Watch the full interview with Fumio Tsuji, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Medicine Pharmacology, on building an open access pharmacology journal around reproducible research. Dr Tsuji discusses the translational gap in drug discovery, why publication bias toward positive findings wastes laboratory effort, and the case for publishing well-designed confirmatory studies and negative results.
From bench science to publishing
Dr Tsuji was drawn to pharmacology by how directly it links the laboratory bench to the clinic. "What first drew me to pharmacology was its remarkable power to connect basic science directly to real-world patient care and clinical solutions," he says.
That link still shapes his view of where the field is heading. Artificial intelligence (AI) and bioinformatics can accelerate hypothesis generation, but Dr Tsuji argues they do not change what counts as proof. "AI can suggest great ideas, but only biological experiments can prove they actually work." Wet-lab data, in his view, will anchor progress for the next decade.
It also explains the problem the journal was built around: the translational gap. Promising laboratory results routinely fail in clinical trials, in part because animal and cell models do not fully reproduce human biology. Publishing only the successes leaves that gap unexamined, which is why reproducibility now shapes every stage of the journal's review process.
What Medicine Pharmacology looks for in a submission
Medicine Pharmacology publishes original research across the breadth of the discipline, including molecular biology, drug delivery, immunology, neuropharmacology, and toxicology. Every submission must carry experimental validation, in vitro or in vivo. Purely computational simulations and network pharmacology studies without supporting laboratory work fall outside the scope.
That requirement is a reproducibility decision, not a gatekeeping one. Alongside novel findings, the journal actively seeks well-designed confirmatory studies and negative results, the work that tells the field which paths have already been closed.
Dr Tsuji's message to researchers is direct: “If your study is ethically sound and scientifically solid, please don't hesitate to send it to us.”
What authors can expect
Under Dr Tsuji's leadership, four commitments shape the author’s experience:
- Submissions judged on scientific validity and methodological rigor, not subjective novelty
- Equal consideration for well-designed negative and confirmatory results
- Open-access publication on Ovid®, reaching pharmacology researchers and clinicians worldwide
- Continuous publication workflows that are designed for timely processing
Looking ahead
Within five years, Dr Tsuji wants Medicine Pharmacology to be "a highly trusted home for transparent, reproducible, and practical pharmacological research." His invitation to the community is unambiguous: Send the rigorous laboratory studies, the confirmatory work, and the well-designed negative results.
"Together, let's build an open, reliable future for pharmacological science."
Submit your research
Reproducibility depends on what reaches the community, including the studies that quietly confirm, or disprove, what the field assumed. If your work meets high standards for methodology and transparency, it belongs in the published record. Explore Medicine Pharmacology and submit your manuscript.
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