Further Evolution of the Journal of Invasive Cardiology

With this issue, I am honored to become the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Invasive Cardiology. Having served on the editorial board for 11 years, as editor of the section on adjunctive therapies from 2004 to 2008, and as senior associate editor since 2012, I have had a longstanding commitment to and affection for the Journal. It has been remarkable seeing its growth and impact on invasive cardiology. Just as the Journal has matured, so too has the entire field of invasive cardiology undergone a transformation, covering diagnostic catheterization, electrophysiology, interventional cardiology, peripheral and cerebrovascular intervention, congenital heart disease, venous disorders, and percutaneous treatment of structural heart disease. The Journal has tried to anticipate advances such as radial artery access and transcatheter aortic valve replacement before they became widespread. The section on plaque characterization is another attempt on our part to bring cutting-edge science to our readers.

None of this growth or transformation could have occurred without the guidance of Dr Richard E. Shaw. For over 20 years, Dr Shaw has served as Editor-in-Chief. Beyond everything that he has done to shepherd the Journal’s print version and online presence, he has been a terrific friend and mentor to me. The job of editor has all sorts of demands and there is no school to become an editor – but that does not mean there is not a great deal to learn. Dr Shaw was always patient with me as I learned the multitude of tasks needed to serve as editor of a contemporary peer-reviewed medical journal. The Journal, its readership, and I all owe an immense debt of gratitude to Dr Shaw. 

Along with seven highly talented and accomplished Section Editors (Howard C. Herrmann, MD, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement; Tarek Helmy, MD, Congenital Heart Disease; Lloyd W. Klein, MD, Plaque Composition & Dynamics; Jihad A. Mustapha, MD, Peripheral Vascular Disease; Samir Pancholy, MD and Tejas S. Patel, MD, Radial Access Technique; Nicolas W. Shammas, MD, Venous Disease) and our extremely skilled Executive Editor (Laurie Gustafson), I hope to build upon Dr Shaw’s major contributions to the depth and breadth of the Journal such that it continues to try to improve patient care by providing useful information to all clinicians whose practices involve the evolving field of invasive cardiology.

Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Invasive Cardiology

Disclosures for Dr Bhatt are listed online at https://www.invasivecardiology.com/content/journal-invasive-cardiology-editorial-board