A changing of the guard has provided us the opportunity to contemplate the past and project into the future. Chris Fibiger and Herb Meltzer have not only very ably led this journal over the past three years, but have left us with big shoes to fill as they have eloquently set forth in their editorial in the last edition of the journal for 1998. The most recent impact factor (4.1) for the journal as determined by the Institute for Scientific Information places us well within the top 10% of both psychiatric and pharmacological journals and in the top 15% of neuroscience journals as well. In accepting the position of Editor-in-Chief of Neuropsychopharmacology, I well understand the responsibilities of building upon this momentum and the challenges that face this journal as we move into the millennium. As the official journal of the ACNP, and as described in our mission statement, Neuropsychopharmacology should represent a forum for publication of the best science that bears upon identifying the biological basis of neuropsychiatric disorders and the discovery of new pharmacological strategies for their prevention and/or treatment. The juxtaposition of the finest clinical and basic scientists in our field has served to create a most dynamic setting for scientific interaction for both the college and the journal. While we endeavor to create the bridges that will take us from the bench to the patient and back, our field is clearly dependent upon using the most creative and advanced experimental strategies in both the clinical and laboratory setting. Thus the journal must attract the best scientists to submit their best science.

It is in this light that I have reorganized the editorial team to include Field Editors in six major areas of scientific pursuit to emphasize our commitment to publishing the highest quality research across these scientific disciplines. I am pleased to welcome Ron Duman (molecular/cellular), Irwin Lucki (behavioral pharmacology), Raquel Gur (imaging), Jeff Lieberman (clinical psychopharmacology), Gary Aston-Jones (neurophysi-ology), and Wade Berrettini (Genetics). While we certainly have competition from specialty journals in each of the scientific areas of interest, Neuropsychopharmacology provides a unique venue for reaching a readership that reflects the most outstanding scientists across these various disciplines with a research interest in neuropsy-chiatric disorders. I can not agree more with Chris and Herb that the quality and creativity of the science must prove to be the criteria by which we determine publication priority. Each of our Field Editors is an accomplished working scientist with significant experience, and together with a newly appointed Editorial Board, will assure us the quality within the review process that is worthy of our constituents within the scientific community. It is also important to note that this editorial office has established procedures that will prove to streamline the review process and provide both timely yet high quality review of manuscripts that will assure rapid publication. Over the next six months each of these Field Editors will have the opportunity to provide an editorial reflecting upon their field of interest and its impact upon the future direction of the journal.

We also have appointed three senior editors to provide additional guidance and perspective to the journal in concert with the Editor-in-Chief. I am delighted that Bruce McEwen, Biff Bunney and John Tallman have agreed to accept my invitation to play such a role within our editorial team. The selection of these Senior Editors has been carefully crafted to bring to the journal the finest expertise from both a clinical and basic science perspective. While I am sure that I need not justify the qualifications of these scientists, it is important to note that John Tallman is also a respected representative of the pharmaceutical industry. Given the foundations of the ACNP and the mission of the journal, we have the opportunity of engaging the pharmaceutical industry at both a scientific and academic level. For it is in the pharmaceutical setting that some of the biggest advances in drug discovery strategies are occurring, and where issues including pharmacogenetics and pharmacoepide-miology are on the front burner. Over the coming year we will also look to each of our Senior Editors to provide a perspectives article that I am sure will enrich and awaken us to new scientific questions being addressed in their respective areas of expertise. In addition, together with the Editor-in-Chief, we will be providing perspective articles from noted scientists that will serve to not only provide an overview of important scientific advances for our readership but will hopefully signal new directions for both scientific interactions and composition of our college.

Together with Elsevier, Neuropsychopharmacology is also taking advantage of opportunities for enhancing our use of the electronic media and as of this month will not only have table of contents on line but access to full manuscripts. In addition I am most pleased to welcome Stan Watson who will serve as Electronic Media Consultant to the journal and will help coordinate the most effective integration of the journal into electronic publishing in concert with the ACNP and Elsevier.

I am highly optimistic regarding the future of Neuropsychopharmacology, and look forward with enthusiasm to working with my respected colleagues.