This marks my first issue as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics (referred to as the Journal hereafter). I admit I am humbled at being selected for this role and yet anxious at the same time. The journal has a deep history in our field. Started in 1973 as the Journal of Pharmacokinetics and Biopharmaceutics by Sidney Riegelman, Leslie Benet, and Malcolm Rowland, it was later changed in 2001 to the Journal of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics to reflect changes in the field. Soon after its launch it became the premier journal of the field. Even today, publication in the journal is seen as an honor and a sign of quality of the research. Over the years, the editors who have maintained the journal have become a who’s who of preeminent scientists in our field: Tom Ludden, Leon Aarons, William Elmquist, and most recently, William Jusko. Those are big shoes to fill and that is why I am humbled to have been selected to be the next editor.

At the same time, there is much competition today for where someone can send their manuscripts. Many reputable and unreputable journals are in place today competing for manuscripts. This is why I am nervous. My primary goal as editor is to maintain the highest standard of quality and make the journal as the first choice for publication of pharmacometric-related manuscripts. Over the upcoming year you will see some changes to the journal. In addition to Mats Karlsson, who served as Associate Editor of the journal along with me under Bill’s tenure, Stephen Duffull, from the University of Otago, and Wojciech Krzyzanski from the State University of New York, Buffalo, have been added as Associate Editors. The Editorial Board will be updated. The look and feel of the journal will also change as we attempt to modernize the journal and make it more read-able and user friendly using today’s technology. As an official journal of the International Society of Pharmacometrics (ISoP), I take the ‘International’ part of our name very seriously and will actively encourage more manuscripts from outside North America and Europe. And expect to see more proactive advertising of recent publications and highlights using social media. If you have any comments or suggestions about how the journal can be improved and updated, please contact me directly at peter.bonate@astellas.com.

I would be remiss if I did not thank William Jusko, the past Editor-in-Chief for the last 13 years, for all his hard work and stewardship of the journal. Under Bill’s leadership the journal is stronger than ever with an scientific impact factor of 2.91 for 2018. Bill’s leadership will be missed. On a personal note, I want to thank Bill for all his support and encouragement over the years, particularly when I was starting out as Associate Editor of the journal and knew little about how the process from submission to publication works. Please join me in thanking Bill for his service to the journal.