This blog is part of our Research Roundup series, hearing from the Editors-in-Chief of our three journals, Physiology Reports, Experimental Physiology and The Journal of Physiology each month. Their blogs are featured in our Research Roundup, a monthly newsletter, summarising the recent research published in our family of journals.
Professor Damian M. Bailey
Editor-in-Chief, Experimental Physiology
It’s been a busy 2024 so far for Experimental Physiology, with the summer already hot on our heels as I write this blog, although current (mid-June) ambient temperatures would suggest otherwise! Reading through the contents page of this month’s edition (and watching the EPicks videos, don’t miss Dr Andreas Fahlman’s Cardiorespiratory adaptations in small cetaceans and marine mammals featuring ‘Arthur’), the sheer breadth and depth of physiology that our journal covers is both striking and quietly satisfying. I simply couldn’t resist pulling a wordcloud image together to illustrate the diversity of the physiological ‘buzzwords’. You’ll note that ‘exercise’ continues to stand out as one of our most prominent research topics. ‘Pertinent physiology’ I hear you muse, given that the Tour de France (hence the bicycle) and Summer Olympic Games (all in France) are but weeks away!
So please take a moment to consider submitting your research to the Physiology and the Olympics special issue, complemented by others including Exercise as Medicine and Space physiology: challenges and solutions for a journey to Mars. We’re keen to expand on our special issue pipeline, so if you have any ‘hot’ topics of burning interest that you think will resonate with our readership, please complete the Experimental Physiology special issue proposal form and reach out with your ideas (ephjournal@physoc.org).
Our team can provide you with excellent guidance and support, and it’s a great way to organise and collaborate with peers to showcase the latest developments in your research field. And an important point especially for the early career researchers, articles published in these issues are read and cited 20% more than those published in regular issues! Visibility is important.
This blog also affords the opportunity to take a breath and reflect on a handful of notable developments worth celebrating. We are soon to launch our Editorial Board Fellowship scheme; we are actively engaged in ‘shared’ activities (e.g., writing editorials and encouraging more referrals/transfers) across The Physiological Society’s extended family of journals including Experimental Physiology, The Journal of Physiology and Physiological Reports, to better harness the collaborative synergies that exist within our wider community; and members of our team continue to engage with public health professionals and UK Government representatives at the House of Commons to provide physiology-based solutions to some of the major environmental challenges we are facing (e.g., Developing a Human-centred National Heat Resilience Strategy).
‘Poignant physiology’, given that only days ago, we sadly lost Dr Michael Moseley to the extremes of heat on the Greek island of Symi: Michael was a much valued colleague to those of us fortunate enough to have met and worked with him, and undeniably one of our national treasures for popular science communication who touched the lives of countless people.
Finally, we are all very much looking forward to seeing you at Physiology in Focus 2024 in Newcastle, and especially excited to meet up with our Scandinavian colleagues. Keep your eyes peeled for members of our Editorial Board including (journal) focused activities. In keeping with the exercise theme of this blog, while acknowledging the great scientific legacy of our Scandinavian friends, spare a moment to read this Editorial written with my Deputy-in-Chief (Europe), Dr Ronan Berg: himself a Dane!