New Editor-in-Chief for Acta Physiologica

Abstract

I assumed the role of Editor-in-Chief of Acta Physiologica with equal measures of awe and pride at the very start of 2025. Awe because I must fill the shoes of my predecessor Professor Pontus Persson [1], who competently led the journal for more than a decade with great dedication and ability. The pride is obviously instilled from becoming part of an almost 140-year physiology legacy at the highest level possible. Acta Physiologica is indeed ranked amongst the world's best general physiology journals and enjoys widespread respect amongst authors and readers in all physiological disciplines.

In addition to awe and pride, I confess that the role as EiC for Acta Physiologica also instills a component of anxiety. Academic publishing is currently entering troubled waters where the old supertankers, that is, the society journals, are in danger of being derailed by predatory journals that weigh financial interest higher than the pursuit of knowledge and the classic academic virtues. The society journals, however, have much to offer, and Acta Physiologica, for example, channels revenues into academic activities with support to meetings, conferences, and travel grants. Acta Physiologica therefore contributes to building the physiological community at all stages in an academic career.

As an additional merit, Acta Physiologica has been the official Journal of the Federation of European Physiological Societies (FEPS) for more than three decades, and we are currently expanding our editorial board to be more international in line with the ongoing and welcome internationalization of physiological sciences.

I firmly believe that general physiology journals, such as Acta Physiologica, that cover many processes within all bodily organs and tissues are important because they emphasize the integration of processes that span from molecular structures to the whole organism. In addition to the “vertical” integration at various levels of biological organization, physiology also arises from the “horizontal” interplay between organ systems. Both vertical and horizontal interactions are of paramount importance for animals and humans to maintain homeostasis during normal behaviors and physiological states, including sleep [2], exercise [3], digestion [4], and pregancy [5] and to understand how we respond to environmental perturbances, such as hypoxia [6], hypercapnia [7], or extreme temperatures [8]. In combination with diurnal and annual cycles [9, 10], the homeostatic regulation by virtue of endocrine and neural mechanisms of humans and animals is therefore as exciting as ever!

In my own research, I am highly motivated to understand organismal function, and I characterize myself as an integrative physiologist that seeks to understand the unifying principles in physiology. Without evoking any dubious or spiritual forces, I adhere to an Aristotelian philosophy where “the whole being greater than the sum of its parts” and where molecular and cellular studies inform on the adaptive and functional values at the organismal level. I firmly believe this approach is needed to understand how humans and animals react to natural stressors in their normal environment, but also critical to understand how physiological processes go astray during disease [11, 12].

The classic society-owned physiology journals have been the backbone of physiological sciences since the late 19th century, and the role of society journals in securing the publication of high-quality and properly peer-reviewed research is more important than ever. Science, in general, is under threat from the improper use of artificial intelligence and the emergence of fake news. Moreover, research integrity is under widespread pressure, and both quality and the peer-review process are currently challenged by the rapid expansion of predatory journals with their luring offers of fast publication while pretending to maintain peer review.

The good peer-review process takes time and diligent effort, and yes, it may prolong handling time, meaning that authors must anxiously temper their patience while waiting for constructive comments and decisions. However, the alternative is that papers are hastily evaluated by incompetent reviewers that merely provide an elusive “blue stamp.” I imagine that most readers of Acta Physiologica nod in silent agreement, and I can certainly promise that Acta Physiologica will always welcome your submissions, do our best to provide constructive and competent evaluations, and that we will be proud to publish your best work in our journal!

The author takes full responsibility for this article.

The author declares no conflicts of interest.