Editorial (2001)

I am exceedingly pleased to formally welcome and introduce with this issue of The Journal of Peptide Research, Robert S. Hodges of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, as Associate Editor for the Journal. Bob assumed his Associate Editor duties in November of 2000, replacing William F. DeGrado as Associate Editor in the areas of peptide and protein de novo design and associated research areas in peptide chemistry, biochemistry and biophysics. He has been very active since then in all aspects of the Journal. Dr Hodges is well known to most of you for his seminal research in de novo design of model peptides and proteins, structure–function studies of multiprotein complexes, design and engineering of bioactive peptides, including antimicrobial peptides, and development of synthetic peptide anti-adhesion bacterial vaccines. He also had an outstanding athletic career as a speed skater, representing Canada in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics and in the 1968, 1970 and 1971 World Championships. He has won several scientific awards for his accomplishments, including the Boehringer–Mannheim Award from the Canadian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (in recognition of a record of outstanding achievement in research in the field of biochemistry and/or molecular biology undertaken in Canada by a Canadian Scientist) and the Distinguished Medical Research Council of Canada Scientist Award (the MRC Career Award is considered to be the most prestigious of such awards in Canada). After 27 years at the University of Alberta, Bob moved to the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver to take on new challenges. In July 2000, he was named to the John Stewart Chair in Peptide Chemistry, became the Director of the Program in Biomolecular Structure as well as Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. In addition he has served the American Peptide Society in several capacities, serving as the organizer of the 13th American Peptide Symposium in 1993 and as President of the American Peptide Society from 1997 to 1999. We are most grateful for his continuing commitment to the promotion of excellence in our field. For this issue he has gathered together several papers from his and other leading laboratories throughout the world which critically examine several important aspects of peptide and protein structure, function and design. Several additional papers will appear in the January 2002 issue. These papers illustrate some of the important advances being made in this area of research. The Editorial Board of the Journal, the American Peptide Society Publications Committee and I believe that de novo design of peptides, proteins and peptidomimetics will continue to be a critical and central area of research for the foreseeable future. The human genome project and current proteome projects underway throughout the world point to the central role that this area will play in understanding most aspects of cellular and multicellular function and integration. We invite you to send us your outstanding research in these areas for publication in The Journal of Peptide Research. I thank Bob for all the work and advice he has provided already since assuming his responsibilities. His outstanding ideas in the directions which peptide science is moving will provide critical leadership for many years. I urge you to strongly support his efforts with your submissions of excellent research in these areas of peptide science.