The Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology (JCTH) editorial board meeting was held in Chongqing, China on November 18, 2023.
The following opening remarks were made:
On this happy occasion – the 10th anniversary of the founding of JCTH – I would like to first thank those of you whose dedication and hard work have made possible JCTH’s rise from an unknown startup publication to a respected source of new information in hepatology. This year, however, we celebrate not only the longevity of the publication but also the persistent high quality of the publisher organization and its product throughout those 10 years.
The story of JCTH began in the summer of 2011, when Prof. Hong Ren envisioned the establishment of a new English-language journal for hepatology. Dr. Harry Hua-Xiang Xia, Dr. Selin He, and I met to discuss the possibility of starting such a new journal for a worldwide audience. Most of the other hepatology journals at that time included very basic studies or purely clinical reports. Also, most articles in those journals lacked uniformly clear and easily understandable diagrams and illustrations. So, I felt a strong justification for fulfilling this need.
After careful discussion, our collective objective was to produce a new publication dedicated to two principles:
Publishing novel contributions that have a direct impact on the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases, and translational hepatology.
Emphasizing detailed, clear, accurate and artistic diagrams and illustrations. Examples of this emphasis are seen on our cover pages.
Of course, the launch of a new journal requires funds. This is where the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and my colleague Prof. Hong Ren played a critical role in making JCTH possible through their academic and financial support. It was then that the diligent efforts and respected global influence of Prof. Hong Ren and Dr. Harry Hua-Xiang Xia were able to facilitate the assembly of an Editorial Board, with dedicated Associate and Academic Editors, and strong editorial staff.
The first quarterly issue of JCTH was released on September 28, 2013, and during that first year, 38 manuscripts were submitted for consideration of publication upon peer-review. Seven years after this humble beginning, on November 10, 2020, JCTH was selected to be included in the Web of Science index, and articles published after December 31, 2017, were listed in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded, and other important science indices. Then, on June 29, 2021, JCTH received its first impact factor (4.108), followed by its second (5.065) on June 28, 2022 and its third (3.6) on June 28, 2023. During this time, JCTH also expanded its quarterly publication cycle to a bimonthly cycle in February 2021 and then to a monthly cycle in November 2023. Meanwhile, total annual submissions steadily increased, from the original 38 in 2013 to 607 in 2022.
While I could review more impressive past statistics, I think it is more important to focus not on the past but on the future. Indeed, it is critical that we maintain and even improve the quality and relevance of the Journal in the face of increasing numbers of new journals, competition from other types of medical media, and continuing advancements in technologies. We also need to stay on the leading edge of recognizing and addressing the evolving needs of the hepatology community, encompassing its researchers and clinicians as well as patients.
To address the challenges of the future, we must maintain our commitment to excellence, to continued improvement, and to recognition and accommodation of the needs of our readership audience. Therefore, we wish not only to celebrate but to involve all of you in the planning and development of strategies to deal with the challenges that JCTH will have to tackle in the immediate future. The future success of JCTH can only be achieved by the continued excellent performance of our entire team.
I would like to end by taking this opportunity, once again, to thank my Co-Editors-in-Chief, Associate and Academic Editors, Editorial Board Members, and Editorial Staff for their invaluable efforts, and urge all to continue to strive for the Journal’s ever-increasing reputation, relevance, and importance.
George Y. Wu, M.D., Ph.D.
Comprehensive Editor-in-Chief
On behalf of Prof. Hong Ren, General Editor-in-Chief and
Dr. Harry Hua-Xiang Xia, Co-Editor-in-Chief
November 2023
Below are messages from the JCTH Editorial Board:
Executive Associate Editors
“Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of JCTH's founding! I wish JCTH greater innovation and achievement in future. In particular, JCTH continues to inspire and pioneer in the clinical and translational fields of hepatology!”
—Prof. Fu-Sheng Wang
Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, China
“JCTH has become one of the leading hepatology journals and provides an excellent academic exchange platform for hepatologists, both at home and abroad.”
