It is with a great sense of honor and responsibility that I assume leadership of Molecular Pharmacology, following in the footsteps of many of my own mentors and role models. Several of these individuals were co-authors on a thoughtful review article (Brown et al, 2015), that reflected on the history of the journal. Most recently, Molecular Pharmacology has been skillfully managed by Dr. Stephen Traynelis as Editor over a distinguished term that encompassed the journal's 50th anniversary. It has been a distinct pleasure to work with Steve and the ASPET staff during the transition period.

In the process of renewing terms for existing members of the editorial team, as well as recruiting new members, it has been particularly gratifying and humbling for me to receive unsolicited comments from scientists across the globe that evince their passion, energy, enthusiasm, and even sentimental feelings for the journal. Examples are as follows:

“I consider Mol Pharmacol to be one of the best there is.”“I'm a big believer in journals like Mol. Pharm., and want to see them thrive.”“I consider it as one of my major achievements that I have been serving on the board of Molecular Pharmacology for over 18 years”“Molecular Pharmacology holds a special place for me…I published some of my earliest papers there.”

The comments provided above demonstrate the exceptional commitment of the editorial team to the journal. This dedication has enabled the retention of a team of outstanding scientists with a wide range of interests. The editorial team already included esteemed pharmacologists from throughout the world; most will be continuing in their editorial roles over the next three years. A key feature of Molecular Pharmacology is that authors can be assured that their work will be reviewed by experts familiar with the standards and nuances of pharmacology as a discipline. The major areas of emphasis of the journal will remain the same. These include receptors and ion channels as molecular targets, mechanistic aspects of cell signaling related to drug action, cancer therapeutics, molecular and genomic facets of drug metabolism, and drug discovery. Manuscripts published in the journal use a wide range of approaches, from computational modeling and structural biology to gene editing and animal models. Expertise will be continually added in emerging areas. All new members of the editorial board are approved by the ASPET Board of Publications Trustees to ensure continued high quality of the review process. Dr. Traynelis installed Dr. T.J. Murphy as Statistics Editor; Dr. Murphy has now been joined by Dr. Harvey Motulsky in this capacity. All articles published in the journal will be subject to statistical review by one of these Associate Editors, emphasizing the journal's commitment to reproducibility in science and to exemplary data quality. New editorial board members have been added to increase coverage in the area of lipid signaling, an area of increasing therapeutic emphasis. Importantly, new additions reflect the serious commitment of ASPET to inclusivity, with the goal of fully representing the diversity of ASPET membership on the editorial board.

As the Associate Editors meet over the next few months, there will be discussions of how to broaden opportunities for journal contributors through greater flexibility, e.g., in the length and format of articles published in the journal. Mini-reviews will continue to be a critical component, under the guidance of Dr. Graeme Milligan. Special editions will continue a recent tradition of highlighting pharmacology research from selected geographic locales, as well as focusing on areas of topical interest. We will be exploring ways in which to better recognize the enormous contributions of pre- and post-doctoral trainees to manuscripts published in the journal.

Molecular Pharmacology is a prominent journal with a proud history of service to the profession, but it changes with the times to remain at the forefront. Great science, high impact, and rigorous standards are aspirations that will keep it there. The journal management team is always looking for new approaches that will benefit ASPET members as well as the international community of pharmacologists. Please feel free to provide your ideas and feedback (MolPharmacolEditor{at}aspet.org). I look forward to hearing from you at the annual ASPET meeting, or wherever our paths may cross.

• Copyright © 2016 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics