With the arrival of the summer, I am very pleased to highlight some milestones that have been reached in the past few months.
A major step has been the publication of the Precision Psychiatry Roadmap perspective paper. The Roadmap initiative was launched at the ECNP New Frontiers Meeting in Nice last year, when we discussed the outlook for a new biology-informed classification system for mental disorders. The Roadmap paper lays out the route for getting us there.
Following the meeting, the Roadmap steering committee, with representation from major professional associations, academia, industry, regulatory agencies, and with input from patient and patient-family organisations, set to work to develop a set of principles and procedures by which research can continuously improve precision diagnostics and treatments while moving away from traditional nosology. The outline, scope and implementation steps necessary to realise this ambition are set out in the Roadmap perspective paper. It is a long-term plan that will require global stakeholder involvement. We are looking forward to working with you all to achieve it!
Another milestone reached is the
new and completely revised ECNP website that, together with the new
ECNP Knowledge Hub, provides a platform to further enhance the ECNP community. We have designed the Knowledge Hub to be ECNP's central resource for researchers and clinicians in applied neuroscience, featuring educational courses, webinars and podcasts. Do check it out if you have not already.
Yet another level of science dissemination happens through our two ECNP journals. In the last month, both journals notched up some major achievements. The fully owned ECNP journal
Neuroscience Applied just got approved for listing on PubMed; we are expecting all published articles to be findable in the coming four-to-six weeks. In addition, our subscription journal
European Neuropsychopharmacology has achieved a new record impact factor of 6.7. Congratulations to the Editors-in-Chief Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg and Eduard Vieta, their editorial teams, and of course the authors and reviewers who are making this all possible!
Also, a new cohort of 21 new members for the
ECNP Early Career Academy (ECA) have been selected. The primary objective of the ECA is to serve as a springboard, facilitating sustained engagement with Early Career Scientists and supporting for them throughout their careers with ECNP. The ECA members, 42 in total at the moment, have established four interest groups to foster collaboration, innovation, and professional growth among early career researchers in the field of applied neuroscience. These groups provide a platform for Academy members to explore shared interests, develop new initiatives, and contribute to ECNP's broader mission of advancing science and education in mental health. These interest groups focus on topics around (1) education and outreach, (2) evidence and methodology, (3) translation, and (4) career development. I am looking forward seeing the ECA grow up to 100 members in the next three years, and also to seeing them all at the annual ECNP Congress.
Indeed, we are all very much looking forward to the upcoming 38th ECNP Congress in Amsterdam on 11-14 October. With a record number of nearly 2,300 abstract submissions and an excellent scientific programme ahead we truly hope to see you all soon in the Dutch capital with its historic canals, museums, and nightlife. Make sure to
register in time.
In the meantime, wishing you and your families a peaceful summer!
Martien Kas
ECNP President