—Ji-Dong Jia
Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, China
Associate Editors
“Congratulations on JCTH’s 10-year birthday! It is particularly commendable that JCTH remains focused on the clinical frontier and provides the latest scientific research results. The greatest honor is found in participating at the beginning of building new achievements. I look forward to JCTH getting better and better as it moves forward.”
—Prof. Xiao-Guang Dou
Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, China
“Being part of JCTH has been a significant privilege. Initially as part of the Editorial Board and later as an Associate Editor, I have experienced the gratification of contributing to the editorial process and have gained valuable lessons along the way. Ethics play a crucial role in evaluations, and as an Associate Editor, I have been mindful of the responsibility to maintain the highest credibility and reputation for the Journal.
In 2020, the award for the most cited article in the Journal was an achievement that underscored the relevance and contribution of my work to the scientific community. Last year, I received recognition from JCTH as an Outstanding Associate Editor, an honor that reflects the commitment and effort I have devoted to my role with the Journal.
Looking ahead, I have high expectations for JCTH. I firmly believe in its ability to continue being a leading source of knowledge in the field. I will continue dedicating my efforts and expertise to help ensure the ongoing success of the Journal and to uphold the ethical standards that are fundamental to its positive impact on the scientific community.”
—Prof. Nahum Mendez-Sanchez
National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico
“Starting from the initiative and vision of all editorial teams, especially those of Prof. Hong Ren, Prof. George Y. Wu, and Dr. Harry Hua-Xiang Xia, JCTH has emerged as an outstanding journal in the field of hepatology, recognized across the globe. JCTH is today a trusted hepatology information source, contributing to hepatology knowledge and practice around the world. Ten years is a truly short period, but JCTH has maximized their efforts in that time, as proven by its indexing in the PubMed database and its attaining high impact factors year by year. Thanks to all readers, authors, reviewers, and editorial teams who made these achievements possible. I am confident that JCTH will continue to be a rising star among hepatology journals and bring more scientific knowledge to mankind. Congratulations!”
—Prof. Tawesak Tanwandee
Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand
Editorial Board Members
“JCTH has progressed rapidly over time. The reason is the hard work of all its local and international team members. The paper-free online communications with all concerned and timely publication of manuscripts are to be lauded. The team is strong and the editors, reviewers and publisher staff work cohesively with one goal: to publish quality articles submitted by authors. For me, it is a learning process and will continue to be. Thank you for letting me be part of the team.”
—Prof. Sina Aziz
Defence Housing Authority Clinics, Khayaban-e-Rahat, Pakistan
“I have felt very comfortable working with JCTH all these years. I would like to highlight the valuable work of Chellie Chen, with whom I can have fluid contact and always count on her quick response to resolve any of my concerns. I am happy about the growth achieved by the journal over its first 10 years. I believe that the future is promising and the level of accepted papers is improving year by year.”
—Prof. Fernando Bessone
University of Rosario School of Medicine, Argentina
“Congratulations to JCTH for leveraging a 10-year effort-filled journey into achievement and contentment!”
—Dr. Phunchai Charatcharoenwitthaya
Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand
“It is a great honor to be on the Youth Editorial Board of JCTH in 2021 and the Editorial Board in 2022. I am delighted to witness JCTH’s inclusion in SCI. JCTH has continuously provided a cutting-edge international vision for clinical and basic research in the field of hepatology. I look forward to it becoming the globally top journal in the field of hepatology over the next 10 years, and I also hope to continue to contribute to the progress of JCTH.”
—Prof. Hanqing Chen
Capital Medical University, China
“JCTH is the journal which is now preferred by many seeking current and innovative information in the field of hepatology. It has been particularly successful in its selections of meaningful topics, design of the journal and reputable authors, making it very appealing for readers who wish to enhance their professional endeavors. This is illustrated by the readership having increased tremendously over such a short period of time.
