Colin W. Howden, MD, AGAF

It was a pleasure to serve as editor-in-chief (EIC) of GI & Hepatology News from 2011 to 2016. As the second EIC of the newspaper, I was preceded by Dr. Charles Lightdale – big shoes to fill! I was fortunate to attract a strong group of associate editors who covered many key areas of interest for the paper’s readership. With the enthusiastic support of American Gastroenterological Association staff members, we published once-monthly and received generally positive feedback from readers – predominantly U.S.-based AGA members.

Serving as EIC was also a learning opportunity for me. A number of potentially newsworthy items were brought to my attention – some of which I would not otherwise have seen. Although not all were of direct relevance to the readership, I believe that most of those we published were of value.

One rewarding aspect of the editorship was the opportunity to liaise with those experts from whom I solicited commentaries on some of our featured items. These busy individuals were consistently generous with their time and expertise, and I believe that their contributions added to the paper’s overall appeal.

I initiated the inclusion of two DDSEP questions per edition, and am pleased that this feature continues. One less successful venture was the attempt at a Correspondence section, which ultimately proved too cumbersome to maintain.

I congratulate the AGA on the 15th anniversary of GIHN, and I wish the current EIC, Dr. Megan Adams, and her editorial colleagues continued success in providing this benefit to AGA members.

Colin W. Howden, MD, AGAF, is professor emeritus in the division of gastroenterology, department of medicine, at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. He is a consultant for Allakos, Ironwood, Phathom, and RedHill Biopharma. He is a member of speakers’ bureaus for Alnylam, RedHill Biopharma, and Sanofi/Genzyme. He owns stock in Antibe Therapeutics.

It was a pleasure to serve as editor-in-chief (EIC) of GI & Hepatology News from 2011 to 2016. As the second EIC of the newspaper, I was preceded by Dr. Charles Lightdale – big shoes to fill! I was fortunate to attract a strong group of associate editors who covered many key areas of interest for the paper’s readership. With the enthusiastic support of American Gastroenterological Association staff members, we published once-monthly and received generally positive feedback from readers – predominantly U.S.-based AGA members.

Serving as EIC was also a learning opportunity for me. A number of potentially newsworthy items were brought to my attention – some of which I would not otherwise have seen. Although not all were of direct relevance to the readership, I believe that most of those we published were of value.

One rewarding aspect of the editorship was the opportunity to liaise with those experts from whom I solicited commentaries on some of our featured items. These busy individuals were consistently generous with their time and expertise, and I believe that their contributions added to the paper’s overall appeal.

I initiated the inclusion of two DDSEP questions per edition, and am pleased that this feature continues. One less successful venture was the attempt at a Correspondence section, which ultimately proved too cumbersome to maintain.

I congratulate the AGA on the 15th anniversary of GIHN, and I wish the current EIC, Dr. Megan Adams, and her editorial colleagues continued success in providing this benefit to AGA members.

Colin W. Howden, MD, AGAF, is professor emeritus in the division of gastroenterology, department of medicine, at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. He is a consultant for Allakos, Ironwood, Phathom, and RedHill Biopharma. He is a member of speakers’ bureaus for Alnylam, RedHill Biopharma, and Sanofi/Genzyme. He owns stock in Antibe Therapeutics.

It was a pleasure to serve as editor-in-chief (EIC) of GI & Hepatology News from 2011 to 2016. As the second EIC of the newspaper, I was preceded by Dr. Charles Lightdale – big shoes to fill! I was fortunate to attract a strong group of associate editors who covered many key areas of interest for the paper’s readership. With the enthusiastic support of American Gastroenterological Association staff members, we published once-monthly and received generally positive feedback from readers – predominantly U.S.-based AGA members.

Serving as EIC was also a learning opportunity for me. A number of potentially newsworthy items were brought to my attention – some of which I would not otherwise have seen. Although not all were of direct relevance to the readership, I believe that most of those we published were of value.

One rewarding aspect of the editorship was the opportunity to liaise with those experts from whom I solicited commentaries on some of our featured items. These busy individuals were consistently generous with their time and expertise, and I believe that their contributions added to the paper’s overall appeal.

I initiated the inclusion of two DDSEP questions per edition, and am pleased that this feature continues. One less successful venture was the attempt at a Correspondence section, which ultimately proved too cumbersome to maintain.

I congratulate the AGA on the 15th anniversary of GIHN, and I wish the current EIC, Dr. Megan Adams, and her editorial colleagues continued success in providing this benefit to AGA members.

Colin W. Howden, MD, AGAF, is professor emeritus in the division of gastroenterology, department of medicine, at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. He is a consultant for Allakos, Ironwood, Phathom, and RedHill Biopharma. He is a member of speakers’ bureaus for Alnylam, RedHill Biopharma, and Sanofi/Genzyme. He owns stock in Antibe Therapeutics.

