We are pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. Dr. Hinh Ly as the new Editor-in-Chief of Pathogens (ISSN: 2076-0817).

Homepage: https://vetmed.umn.edu/bio/college-of-veterinary-medicine/hinh-ly
Affiliation: Department of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN, USA
Interests: hemorrhagic fever viruses; arenaviruses; Lassa fever; host–virus interactions; innate immunity; viral pathogenesis and host defense

Prof. Dr. Hinh Ly is a tenured Professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences and serves as Director of the Graduate Program in Comparative & Molecular Biosciences and as a coordinator of a flagship graduate course for the NIH T32 Ph.D. and DVM-Ph.D. training program in Comparative Medicine and Pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Prof. Dr. Ly’s laboratory focuses on understanding virus–host interactions in the replication and pathogenesis of zoonotic viral pathogens (arenaviruses such as Lassa virus, coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2, and influenza viruses) and developing novel preventative and treatment measures against them. The Ly laboratory also develops novel, safe, and effective viral vectors and vaccines against various human and animal pathogens. They have successfully used various animal models, including mice, guinea pigs, chickens, turkeys, swine, etc. to understand important issues of virus–host interactions and to evaluate the protective efficacy of some of the new antivirals and vaccines against communicable diseases.

Prof. Dr. Hinh Ly is taking over the role of Editor-in-Chief from Prof. Dr. Lawrence S. Young, the founding Editor-in-Chief, whose passion for advancing pathogens science and visionary guidance have left an indelible mark on the journal. His exceptional stewardship of and leadership, dedication, and commitment to the Pathogens journal since 2012 are deeply appreciated.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Hinh Ly, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views of the research area and open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take the role of its Editor-in-Chief?
The Pathogens journal has a highly dedicated and professional supporting staff and an incredible Editorial Board of individuals with deep working experience and extensive knowledge in infectious disease from around the globe, not to mention numerous dedicated and thoughtful reviewers.  Since its inception 12 years ago, the Pathogens journal has published about 7,000 papers, with over 2,000 of the publications being cited 10 or more times. The Pathogens journal has maintained its good impact factor (5-year IF 3.5, 2023 IF 3.3) and citation score (CiteScore 6.4). The peer-review process is rigorous and timely, and the reviews are of high quality. The current submission-to-first-decision time for manuscripts is about 2 weeks and acceptance-to-publication time is less than 3 days! These are impressive records by any measures and are among the factors that are most important and attractive to me to become its new Editor-in-Chief.

2. What is your vision for the journal?
I think that the Pathogens journal can continue its upward trajectory in publishing papers of the highest quality in the coming years. It has the potential to become one of the leading journals in the infectious disease field, specializing in emerging/reemerging pathogens of humans and animals and on key issues of pathogen–host interactions.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?
The future is bright for the infectious disease field. As human populations continue to grow, demands for sustainable living conditions and natural resources have increased significantly, which have already exposed humans and animals alike to many potentially dangerous pathogens. The Pathogens journal has a unique opportunity (and frankly the responsibility) to contribute to the advancement of human and animal health by reporting on the latest findings on pathogens and pathogen–host interactions, as well as on the development of novel preventative and treatment modalities.

4. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?
Open access (OA) publication is a fast-growing trend. It helps level the playing field for all researchers and readers alike throughout the world in terms of having easy and speedy access to important findings in the field. It is especially important for academics who cannot afford personal journal subscriptions to gain access to the latest research and to build upon it with their own research and teaching.

The Pathogens journal and its staff wish Prof. Dr. Hinh Ly success and prosperity in both his research and the development of the journal. Further details regarding the Editorial Board can be found at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/pathogens/editors.