My best wishes to all on JCTH’s 10th anniversary! I have no doubt this journal will become one of the top leading journals in the area of hepatology.”
—Dr. Ashok Kumar Choudhury
Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, India
“Wishing JCTH a joyous 10th anniversary at the close of 2023. One of JCTH’s most notable features is that it is a multidisciplinary publication that covers every facet of liver diseases, making it a premier resource for experts in the medical and pharmaceutical fields. Accomplishing this significant goal is a credit to everyone who has contributed to the journal throughout the years. Finally, I hope that over the next 10 years, JCTH will make ever-greater growth.”
—Prof. Ebtehal El-Demerdash
Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Egypt
“On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of JCTH, it is a great honor for me to congratulate all my colleagues on the Editorial Board, the Academic Editors and the Editorial team for their great efforts to make JCTH into a high-standard international scientific journal. On this special occasion, I also want to thank all the authors who have made the journal successful by submitting their research papers and also the anonymous reviewers who have helped to maintain a high quality of publications. It has been a long journey up to now, with some unique challenges along the way, but also with great satisfaction at all achieved. Applying the same enthusiasm we were built upon, we can continue this successful journey of improving every year.”
—Prof. Mohamed El-Kassas
Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Egypt
“Happy 10th anniversary. I felt that time passed really quickly. I wish you great success for many years to come.”
—Dr. Kazuhiko Hayashi
Federation of National Public Service Personnel Mutual Aid Associations, Meijo Hospital, Japan
“In 2021, I joined the JCTH Early Career Editorial Board, and then it got its first impact factor (IF). Later, I received the JCTH Outstanding Early Career Editor award and was promoted to an Editorial Board Member role. I have witnessed first-hand the development of JCTH over the years, and I truly hope it only gets better and better!”
—Dr. Mengyang Liu
Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China
“It is with great pleasure that I reflect on the incredible journey of JCTH over the past decade. As I pen this message, I am filled with a sense of pride and admiration for what JCTH has achieved since its launch a decade ago. Witnessing the journal’s growth, not just in terms of content and reach but also in its impact on the scholarly community, has been a remarkable experience. JCTH stands out as a testament to the journal's commitment to fostering a vibrant and collaborative academic environment.
Looking ahead, I am excited about the future of JCTH. I envision the journal continuing to break new ground in Hepatology for its platform for scholars worldwide to share their research and insights. The next decade, I believe, will be even more transformative for JCTH, as it further cements its position as a leading publication in the health sector.
Congratulations on reaching this significant milestone. It is an honor to be part of JCTH’s team and I eagerly look forward to contributing to its ongoing success.”
—Dr. James S. Park
Northwell Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, USA
“JCTH comes from the same place as the Chinese Journal of Hepatology, which represents the highest level of liver disease research in China. As a country with a high prevalence of liver diseases, there is a great need for such a journal to give voice to Chinese researchers. Through my contributions, I also hope JCTH to become better and better, and firmly establish itself as a world-renowned journal of hepatology.”
—Dr. Ke-Qing Shi
The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, China
“Interactions with the Editors and handling staff of JCTH were effective and smooth, making the submission and publication of our paper a pleasant experience.”
—Prof. Claudio Tiribelli
Fondazione Italiana Fegato, Italy
“A remarkable 10-year journey – JCTH has shared the newest knowledge and contributed meaningfully to the field of hepatology.”
—Prof. Sombat Treeprasertsuk
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
“On the occasion of JCTH's 10th anniversary, I would like to express my gratitude to the entire Editorial Board and all the staff who protect its quality. Thank you very much for your support. I would be more than happy to continue working with JCTH in the future, with the motivation that my efforts will further promote its growth and impact.”
—Dr. Kefei Yuan
West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China
“Congratulations to all in the JCTH group! All my best wishes to the Journal. I believe that JCTH will continue to make great contributions to human health, especially in the field of hepatology.”
—Prof. Xin-Xin Zhang
Ruijin Hospital North, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China