply new therapies to our patients.

Tom: What do you think about the development of open access publishing and open access development? How has it changed your perspective on research or development practices?

Dr Barrett: Open access publication for me is still an experiment with consequences that are as yet unclear. However the widspread availability of web-based science means it is inevitably going to gain an increasingly widening importance and acceptance within the scientific community. My concerns are how to maintain quality. Peer-review will be a critical component to maintain quality.

Tom: What books or journals do you think should be required reading for researchers working in your area?

Dr Barrett: Many journals cover my area of interest – Blood, Journal of Immunology, Nature Medicine, Leukemia, Haematologica, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Journal of Immunotherapy, Cytotherapy to name the most important.

Tom: What books are current on your reading list?

Dr Barrett: To be honest I don't have time for reading textbooks – I have just published a textbook in collaboration with Jennifer Treleaven called "Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Clinical Practice" (Amazon.com). Other wise I read history – I have just read "Austerity Britain" by David Kynaston – a vivid account of the early post war years of hardship for the country that I remember from childhood (Amazon.com).

Tom: Do you teach any courses? Is so, which ones?

Dr Barrett: At NIH we are primarliy a research institute but we do have a fellowship training program for hematology where I participate in lectures and informal training in clinical hematology and stem cell transplantation on a regular basis.

Tom: Which historical research figures do you think have most influenced you in how you think about research? Why are they significant?

Dr Barrett: In the field of stem cell transplantation, aside from our only Nobel Prize Winner E Donnal Thomas who set clinical stem cell transplantation on the map, the person who stands out most is Professor Georges Mathe with whom I was fortunate enough to train for a brief time at Villejuif, Paris. Mathe was brilliant. In the 1950s he had already grasped the significance of the graft-versus-leukemia effect and had pioneered clinical stem cell transplantation to treat leukemia and radiation injury.

Tom: Which meetings do you attend on a regular basis?

Dr Barrett: My meeting year starts with the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation followed by the European Group for Bone Marrow Transplantation, the International Society of Cellular Therapy and lastly, in December, the American Society of Hematology.

Tom: If you could change something about how research in your area is conducted, used, perceived, or resourced, what would it be?

Dr Barrett: I have to admit I work in an extremely favoured environment where day to day funding comes without the need to apply for grants. Our clinical trials are supported fully by the NIH which lessens our dependency on pharmaceutical companies and allows us great independence in trial design. We have access to a campus of over 6000 scientists so it is rare that we cannot find an expert in any field of biological science to collaborate with. It is almost true that the only limitation to performing innovative research rests with the abilities of the investigator. That said – yes – I would always welcome the opportunity to double the size of my core research group of 12 investigators and increase the clinical throughput, in order to more rapidly reach our goals of improving the treatment of human malignant diseases through immunotherapy.

My thanks to Dr Barrett.

International Journal of Insect Science launched

I'm pleased to announce the launch of International Journal of Insect Science, an open access peer reviewed journal published by Libertas Academica.

The journal is fortunate to have the support of an excellent Editor in Chief, Dr Helen Hull-Sanders, and an internationally respected editorial board. An interview with the Editor in Chief was published in this blog today.

Register to receive automatic notification of new articles and journal news here. The Editor in Chief's introductory editorial will be published within the next week.

Libertas Academica looks forward to working with the journal's Editor in Chief, editorial board and authors and readers in the future to bring the benefits of open access publishing to this important field.

Aims and scope:

International Journal of Insect Science is a peer-reviewed, open access journal that covers the ever expanding and economically important field of insect science. International communication and collaboration is becoming crucial to understanding and controlling insect pests and this journal acts as a forum for these findings.

International Journal of Insect Science covers all aspects of entomological research. We are interested in promoting research from all continents with the highest caliber of information, from the basic and experimental to the applied. Papers on all facets of insect science are welcome, including behavior, development, ecology, evolution, genetics, morphology, plant-insect interactions including pollination, physiology, reproduction, systematics and relationships with the environment, including invasion biology.

An interview with Dr Helen Hull-Sanders

This interview is with Dr Helen Hull-Sanders, the Editor in Chief of International Journal of Insect Studies and Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Canisius College.

Tom: What would you say is the primary focus of your research effort (and how do you refer to your 'sub-area')?

Dr Hull-Sanders: Broadly, I think I would classify myself either as an “evolutionary ecologist” or a “plant-insect biologist” depending on whom I need to impress. My research to date has addressed two evolutionary questions: What role do insects play in the maintenance of plant mixed-mating systems? and Do invasive plants maintain their secondary defenses in the absence of insect herbivores?

Tom: What do you consider to be the most significant developments arising from research in your area?

Dr Hull-Sanders: There are many significant developments in the field. We are sharpening our understanding of the complex interrelationship between insects and their host plants. Plants may not be able to avoid their attackers, but they do seem well equipped to either fend off or to tolerate the damage caused by herbivores. On the flip side, insects have become more sophisticated at avoiding plant defenses and often providing pollination services to strengthen their relationship with the host plant.

Tom: What do you consider to be the most significant open questions and research challenges in your area?

Dr Hull-Sanders: I think we need to increase our understanding of the consequences transgenic (genetically modified) plants have to the insect biodiversity while still providing food resources to the world. We are now more cognizant of the ramifications of pesticide use and the development of insect resistance, but the human population will always demand a higher crop yield while requiring minimal damage to the ecosystem. The only way this will happen is by using new and better technologies that will minimize traditional pesticide use.

