LETTER FROM THE EDITOR - MARCH

 

Hello JITC Readers,

For more than 10 years, I have had the honor and the pleasure of being at the helm of the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC). It has been an absolutely extraordinary experience. Many of you know that I have transitioned already to Professor Emeritus at University of Lausanne. As I contemplate the next phase of my career, the time has come for me to pass the baton on to another to lead JITC so that they may experience all the inspiration and community that the journal has to offer. 

Being the Founding Editor-in-Chief of JITC has been one of the most exciting and rewarding tasks in my academic career. The effort to build JITC, shared with several successive leaders at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) as well as publishers BMC (2013–2019) and BMJ (2020–present), has made it all the more special. 

I would like to express my appreciation to the team of nearly 100 editors, especially to Section Editors—Kees Melief, Sjoerd van der Burg, Douglas McNeel, Claudia Palena, Jeff Weber, Ignacio Melero, Alexandra Snyder, Howard Kaufman, Sebastian Kobold, Marcela Maus, Robert Ferris, Sandra Demaria, Laurence Fong, and Christian Capitini—former Section Editors, and Specialty Editors. I also thank the multiple teams at SITC that support the journal in various, critical ways. Most especially, I express my deepest gratitude to our Managing Editor, Andrea Kunz, and Assistant Managing Editor, Matthew Erickson, who are the tireless brains and hands keeping JITC thriving and vibrant. There simply is not enough space here to name all of the society’s and scientific community’s members who have generously accompanied us in this successful publishing adventure.

As I transition into a new role with the journal as a Consulting Editor for Special Series and Reviews, I am pleased to share that our current JITC Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Dr. James Gulley, is stepping into the role of Interim Editor-in-Chief starting in April while SITC conducts an open search for the next Editor-in-Chief later this year. Having worked with him on the journal over the past several years, I am grateful to see his leadership recognized and know he will carry the role of Interim Editor-in-Chief with pride. I also congratulate our dedicated Section Editor, Sjoerd van der Burg, who will be promoted to Interim Deputy Editor-in-Chief during this transition period. I wish James, Sjoerd, the editorial team, and all the JITC family continued success. With them in the pilot’s cockpit, the journal enters into its second decade of its life as the vehicle to accelerate the discovery and implementation of new treatments for cancers based on the immune system.

Regards,

Pedro J. Romero, MD
Editor-in-Chief, Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer