TCT Turns 30: Celebrating Progress and Pioneers
In this month’s President’s Message, Dr. David Porter highlights the 30th anniversary of ASTCT’s official journal, Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, celebrating its growing impact and editorial leadership under Dr. Robert Korngold. He introduces a new article format — Research Communications — for rapid publication of high-impact findings, and reminds members of the annual ASTCT Editorial Awards for young investigators. Dr. Porter also encourages readers to explore the ongoing “Reflections and Profiles of a Pioneer” series, and to stay engaged with the journal and society throughout the summer.
Transcript
Hello, ASTCT. Thanks for listening to this July's president's message. We're now in full swing of summer, and for many, summer often means a time to slow down a little — maybe take a little vacation and do some reading. If you're looking for fun and exciting reading this summer, don't forget to take your copy of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy to the beach!
Okay — so maybe not on vacation, but I'm highlighting the journal this month for several reasons. Remember, the TCT journal is our society's journal. It's designed to have the very best science and clinical reports that are so important to all of our members. And this year, our journal has been publishing cutting-edge research for 30 years. That's right; it's our 30-year anniversary.
Originally, you may remember, it was named Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, and we changed that name in 2021 to align with the changes in our society and our field. We've since been rebuilding our name recognition and our momentum. Initially, the name change impacted our impact factor, but as of last month, I'm happy to say our impact factor jumped nearly a full point. That shows the continued influence of our publication.
For 24 of the 30 years we've been publishing, our colleague Dr. Robert Korngold has been at the journal's helm as the editor. Since 2001, Bob has provided incredible leadership and dedication, as well as vision and commitment to shape the journal into what it is today. And next year, we should have special recognition for his 25th anniversary.
I hope you take time to flip through the journal itself, the hard copy, as there have been some really important new updates. Notably, we've introduced a new article category called Research Communications. These are to be structured as letters to the editor and are designed to be clear and concise, focusing on significant findings or insights that are highly relevant to the field. They're intended for high impact, though perhaps briefer results of scientific importance. Importantly, these submissions are eligible for expedited review and rapid publication. I would encourage you to consider this format when you come across an important finding that you think deserves timely dissemination.
Additionally, I want to remind you and your trainees of our yearly ASTCT Editorial Awards, which recognize young investigators. These awards fall into three categories: Clinical Science, the George Santos Award; Basic Science, the Ernest McCulloch and James Till Award; and Clinical Science and Cellular Therapy, the Robert Korngold Award. The prize for each of these is $6000, and winners are recognized with a presentation and talk at our annual meeting next year, as you know, in Salt Lake City.
Remember, this is your society and your journal, and the best way to disseminate your important research to your colleagues is to consider publishing in TCT. Finally, look through the series started by our colleagues Keith Sullivan and Steve Forman, titled Reflections and Profiles of a Pioneer. We've been publishing these for two years now, since July 2023. Reflections capture the more human aspect of what we all do. And I think you'll find them both inspirational and heartwarming. Profiles of Pioneers highlights the careers of some of the true giants in our field. And this will give you a really remarkable perspective on the history of transplant and cell therapy, but really on the lives and work of the pioneers that made it all happen.
That’s my update on the journal, and thank you all for listening. I hope you take a moment to check it out, even if not for your summer beach reading. I hope everyone does have some time to do what they most enjoy this summer, however, and so until next time, take care. Thank you, and please stay involved in your society.