After months of planning and behind-the-scenes work, AACC has formally launched The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine (JALM), a bimonthly, international, peer-reviewed, online publication. Led by former AACC president Robert Christenson, PhD, DABCC, FACB, JALM highlights cutting-edge, translational research on important clinical laboratory topics and provides commentary on a broad range of topics related to clinical laboratory medicine.
In his opening editorial, Measurements Matter, Christenson explains that JALM’s content will be focused on timeliness, pragmatism, relevance, and quality.
“The path forward for laboratory medicine will involve strategies for collaborating, communicating, and integrating with all healthcare stakeholders. There are many ongoing efforts and activities throughout the world toward this end,” writes Christenson. “JALM endeavors to play an active role in disseminating innovation, enhancing the value of laboratory medicine and its professionals and fulfilling unmet needs. All those involved with JALM are looking forward to enthusiastically engaging users and contributors of this resource and playing an active role in the evolution of laboratory medicine.”
In celebration of JALM’s debut, copies of the premier issue will be distributed at the 68th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo opening plenary session, and will be available at the AACC booth, AACC store, and AACC member center. Christenson and his fellow editors also will be present at AACC’s booth to meet and greet AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo attendees. Joining Christenson on JALM’s editorial board are deputy editor, James Nichols, PhD, DABCC, FACB, and associate editors, Paul Collinson, MD, PhD, FACB, FRCP, Christopher deFilippi, MD, Dennis Dietzen, PhD, DABCC, FACB, Dina Greene, PhD, DABCC, and Lori Sokoll, PhD.
Although JALM is an online journal, the first volume, composed of six issues, will be accompanied by a complementary print issue.
JALM will highlight research and applications that are either currently available or are expected to be available in the clinical setting within 7 years. Topics covered in the inaugural issue range from endocrinology and metabolism, molecular diagnostics and genetics, and clinical immunology to proteomics and protein markers, and point-of-care testing. Each issue will also include editorials, letters to the editor, a case study, and professional insights.
A section called Focused Reports provides brief articles concentrated on a specific issue, while Case Reports emphasizes unusual interferences and other findings of interest to readers. Another section, Laboratory Reflections, provides expert insights about current topics in the field.
Original articles in the inaugural issue include:
In addition to the editorial content for each issue, readers will be able to listen to authors discuss their papers in JALM Talk. The first three JALM Talks are presented by Dennis Dietzen, PhD, Melissa Snyder, PhD, and Robert Nerenz, PhD.