The September 2016 edition of GI & Hepatology News will be the last under the current editorial team. After 5 years, it is time for us to step aside and make way for a new group of editors. I am personally delighted that editorship of the paper will be in the safe hands of John I. Allen, MD, MBA, AGAF, who served as the AGA Institute’s president from 2014 to 2015. The Associate Editors and I wish him and his team every success. My own involvement with GI & Hepatology News actually precedes my time as Editor in Chief (EIC). I was privileged to serve on the selection committee that recommended the appointment of Charles J. Lightdale, MD, AGAF as the inaugural editor of the paper. He did an outstanding job and was a very tough act to follow. Now, it is time for Dr. Allen to take control of the paper, and I am confident that he will do a similarly excellent job.

The title of this piece is taken from a longer quote of Alfred Lord Tennyson. Although a bit of a cliché, it initially seemed an appropriate choice. However, if you look it up in full, it might seem inordinately gloomy, which was not my intention since there is certainly no need for pessimism. (After all, change is inevitable – except from a vending machine, of course.) The newspaper has been highly rated by its readers in the various surveys conducted by AGA, our publisher, and others. The Associate Editors and I have tried to feature articles on a broad range of issues that we hoped would have been among the most relevant for our predominantly clinical readership. It has been an exciting time in gastroenterology; serving as EIC of GI & Hepatology News has brought a number of issues to my attention that I might have otherwise missed. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lora T. McGlade and the contributing writers from Frontline Medical Communications who prepared our news coverage. Sometimes it was difficult to rank the priority of the articles on offer but I hope that we chose many that were newsworthy and relevant.

AGA Institute

I am extremely grateful to the Associate Editors; all did an outstanding job and managed to keep to necessarily strict deadlines. Joel V. Brill, MD, AGAF, has been a terrific source of information about practice management and legislative issues and has made enormous contributions to the newspaper. Barbara H. Jung, MD, AGAF, who had responsibility for the broad topic of gastrointestinal oncology, frequently provided expert commentary and was extremely helpful in selecting articles to publish and in attracting commentary and perspective from other experts within AGA. John A. Martin, MD, took responsibility for endoscopy, obesity management, and pancreatic/biliary disease and frequently produced useful and succinct commentaries on some of the articles we published. Hepatology was the bailiwick of Kevin D. Mullen, MD, FRCPI, who helped select the most relevant articles and suggested experts to comment on the most important ones. David T. Rubin, MD, AGAF, handled IBD and intestinal disorders. Clearly there have been major advances in IBD management in recent years, with numerous new and emerging treatments. Dr. Rubin skillfully steered us through this maze, and gave much thoughtful guidance and expert input. With the Associate Editors’ help, I hope you will agree that we managed to keep the information in the paper as topical as possible for a monthly publication.

Thanks are also due to the team at AGA. Brook A. Simpson, as the lead staff member, has been responsible for managing all of the operations of GI & Hepatology News. Working with Brook was a distinct pleasure; she always provided excellent advice about AGA matters and its positions on key issues. I am also grateful to Erin C. Dubnansky, Lindsey M. Brounstein, and Jillian L. Schweitzer for their support.

In conclusion, it has been a privilege to serve as EIC of GI & Hepatology News over the past 5 years. I know that the paper is in good hands with Dr. Allen. I look forward to seeing the improvements and changes that he and his team will introduce.

Dr. Howden is Hyman Professor of Medicine, chief, division of gastroenterology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, and Editor in Chief, GI & Hepatology News.

The September 2016 edition of GI & Hepatology News will be the last under the current editorial team. After 5 years, it is time for us to step aside and make way for a new group of editors. I am personally delighted that editorship of the paper will be in the safe hands of John I. Allen, MD, MBA, AGAF, who served as the AGA Institute’s president from 2014 to 2015. The Associate Editors and I wish him and his team every success. My own involvement with GI & Hepatology News actually precedes my time as Editor in Chief (EIC). I was privileged to serve on the selection committee that recommended the appointment of Charles J. Lightdale, MD, AGAF as the inaugural editor of the paper. He did an outstanding job and was a very tough act to follow. Now, it is time for Dr. Allen to take control of the paper, and I am confident that he will do a similarly excellent job.

The title of this piece is taken from a longer quote of Alfred Lord Tennyson. Although a bit of a cliché, it initially seemed an appropriate choice. However, if you look it up in full, it might seem inordinately gloomy, which was not my intention since there is certainly no need for pessimism. (After all, change is inevitable – except from a vending machine, of course.) The newspaper has been highly rated by its readers in the various surveys conducted by AGA, our publisher, and others. The Associate Editors and I have tried to feature articles on a broad range of issues that we hoped would have been among the most relevant for our predominantly clinical readership. It has been an exciting time in gastroenterology; serving as EIC of GI & Hepatology News has brought a number of issues to my attention that I might have otherwise missed. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lora T. McGlade and the contributing writers from Frontline Medical Communications who prepared our news coverage. Sometimes it was difficult to rank the priority of the articles on offer but I hope that we chose many that were newsworthy and relevant.

