Abstract
It was the best time, and it was the worst time, at least in my lifetime, to take over as editor-in-chief of a journal devoted specifically to the host response to viral infections, but when the journal that published your first primary author article asks you to take its helm, you simply cannot say no. I was truly honored to be offered this role, but also mildly intimidated, because in doing so, one takes on responsibility for something important that other people put their hearts into building for years. For 14 years Viral Immunology has been under the nurturing care of Dr. David L. Woodland, or Woody, as most of you would know him. The only sad point for me as the new editor-in-chief is that I will not get to work with this exceptional man whom I have quickly come to know. Woody set me up perfectly by calling his final editorial “Passing the Torch.” In the time that he held the torch, he worked hard to maintain the journal's focus on viral immunology as a home for research devoted to the immune response against viruses. We were all delighted to see that the journal's 2019 impact factor increased by 20%, which was due to the highly cited special issues Woody generated. So as I proudly accept the torch, I must thank Woody on behalf of everyone who has published in, reviewed for, or worked with this journal. You will be missed, Woody.
The last thing I say at the end of every “Emerging Viruses” lecture I give is, “We don't really need to worry too much about any of the viruses I've talked about today, because they've already emerged. The one's we really need to worry about are the viruses we don't yet know about.” This is exactly what our species is facing today. Those who study viruses with pandemic potential have been warning us for years, but I do not think anyone ever really expected something of this magnitude. If anything, we have been lucky that this virus is not one with a higher mortality rate. I find myself in awe of the adaptability our species has shown through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and ironically, this extreme adaptability is matched only by the viruses we study. We have all been in a mode of survival and adaptation for the past 6 months as we learn new ways to live and work. As a result, I have not yet had much time to think about my own vision for Viral Immunology, but I know I want to evolve it. I plan to revisit the scope of the journal to re-emphasize innate immunity, and generate more special issues. We will also increase our social media presence, and as all journals should do, we need to examine the levels of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our editorial board. Viral Immunology is the only journal we know of that is dedicated specifically to immune responses against viruses, and in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the immune response against the virus is top priority. There are many burning questions regarding the immune response against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Will antibodies generated against the virus during infection protect against subsequent infection? Do infected individuals make neutralizing antibodies? Can we dampen the virus-induced inflammation? What kind of immune response will be protective? What kind of vaccine will generate such a response? Viral Immunology exists precisely for studies addressing questions such as these.
I need to take a moment to apologize to authors who submitted articles during this tumultuous time, and I truly appreciate your patience. It took time for many of us to adjust to working from home, especially if you also had children or family members in your care. Many coronavirus researchers quickly incorporated this new virus into their research programs, and many virology and immunology researchers scrambled to set up new research projects programs on SARS-CoV-2. And many who do not actually plan to study this virus or the immune response against it selflessly volunteered their limited time to review grant applications and articles for those who are studying these things. This is truly appreciated and demonstrates the generosity and collegiality that exists within the scientific community. When I asked Woody what was the greatest challenge he faced as editor-in-chief, he said without hesitation that it was finding reviewers for articles, but I think we both underestimated how much harder that would be during a global viral pandemic. Our submissions are up 85% already this year, likely because of extra articles being submitted on SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19. So to the reviewers who have been helping me so far, I sincerely thank you, and to those who have had to say no, I understand, we need to be a little selfish with our time right now, but please remember that we all need the right expertise reviewing our work.
In Woody's final editorial, he graciously thanked the publishing team he worked with for years at Mary Ann Liebert, and I can already see how valuable they will be to me as I carry the torch in the coming years. Sarah Fishkin, Sri Raghuram, and Heather Malloy are exceptional in their roles and have been invaluable to me already. I look forward to many years of working with them and I hope we can keep the momentum Woody built.