It is with the utmost appreciation that we mark the retirement of Professor Jonathan Samet from his role as Co‑Editor‑in‑Chief of Population Health Metrics. Jon shares his own reflections in his recent editorial, and in this blog the current Editors‑in‑Chief and I offer our thoughts on Jon's time with, and contributions to, the journal.
Alice Coe, publisher for Population Health Metrics
It has been a real joy to work with Jon Samet and Shereen Hussein this year. Jon contributed not only extensive expertise in population health but also a kindness and enthusiasm that helped Population Health Metrics continue to thrive, from fostering a collaborative Editorial Board to strengthening the journal’s role and impact within the academic community. Jon will always remain a friend of the journal and he leaves Population Health Metrics in the extremely capable hands of Prof Shereen Hussein, A/Prof Tim Adair and the Editorial Board.
Comments from the Editors-in-Chief
A/Prof Tim Adair, new Co-Editor-in-Chief of Population health Metrics:
Jon Samet has overseen a period of significant growth of Population Health Metrics as a leading journal publishing advances in population health measurement and its determinants. Under his Editorship the journal has published several impactful papers addressing some of the most pressing global health issues, including conflict-related mortality and health, the impact of COVID-19 on population health and analyses of the inequalities in disease burden. His leadership has provided a strong foundation for Population Health Metrics to continue publishing scientific advances that help to understand the health impacts of current and future population health challenges.
Prof Shereen Hussein, Co-Editor-in-Chief of Population Health Metrics
It has been a genuine privilege to serve alongside Jon Samet as co-Editor-in-Chief of Population Health Metrics during a time of exceptional change and challenge for scientific publishing. Jon’s editorial reflections on his tenure remind us not only of the journal’s remarkable growth and influence but also of the turbulent global and academic landscape through which he has guided it with steadiness and integrity. Our partnership has been characterised by deep collegiality, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to safeguarding the scientific mission of the journal, even as we faced increasing pressures from the swift rise of artificial intelligence, the emergence of paper mills, and increasingly complex questions regarding the automated use of large datasets such as NHANES and the Global Burden of Disease. Together, we confronted the reality of overwhelming submission volumes and worked diligently to develop editorial strategies to distinguish rigorous, meaningful contributions from duplicated or questionable work, ensuring that high-quality population health research using large-scale data continues to find its rightful place in the literature.
Equally important has been our shared effort to strengthen the peer review process at a time when reviewer fatigue is a universal challenge across journals. Working closely with Springer Nature and Alice Coe, we collaborated on innovative approaches to recognise and incentivise the essential contributions of reviewers and Associate Editors, including the development of reviewer and Associate Editor awards that we are now piloting. These initiatives reflect Jon’s enduring belief in community, fairness, and excellence in scientific publishing. As Jon steps into a well-deserved retirement, I express my immense gratitude for his leadership, wisdom, and friendship. His legacy at Population Health Metrics is firmly embedded in its standards, its global relevance, and its future direction. I am deeply confident that the journal will continue to thrive, building on the strong foundation Jon helped shape, and continuing its vital role in advancing the science of population health measurement for years to come.
Don't miss key updates from Population Health Metrics:
- Open collection: Advancing the Measurement of Social Connection for Population Health: New Evidence, Metrics, and Global Priorities
- Open collection: Open Issues in Population Health Modeling: Methodological, and Epidemiological Implications of Continuous Changes in Population Dynamics
- Reviewer and Associate Editor awards scheme