Editorial Cite This: Chem. Res. Toxicol. 2018, 31, 2−3
pubs.acs.org/crt
Point of Departure
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mental toxicology. Moreover, many scientists in areas such as biochemistry, pharmacology, and systems and chemical biology are making discoveries and creating tools that are highly valuable to the field of toxicology, and the journal will seek out contributions from these neighboring scientific fields.
point of departure can have many meanings, including where a journey begins. In toxicology, it has a particular meaning related to the dose at which a biological response is first observed and is a basis for making extrapolations needed for assessing risks. The concept underlies how the science of toxicology guides policies and products that impact the health of humans and the environment. As I begin my journey as Editor-in-Chief of Chemical Research in Toxicology, I believe the journal is deeply important for science and society, even urgently now as public health officials are, incredibly, discouraged from using words like science-based. The journal is also important as the flagship journal for studies that address chemical aspects of toxicology. Chemistry is central to many problems in toxicology because it informs an understanding and prediction of adverse biological outcomes on the basis of molecular structures and processes. In the 30 years since the inception of Chemical Research in Toxicology with Larry Marnett as Editor-in-Chief as well as Paul Hollenberg as Associate Editor, the journal has become known for its high scientific quality and top-notch treatment by a deeply knowledgeable and dedicated editorial team. This legacy was carried forward by Steve Hecht as Editor-in-Chief and Lisa Peterson as Associate Editor, together with long-time Associate Editors Judy Bolton and Fred Guengerich. I am deeply thankful for their hard work and dedication, and I am honored to lead the journal into the future. Looking to the future, toxicology is undergoing a major paradigm shift from an area of phenomenological observations to a science of predictive models. As modern as this view on predictive toxicology is, it is completely in line with the early vision of Chemical Research in Toxicology and its focus on mechanistic aspects of toxicology. Our mechanism-based framework, together with strength in strategies for quantifying chemical and molecular markers, underlies complex systemsoriented concepts. Therefore, as broader areas of toxicology embrace these concepts and create solid foundations for understanding biological systems, so can the breadth of research in the journal grow.
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A GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY Scientific diversity and the impacts of new tools and discoveries are important around the world. As a first-generation Dominican American who has spent over eight years living and doing science in Europe, I value the positive broad impact of a global community and its diversity of ideas and approaches. The worldwide contributors to Chemical Research in Toxicology represent the global importance of toxicology and the people advancing it. Building that community, the journal is fortunate to have a strong alliance with the American Chemical Society’s division of Chemical Toxicology. Its programming and activities at scientific meetings are a platform for the very latest findings. Importantly, the division also fosters a supportive and inclusive community that promotes a diversity of science and scientists carrying out fascinating and important research relevant to toxicology. A particularly valuable role is the nurturing of young scientists’ careers, and Chemical Research in Toxicology will continue to sponsor the annual Young Investigator in Toxicology award.
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NEW ITEMS ON THE HORIZON In the first months of 2018, I look forward to sharing new developments underway for the journal. Watch out for the new front matter, ToxWatch. It will be a forum for interesting perspectives and opinions on current issues in toxicology, including aspects of policy, risk assessment practices, and for explaining how particular research findings in toxicology are anticipated to impact society. I warmly welcome many new members joining the Editorial Advisory Board, thank continuing members for their sustained service, and will soon introduce a new team of Associate Editors. As we depart on our journey with Chemical Research in Toxicology, our goal is to maintain the journal’s highest standards of quality while including a broader range of toxicology-relevant topics. We are looking forward to submissions from all corners of the globe addressing topics of high current relevance. Wishing you a great start into the new year and please enjoy the first 2018 issue of Chemical Research in Toxicology. Shana J. Sturla* Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 9, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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A BROAD SCIENTIFIC SCOPE Chemical Research in Toxicology is a platform for communicating results with a real potential impact on the predictive capacity of toxicology. With the publication of this issue, you will find a new scope for the journal, including an overarching goal of providing knowledge and innovative approaches needed to promote intelligent solutions for the safety of humans and the environment. In addition to research articles, the journal will publish Rapid Reports of important findings of urgent interest as well as Chemical Profiles that provide novel data from the use of bioanalysis approaches such as proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, genomics, high content imaging, and multiomics strategies. Such data will be key for building highquality predictive models and for formulating mechanistic hypotheses. This framework is relevant to a wide range of domains, including developmental, nanomaterial, and environ© 2018 American Chemical Society
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail:
[email protected]. Phone: +41 44 632 91 75. Published: January 16, 2018 2
DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.7b00341 Chem. Res. Toxicol. 2018, 31, 2−3
Chemical Research in Toxicology
Editorial
ORCID
Shana J. Sturla: 0000-0001-6808-5950 Notes
Views expressed in this editorial are those of the author and not necessarily the views of the ACS.
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DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.7b00341 Chem. Res. Toxicol. 2018, 31, 2−3
