Building On Our Strengths Toward a Bright Future

It is with profound gratitude, enthusiasm, and a deep sense of responsibility that I humbly take on my role as 7th Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences (CJNS).

February 2024 marked the 50^th anniversary of the inaugural issue of the CJNS. Over the past half-century as the official journal of the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation (CNSF), the CJNS has exemplified its founding mission to serve as a repository of articles spanning the breadth of the neurological sciences, from basic laboratory and translational studies, to human investigations in neuroimaging and neurophysiology, to clinically themed papers across neurology, neurosurgery, child neurology, and neuroradiology. To me, this remains the great strength and appeal of the Journal: as medicine becomes increasingly specialized and medical publications become ever narrower in scope, the CJNS distinguishes itself as a truly multidisciplinary endeavor, working to highlight the diverse scientific approaches and perspectives which fuel innovative neuroscience research, and underpin high-quality clinical neuroscience care. As the first neurosurgeon to serve as Editor-in-Chief, I will commit to maintaining the Journal’s multidisciplinary spirit, which is key to its long-term relevance and growth.

Thankfully, carrying on the Journal’s mission is going to be far easier because of the phenomenal leadership of our outgoing Editor-in-Chief, Dr Robert Chen. Dr Chen’s steady hand over the past decade helped navigate the CJNS through seismic changes, including the transition to exclusively online publication with our publisher, Cambridge University Press (CUP). The relationship forged between the CJNS, the CNSF, and Cambridge University Press has been extraordinarily fruitful, and it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to continue working with a forward-thinking leader in scholarly publishing. Because of Transformative Agreements signed by CUP with many institutions, the CJNS is in the advantageous position of granting a large proportion of our contributing authors—both in Canada and internationally—the opportunity to publish Open Access without an Article Processing Charge. No doubt this will further the reach and impact of the Journal. And on the topic of impact, under Dr Chen’s guidance the CJNS has steadily grown in prominence, now boasting an Impact Factor of 3.2, the strongest in its long history.

In many other ways, the Journal is in objectively great shape. Thanks to the volunteer efforts of our large and dedicated pool of reviewers highlighted in this issue, we continue to maintain the highest standards of peer review. Furthermore, we are one of the few journals of our size employing expert statistical review to ensure that published manuscripts include the most rigorous and reproducible statistical analyses. Engagement with our readership is at an all-time high, in large part due to the growing presence of CJNS on social media platforms (@JournalCJNS, facebook.com/JournalCJNS), guided by our formally appointed social media editors. We also continue to have the flexibility to publish special issues addressing topical themes relevant to the clinical neuroscience community; our most recent supplement (June 2023) focused on ethical concerns related to novel neurotechnologies, and now seems especially prescient as we confront heady developments such as Neuralink’s recent announcement of the first ever implantation of its wireless brain chip into a human.¹

From this foundation of strength, the CJNS is well positioned for the future. My highest priority for the Journal moving forward is to maintain and grow the flow of high-quality submissions from the neurological sciences community. Canadian and international colleagues alike can be confident that their manuscripts will be rigorously and rapidly reviewed, promoted and disseminated widely, and integrated into broader discussions around key themes in clinical neuroscience. Simply put: I believe the CJNS is a great venue for your best work.

In coming months, you will see our increasing commitment to using multimedia elements such as high-quality video and interactive/visual abstracts to enhance published articles. New article submission categories that encourage the use of multimedia will be forthcoming as well. The Journal will commit to principles of Open Science, and I am working with our publisher to facilitate the routine publication, as supplementary material, of datasets and reviewer commentaries alongside individual articles. On issues of management and stewardship, there will be some turnover in our group of Associate Editors, given the recent departure of Dr Richard Wennberg after many years of dedicated service, and the need for a neurosurgery-focused Associate Editor to take on my former role. Additionally, we will be carrying out a thorough review of our Editorial Board, to make sure we have in place a diverse membership in expertise, geography, gender, and phase of career attuned to the needs of the Journal and the neurological sciences community. In particular, I plan to increase efforts to have our early career colleagues involved not only in peer review activities, but also in steering the vision and management of the CJNS in years to come.

Over 50 years, the CJNS has steadily grown into a respected voice in the neurological sciences (with a Canadian flavor that the world needs!). I am excited about working with you, our readers and contributors, to help the Journal flourish while serving the needs of our community.