Author: [AUTHOR] Published on 9/20/2018 8:00:00 AM

The American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASCPT) is pleased to announce an exciting leadership transition within the ASCPT Family of Journals: the appointment of Piet van der Graaf, PhD, PharmD, as Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (CPT) and France Mentré, PhD, MD, as Editor-in-Chief of CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology (PSP).

 
As ASCPT President, I believe that Piet and France will do an outstanding job leading CPT and PSP. Their European roots, international relationships, and strong scientific and scholarly records are tremendous assets that will benefit our journals, authors, readers, and ultimately our discipline.
 
Dr. van der Graaf is well-known to the ASCPT and clinical pharmacology and translational medicine community through his strong history of service to Society, which includes serving as EIC of PSP since the journal's launch in 2012, as well as serving as a member of the 2015-2020 Strategic Planning Task Force and chairing the 2019 Annual Meeting Scientific Program Committee.
 
Dr. van der Graaf has held a variety of leadership positions in the pharmaceutical industry and academia throughout his career, inclusive of serving as the director of the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research from 2013-2016 and working across the R&D spectrum at Pifzer in Discovery Biology, Pharmacokinetics & Drug Metabolism and Clinical Pharmacology/Pharmacometrics from 1999-2013. His vast expertise is evident through his numerous publications, presentations, committee memberships, and a proven track record of innovation in both academic and industrial pharmaceutical research environments. He currently serves as professor of Systems Pharmacology at the University of Leiden (The Netherlands) and vice president and head of Quantitative Systems Pharmacology (QSP) at Certara (United Kingdom).
 
On his appointment as EIC of CPT, Dr. van der Graaf says: "It is a great honor and privilege, and an exciting time, to be given the opportunity to become the next EIC of CPT. The critical role of clinical pharmacology in translating fundamental science to novel medicines is constantly growing and as the premier journal in the field, CPT will continue to be at the forefront of cutting-edge science and applications. I am also particularly excited about the opportunity to develop further the concept of the ASCPT Journal Family with CPT's sister journals, PSP and Clinical and Translational Science. I believe that together we can be the leading publication platform that facilitates the translation of fundamental science to novel medicines that can transform the lives of patients."
 
The selection of Dr. van der Graaf as EIC of CPT results from an exhaustive search by the CPT Editor Search Committee, chaired by Mario Rocci, Jr., PhD. Although originally a member of the Search Committee, Dr. van der Graaf resigned from the Committee earlier this year for personal reasons. The remaining members of the Search Committee (Mario Rocci, Jr., PhD; William Evans, PharmD; Raymond Hohl, MD, PhD; Deanna Kroetz, PhD; Steve Ryder, MD; and Morna Conway, PhD) identified Dr. van der Graaf as the ideal candidate.
 
France Mentré is Professor of Biostatistics at the University Paris Diderot (France) where she heads an INSERM research team on Biostatistical Modeling and Pharmacometrics. Her extensive expertise in pharmacometrics is evidenced by more 30 years working on development and application of methods for nonlinear mixed-effects models in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. She has more than 250 publications, has participated as an invited speaker at many international congresses, and has served as a member of the Scientific Committee of the Population Approach Group in Europe and Chair of the Executive Committee of the World Conference on Pharmacometrics. Dr. Mentré's contributions to the field have also been recognized through several prestigious awards, including the UCSF/ISoP Lewis B. Sheiner Lecturer Award in 2013 and the ASCPT Sheiner-Beal Pharmacometrics Award in 2018. Among her many professional and personal achievements, Dr. Mentré is most known to the ASCPT membership through her role as an associate editor for PSP since the journal's launch in 2012.  
 
On her appointment as EIC of PSP, Dr. Mentré says: "I was very honored when I was approached by ASCPT to be the new EIC of PSP. I accepted with enthusiasm, being part of the editorial team since the creation of PSP. My goal is to continue the "success story" of this new journal, following the great work done by Piet van der Graaf. I will help the journal be THE reference journal for pharmacometrics, system pharmacology, and MID3 with the vision of Lew Sheiner: "Better use of quantitative approaches and models for better development and use of drugs." We will work hand-in-hand with the other journals within the "ASCPT Family" to develop them in harmony."
 
Dr. Rocci says of these appointment, "I am delighted with the selection of Drs. van der Graaf and Mentré for these important editorial roles. Their outstanding scientific achievements, significant editorial experience, and strong leadership skills will prove invaluable in continuing the growth trajectory of these journals."
 
We congratulate Drs. van der Graaf and Mentré on their Editors-in-Chief appointments and look forward to their stewardship of the CPT and PSP.
 
Dr. Mentre's term as EIC of PSP will begin October 1, 2018.  Dr. van der Graaf's term as EIC of CPT will begin on January 1, 2020.  
 
ASCPT thanks Scott Waldman, MD, PhD, and the CPT Editorial Team for their dedication and strong leadership for the past 12 years. The journal has grown stronger and added new dimensions enjoyed by the membership and readership thanks to Scott and his team. We will celebrate their tremendous contributions to CPT at the upcoming Annual Meeting in March. Specific events will be announced soon.
  
Sincerely,
Dan Hartman, MD
ASCPT President