Tom: Tell us about your collaborative research. Who else do you directly work with and what are the aims of your collaboration?

Dr Hull-Sanders: Currently, I am collaborating with Dr John Losey at Cornell University testing the non-target effects of the Cry III Bt transgenic corn. We are also trying to determine the changes in competition interactions between beetles within transgenic and traditional crops. I am also working with Robert Grebenok of Canisius College, Spence Behmer of Texas A&M University and Angela Douglas of Cornell University elucidating the relationship between changes in sterol content in transgenic tobacco and insect growth and fitness.

Robert Johnson of Medaille College, Gretchen Meyer of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Field Station and I have been testing the Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability hypothesis using native and invasive Solidago. While the field components have been tested, we are now trying to determine the evolutionary relationships between populations in Europe and the United States and quantifying the secondary chemical defenses.

And if that wasn’t enough, I am working with the Buffalo Museum of Science and the Tift Nature Preserve to establish butterfly exhibits and habitats.

Tom: Is balancing all these activities challenging? How do you deal with it and what tools do you find useful in doing so?

Dr Hull-Sanders: Of course it is challenging! First and foremost I have a supportive family. There have been any number of times that my husband has been my field assistant. I could not do my job without the people around me being understanding. Scientists are not normal people – we don’t turn off at five o’clock and go home. It is the challenge that we love. Each new question, new experiment, new discovery just propels us to the next.

As far as tools go, I am grateful for the cell phone. I lived on an island for three months while doing my Master’s research where I couldn’t contact anyone easily. That was really difficult. Now, I can call home every night and share my experiences.

Tom: When did you decide to be primarily involved in the field that you are now in?

Dr Hull-Sanders: Sometimes I believe that my field chose me; that I did not choose it. I began working with the cotton boll weevil (Anthonomous grandis) at the University of Texas at Austin. At the time, I was working with graduate students and post-docs in Dr. Mary Ann Rankin’s lab. I really wanted to be an ornithologist, but each time I proposed some kind of bird project, the job opportunities brought me back to insects. My master’s degree enabled me to live and study in the República de Panamá working with leaf-cutting ants (Atta colombica) which led directly to a PhD opportunity in the Department of Entomology at Auburn University. I look back now and realize how absolutely lucky I was to have the opportunities I’ve had. Insects, especially beetles, are so complex and fascinating that I cannot believe I ever wanted to study something so limiting as birds!

Tom: What resources do you find indispensible for your research work?

Dr Hull-Sanders: Computers. I cannot imagine trying to do a literature search or analyze data without computers. It is hard to imagine that 15 years ago the Science Citation Index was a book. Scholarly resources like ‘Google Scholar’ and ‘JSTOR’ are just so amazing. Even inter-library loan requests come to you within a few days and more often than not, they are .pdf files. Have some non-parametric data? The home laptop can analyze most data within moments. Even the collection of field data has gotten easier because of the convenience and accessibility of computers.

Tom: What do you think about the development of open access publishing and open access development? How has it changed your perspective on research or development practices?

Dr Hull-Sanders: Others have said this and I agree - open access journals are wonderful. The time it takes to make significant (and maybe not so significant, but important none-the-less) discoveries available has shortened considerably. This has enabled students, especially, to formulate and refine their research questions to reduce time wasted.

Tom: What books do you think should be required reading for researchers working in your area?

Dr Hull-Sanders: The Growth of Biological Thought: Diversity, Evolution and Inheritance (1982) by Ernst Mayr (Amazon.com).

Tom: What books are current on your reading list?

Dr Hull-Sanders: A great friend and mentor recently gave me her copy of The Origin (1980) by Irving Stone (Amazon.com). Oddly enough, I’ve never read this book before. I was privileged enough to visit the Darwin exhibit at the Natural History Museum in New York City in 2006 and find his life to be inspiring.

Tom: Do you teach any courses? Is so, which ones?

Dr Hull-Sanders: I am currently working at a Jesuit teaching college, so I teach a multitude of undergraduate courses. Each fall I teach Ecology, Evolution and Population Biology as well as an Entomology course. Each spring I teach an introductory or non-majors biology course as well as an upper level Evolution course.

Tom: Which historical research figures do you think have most influenced you in how you think about research? Why are they significant?

Dr Hull-Sanders: Well, of course Darwin and Wallace are by far the most important influences to my research. However, I cannot allow Lamarck to go by unmentioned. He coined the term “invertebrate” while at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle and continued to work and research under the villain, Cuvier. Ehrlich and Raven were/are so very important to our understanding of the co-evolution of plants and insects.

Tom: Which meetings do you attend on a regular basis?

Dr Hull-Sanders: I regularly attend the Ecological Society of America meeting, the Entomological Society of America meeting, the Society for the Study of Evolution, and the Botanical Society of America meeting.

Tom: If you could change something about how research in your area is conducted, used, perceived, or resourced, what would it be?

Dr Hull-Sanders: It would be ideal if there were greater translation of research findings. I know that there is great research being done in every country on the planet. Our problem is not that we don’t have a universal language – we do, it’s called science. Our problem is that we don’t have enough international collaborations, translations, and funding foundations. It is my hope that the International Journal of Insect Studies will begin to close the gaps between researchers and provide a means to have conversations that were impossible 20 years ago.

My thanks to Dr Hull-Sanders.