Our mission promotes the sharing of knowledge and expertise to support the molecular bioscience field across all career stages. Our journals help to support our mission by returning all profits back to the Society to support our charitable aims. This wouldn’t be possible without the hard-work and determination of those that sit on our committees, boards and panels.

Every month, we introduce you to one of our committee members to gain insight into what our committees do, the benefits to the community, and the benefits to the individuals involved.

Professor Michael Ryan is the Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Science, overseeing and directing the activities of the Editorial Board, advocating for the journal, and contributing to content and title growth. Professor Ryan brings his wealth of experience in the sector to the journal, providing his expertise and knowledge to grow and promote its content in support of the Society and Portland Press’ strategy.

We asked Professor Ryan four questions about his role, the role of open science and society publishers, and what he has gained from the experience.

How long have you been involved with the Society and what encouraged you to take on your editorial board role?

I started engaging with the Biochemical Society in 2015. Dr. Rhian Touyz was the Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Science at the time. She invited me to join as an Associate Editor, and I was thrilled to accept. It was an easy decision as I was already aware of the high-quality journals published by the Biochemical Society. I also happen to believe that journals associated with learned societies are critical for the advancement of science.  

What qualities do you think make someone particularly effective in a publishing-related role?

Experience in publishing and awareness of the scientific field covered by a journal are critical. However, a commitment to ethics and rigor is even more essential. Patience and flexibility of thought are required as you are working with people from all over the world who may hold perspectives different from your own. This allows one to learn and improve. Understanding the deeply personal commitment that authors have to their science is also useful as it helps to facilitate communication.

Why do you think small society publishers are so important?

Purism. That is the word that comes to mind. Society publishers are driven by the scientists, and not by for profit goals. They form a professional home for investigators in which they can interact and collaborate to promote high quality science. They also have a role in supporting early career scientists who can learn about the publishing processes and become the next generation of reviewers, editorial board members, associate editors and editors-in-chief.

What do you see as the importance of open science, and what role does the Society play in supporting this?

In general, science advances incrementally with many investigators approaching problems, often simultaneously, from different perspectives while using different approaches. Open science gives investigators access to these varying viewpoints. With readily accessible information, conclusions can be reached and new ideas can be synthesized more efficiently, while enhancing rigor and reproducibility of science overall. Open science also makes science more readily accessible and transparent to the public, a key aspect of building trust between scientists and the lay public. Learned societies, like the Biochemical Society, serve as a center for collaboration and support that promotes communication across the scientific community and beyond.

Discover more about Clinical Science and our Editorial Board members.