A Quarter Century at the Helm

A Quarter Century at the Helm

This year—2012—marks the 25th year that Alan J. Gelenberg, MD, has been the editor of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. This remarkable tenure is the result of hard work, independent judgment, artful persuasion, and unfaltering dedication. Thanks to the efforts of Dr Gelenberg and his dedicated associates, The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry has grown into an indispensable print and Web resource for mental health professionals around the world.

As the Journal has grown so has the field; during the past 25 years, we have seen the introduction of revolutionary medications for the treatment of depression, schizophrenia, and related psychotic disorders; better studied psychotherapies; an understanding of P450 enzymes and interactions; and we are now communicating with colleagues and patients in more efficient electronic modalities. We’ ve also seen a glimpse of what advances in neurobiology, such as imaging and the genome, may offer for future clinical practice. Also noteworthy is a successful effort for mental health parity with traditional medical illnesses and a shift of the locus of psychiatric care from the large institutions to more community-based facilities along with, of course, the increased red tape and complications surrounding payment for services.

As the Journal has grown so has Dr Gelenberg’s professional career. In 1987 when first assuming the editorship, Dr Gelenberg was an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard and part of the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Department as well as the psychiatrist-in-chief at the Arbour, a Boston-based hospital. In 1989, Dr Gelenberg became a professor and head of the Psychiatry Department at the University of Arizona and remained there until 2008 when he moved to the University of Wisconsin and became president and CEO of Healthcare Technology Systems of Madison, Wisconsin. Most recently, Dr Gelenberg became the Shively/Tan Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Penn State University. During his tenure, Dr Gelenberg has also been an active author, lecturer, and member of various committees of the American Psychiatric Association.

As the editor in chief of JCP, Dr Gelenberg has helped to attract submissions from the leading researchers and clinicians in the field. During the past 25 years, the Journal has grown from a solid journal into an exemplary scholarly publication with a worldwide circulation of 35,000, and is one of the most well read and cited authorities in the field.

On a more personal level, I have had the pleasure of working with Alan as a colleague, friend, and collaborator. I can’ t imagine that a better editor/publisher relationship exists today, and my hope is that we continue on to make the vital JCP of today the essential psychiatric and medical resource of tomorrow.

John S. Shelton, PhD

Publisher