Welcome all
Authors: Ted Dobie, Mariela Zirlinger
Journal: Neuron (2021)

Neuron traditionally publishes a themed collection of reviews to coincide with the Society for Neuroscience’s (SfN) annual meeting. When we were brainstorming potential topics in the spring of 2021, with COVID-19 vaccinations rolling out in many parts of the world offering hope for safely seeing colleagues and friends in person, we envisioned a celebratory reunion at SfN in the fall. We wished to symbolically mark the event with a “Welcome back!” collection, even for those not attending SfN in person. We arrived at a theme influenced by the challenges we’ve all faced in the last 18+ months and the creative and inspiring acts of resilience born out of them that may help shape the scholarly landscape moving forward. Without minimizing the grief, anxiety, and loneliness of the past months, we hoped to emphasize how active the neuroscience community has remained, mindful of capturing the realities and personal experiences of people across diverse geographies, backgrounds, and life or career stages. In whatever way a journal such as Neuron can contribute to the broader neuroscience community, we wanted to give a platform for scientists to voice how this moment in history—when sheer necessity has caused us to rethink how traditional scientific institutions operate—may lead to lasting changes. Clearly, our optimism exceeded reality, and we are not ready to fully say “Welcome back!” just yet. SfN is now a hybrid of in-person and online sessions as the pandemic smolders and intermittently re-ignites. Continued disinformation around vaccine safety and efficacy, systemic factors affecting vaccines’ equitable distribution, and emerging viral variants stoke uncertainty around how the next months—or years—will play out. The tone of this editorial may be different than what we had hoped last spring, but the pieces our authors have contributed are as relevant as ever. We present a series of three special issues comprised of NeuroViews and Q&As from diverse authors who discuss: impacts of the pandemic on their research and clinical activities; nurturing connections and forging new ones, unencumbered by geographical distance; grappling with how best to teach our children and train higher-education students in a psychologically safe environment; developing one’s career by defining what “success” looks like; and frankly appraising diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and the necessary systemic and cultural shifts that remain works in progress. As you read these pieces, we think you’ll see many common themes emerge and reappear over the course of these three special issues. Social unrest and the existential threats of a global pandemic and climate emergency may have crystalized some of our viewpoints on how the world does—or should—work, but we now have a renewed urgency to address these problems both creatively and intentionally. First among these themes is our desire for feeling connected to our fellow humans and for working toward a common greater good. We must lower barriers of entry for collaboration—whether they’re geographical, economical, or steeped in a history of exclusionary practices and policies—with the appreciation that diverse perspectives make our collective efforts richer. We must be outspoken advocates for science and reason, in direct opposition to the flourishing of misinformation. Scientists can affect real change, with immediate effects on society, but only when we work together. Fundamental research, continuing often unheralded in the background for years, lays the foundation for seismic societal shifts, including response to a public health emergency. We must be more empathetic toward individual differences, family obligations, and mental health needs. We must be mindful that sometimes it is best to simply listen. These themes may now seem obvious, like truisms. But have they always been true? And if they’re not true, why not? We simply cannot afford, at an individual and societal level, to return to or accept what was once status quo. The term “new normal” gets thrown around a lot, but we must appreciate that the “old normal” wasn’t applicable to everyone equitably, nor can our expectation be that the “new normal” will be either. What acts can we undertake to build a better future? What acts must and shall we undertake? In the spirit of listening and inclusivity, we share with you—through this series of three special issues—the diverse, often candid, perspectives of scientists from around the world on how to apply the lessons we’ve learned toward building a stronger community, better poised to tackle the hardest problems in neuroscience and society. Over these last 18 months, we here at Neuron have also heard from you directly. We are so thankful for your willingness to share. You have shared the challenges you were facing, in both your professional and personal lives: a death in the family; mental health crises; child- or elder-care responsibilities; your anger at injustice; your hopes for the future. You shared your humanity. We are thankful for your generosity of not only your thoughts but also your time, engaging with Neuron as authors, reviewers, and readers—when the world was pulling you in so many directions at once. We are thankful you were so accommodating of our sometimes odd work hours (including taking one of us on a Zoom trip to the dog park) and work environments (including cheerfully waving at some of our kids when they burst in the room and onto our laps). We appreciate how lucky we have been to have your support during these unprecedented times and, most importantly, how lucky we are to be safe, healthy, and employed when too many were not so lucky. We also appreciate that Neuron, as an academic journal, is among the institutions that contribute to the scholarly landscape. We are committed to continuing to listen to you, as collaborators in the noble endeavor that is science, on how we can best serve the neuroscience community’s needs. Our initial idea of a celebratory “Welcome back!” series doesn’t work on several levels. First, there is yet so much progress to be made that any celebration would be premature. Second, the “back” implies a return, and although it has looked and felt different these last 18 months, the neuroscience community never left. However, thinking about some of the themes in these special issue pieces—connection, inclusion, empathy, inspiration—maybe our initial idea of “Welcome back!” wasn’t so far off. How about one small change? “Welcome all!”