Martha Fedor Named Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Biological Chemistry

Scripps Research Institute Associate Professor Martha Fedor has been named the next editor-in-chief of the Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC).

Fedor, whose five-year term will begin January 1, will succeed the journal's long-time editor, Herbert Tabor, a distinguished researcher at the National Institutes of Health who has steered the highly cited journal for the past four decades. Fedor will be the first female leader in the journal's 106-year history.

"I am delighted that Dr. Fedor has agreed to serve as editor-in-chief of the JBC," said Suzanne Pfeffer, president of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which publishes the JBC and two other journals. "She brings a clear vision for how to maintain JBC's excellence while incorporating emerging areas at this exciting juncture in biochemical and molecular biological research. Having served as a JBC associate editor, she understands well the complexities of the journal's operations."

Fedor, who holds a bachelor's degree in zoology from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of California, Berkeley, has served as an associate editor for the JBC since 2006. Her research focus is RNA assembly and catalysis.

"I am honored and thrilled to have this opportunity to guide the JBC into the future," Fedor said. "I am particularly grateful for Herb Tabor's confidence in my ability to take on his role in the journal that has become an icon through his outstanding leadership. I will be relying on his wisdom and on the collective wisdom and support of the JBC associate editors and the editorial board as we work together to meet the highest standards in serving the scientific community."

Tabor, who in late August asked that a search begin for his replacement, will assume the role of emeritus editor after serving as co-editor with Fedor for the first year of her term.

"Marty is poised to maintain the journal's prestige and keep it positioned on the leading edge of biochemistry," Tabor said. "She has proved repeatedly, as a researcher and as a JBC associate editor, that she has what it takes to shepherd the journal into a new era. I have a lot of respect for her, and I feel very enthusiastic about putting the JBC's future in her capable hands."

Fedor did postdoctoral training at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Stanford University School of Medicine. After a stint on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, she moved to Scripps Research in 1997, where she is a member of the Department of Chemical Physiology and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology. She is also a member of the editorial board for the journal RNA. For more information, view Fedor's laboratory website at http://www.scripps.edu/chemphys/fedor/.

The Journal of Biological Chemistry is the most-cited biomedical research journal in the world. It publishes papers based on original research that are judged to make a novel and important contribution to understanding the molecular and cellular basis of biological processes. The journal is published by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Most members teach and conduct research at colleges and universities. Others conduct research in various government laboratories, at nonprofit research institutions and in industry. The society's student members attend undergraduate or graduate institutions. For more information about ASBMB, visit www.asbmb.org .

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"I am honored and thrilled to have this opportunity to guide the JBC into the future," says Associate Professor Martha Fedor.