Biology Open (BiO) was launched in 2011 following discussions among the directors of The Company of Biologists that focused on the ‘pain to publish’ experienced by authors. From these discussions grew the idea of a journal that would make a difference to the publishing experience of authors, reduce the burden of repetitive review and provide a freely accessible collection of high-quality articles. Twelve years later and BiO is an established journal for the whole of the biological sciences community.
Professor Jordan Raff was appointed Founding Editor-in-Chief, succeeded by Professor Steven Kelly in 2018. In July 2023, Steve's tenure as Editor-in-Chief of BiO comes to an end. After a successful five years at the helm of BiO, Steve has decided it is time to step down from the role. The Board of Directors of The Company of Biologists was charged with appointing his successor. The BiO Advisory Group, a subset of the Directors of the Company, comprising Julian Burke, Jane Langdale and myself, joined by fellow director Steve Royle and publisher Claire Moulton, took responsibility for the recruitment process.
After a rigorous selection process, we are delighted to announce that Professor Daniel Gorelick will be the next Editor-in-Chief of BiO. Daniel is an associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. He leads a biomedical research laboratory that uses genetic tools in zebrafish to study how endogenous and environmental hormones influence the development and function of the heart, brain, gonad and other tissues. He graduated with a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his PhD at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Postdoctoral Fellowships at the US Department of State and at the Carnegie Institution for Science followed. Dan's appointment begins on 1 July 2023. However, he has already started working with the editorial team based in Cambridge, UK, to ensure a seamless handover. Dan will outline his vision for the journal in an Editorial to be published later in 2023 and we will learn more about him in an interview.
I would like to extend my thanks to Steve on behalf of BiO and the Board of Directors of The Company of Biologists. Steve has been a dedicated and innovative Editor-in-Chief. He initiated the Future Leader and A Year at the Forefront Reviews program, which aims to particularly support early-career researchers. He has also overseen the launch of the Forest of Biologists, an idea that began from discussions at BiO, but ended up as a company-wide biodiversity initiative supported by the Woodland Trust. It will be a lasting legacy.
I also want to congratulate Daniel on his appointment, and look forward to working with him and seeing BiO evolve under his stewardship.