AGA Institute

I am extremely grateful to the Associate Editors; all did an outstanding job and managed to keep to necessarily strict deadlines. Joel V. Brill, MD, AGAF, has been a terrific source of information about practice management and legislative issues and has made enormous contributions to the newspaper. Barbara H. Jung, MD, AGAF, who had responsibility for the broad topic of gastrointestinal oncology, frequently provided expert commentary and was extremely helpful in selecting articles to publish and in attracting commentary and perspective from other experts within AGA. John A. Martin, MD, took responsibility for endoscopy, obesity management, and pancreatic/biliary disease and frequently produced useful and succinct commentaries on some of the articles we published. Hepatology was the bailiwick of Kevin D. Mullen, MD, FRCPI, who helped select the most relevant articles and suggested experts to comment on the most important ones. David T. Rubin, MD, AGAF, handled IBD and intestinal disorders. Clearly there have been major advances in IBD management in recent years, with numerous new and emerging treatments. Dr. Rubin skillfully steered us through this maze, and gave much thoughtful guidance and expert input. With the Associate Editors’ help, I hope you will agree that we managed to keep the information in the paper as topical as possible for a monthly publication.

Thanks are also due to the team at AGA. Brook A. Simpson, as the lead staff member, has been responsible for managing all of the operations of GI & Hepatology News. Working with Brook was a distinct pleasure; she always provided excellent advice about AGA matters and its positions on key issues. I am also grateful to Erin C. Dubnansky, Lindsey M. Brounstein, and Jillian L. Schweitzer for their support.

In conclusion, it has been a privilege to serve as EIC of GI & Hepatology News over the past 5 years. I know that the paper is in good hands with Dr. Allen. I look forward to seeing the improvements and changes that he and his team will introduce.

Dr. Howden is Hyman Professor of Medicine, chief, division of gastroenterology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, and Editor in Chief, GI & Hepatology News.

The September 2016 edition of GI & Hepatology News will be the last under the current editorial team. After 5 years, it is time for us to step aside and make way for a new group of editors. I am personally delighted that editorship of the paper will be in the safe hands of John I. Allen, MD, MBA, AGAF, who served as the AGA Institute’s president from 2014 to 2015. The Associate Editors and I wish him and his team every success. My own involvement with GI & Hepatology News actually precedes my time as Editor in Chief (EIC). I was privileged to serve on the selection committee that recommended the appointment of Charles J. Lightdale, MD, AGAF as the inaugural editor of the paper. He did an outstanding job and was a very tough act to follow. Now, it is time for Dr. Allen to take control of the paper, and I am confident that he will do a similarly excellent job.

The title of this piece is taken from a longer quote of Alfred Lord Tennyson. Although a bit of a cliché, it initially seemed an appropriate choice. However, if you look it up in full, it might seem inordinately gloomy, which was not my intention since there is certainly no need for pessimism. (After all, change is inevitable – except from a vending machine, of course.) The newspaper has been highly rated by its readers in the various surveys conducted by AGA, our publisher, and others. The Associate Editors and I have tried to feature articles on a broad range of issues that we hoped would have been among the most relevant for our predominantly clinical readership. It has been an exciting time in gastroenterology; serving as EIC of GI & Hepatology News has brought a number of issues to my attention that I might have otherwise missed. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lora T. McGlade and the contributing writers from Frontline Medical Communications who prepared our news coverage. Sometimes it was difficult to rank the priority of the articles on offer but I hope that we chose many that were newsworthy and relevant.

AGA Institute

I am extremely grateful to the Associate Editors; all did an outstanding job and managed to keep to necessarily strict deadlines. Joel V. Brill, MD, AGAF, has been a terrific source of information about practice management and legislative issues and has made enormous contributions to the newspaper. Barbara H. Jung, MD, AGAF, who had responsibility for the broad topic of gastrointestinal oncology, frequently provided expert commentary and was extremely helpful in selecting articles to publish and in attracting commentary and perspective from other experts within AGA. John A. Martin, MD, took responsibility for endoscopy, obesity management, and pancreatic/biliary disease and frequently produced useful and succinct commentaries on some of the articles we published. Hepatology was the bailiwick of Kevin D. Mullen, MD, FRCPI, who helped select the most relevant articles and suggested experts to comment on the most important ones. David T. Rubin, MD, AGAF, handled IBD and intestinal disorders. Clearly there have been major advances in IBD management in recent years, with numerous new and emerging treatments. Dr. Rubin skillfully steered us through this maze, and gave much thoughtful guidance and expert input. With the Associate Editors’ help, I hope you will agree that we managed to keep the information in the paper as topical as possible for a monthly publication.

Thanks are also due to the team at AGA. Brook A. Simpson, as the lead staff member, has been responsible for managing all of the operations of GI & Hepatology News. Working with Brook was a distinct pleasure; she always provided excellent advice about AGA matters and its positions on key issues. I am also grateful to Erin C. Dubnansky, Lindsey M. Brounstein, and Jillian L. Schweitzer for their support.

In conclusion, it has been a privilege to serve as EIC of GI & Hepatology News over the past 5 years. I know that the paper is in good hands with Dr. Allen. I look forward to seeing the improvements and changes that he and his team will introduce.

Dr. Howden is Hyman Professor of Medicine, chief, division of gastroenterology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, and Editor in Chief, GI & Hepatology News.