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News — Michael E. Hoffer, M.D., FACS, professor of otolaryngology and neurological surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is editor-in-chief of the newly launched gold open access journal Otology & Neurotology Open, the official open access scientific journal of the American Otological Society and American Neurotology Society.

Three Miller School faculty members have been named associate editors: Simon Angeli, M.D., director of the University of Miami Ear Institute and program director for the Neurotology-Skull Base fellowship program; Suhrud Rajguru, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical engineering and otolaryngology, co-director of the Institute for Neural Engineering; and assistant director of the Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute Team Science Program; and Meredith Holcomb, Au.D., director of the multidisciplinary UHealth Ear Institute Hearing Implant Program.

“We are extremely proud of the national recognition afforded to our programs at the Miller School Ear Institute that comes from the selection of our faculty experts to these important editorial positions,” Fred F. Telischi, M.D., chairman of otolaryngology, professor of neurological surgery and biomedical engineering, and the James R. Chandler Chair in Otolaryngology. “The Otology & Neurotology Open journal is the premier clinical research communication organ for many specialty organizations around the world in the ear and hearing specialties, including those in the U.S.”

Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Otology & Neurotology Open (ONO) was created to expand the breadth of published research within the multidisciplinary fields of otology, neurotology, cranial base surgery, neural engineering, and materials science as they relate to ear disease. ONO will publish cutting-edge research on technological advances impacting the diagnosis and treatment of disease related to the human ear, according to Dr. Hoffer.

“In addition, ONO will allow for the exploration of far-forward ideas just being considered in laboratories and will provide a forum for original research with immediate access to raw data,” he said. “Most importantly, ONO will allow scientific and clinical advances to be available to everyone regardless of their access to a published subscription. That is keeping with the Miller School’s global health mission. You cannot deliver global health if you rely on those who are reading or seeing what you produce to have access to a medical library. Many simply do not have this access.. In an open access journal, they can just Google the article and read it.

The UHealth faculty members serving as associated editors are part of a team of 11 associate editors who will help to create, shape, and ensure the ONO’s integrity and value.

“When you are starting a journal, you have a core group of associate editors who work very closely with the editor-in-chief, the publisher, and the societies,” Dr. Hoffer said. “It is significant that 3 of the 11 are from the Miller School and represent such different areas of expertise.”

Dr. Holcomb, who is also the current chair for the American Cochlear Implant Alliance, for example, is the only audiologist on a distinguished list of associate editors for this new journal.

“The partnership of audiologists, surgeons, engineers, and other scientists is extremely important for advancing research in the field of otolaryngology, and we look forward to publishing cutting edge articles that appeal to each of our specialties,” Dr. Holcomb said. 

Interdisciplinary collaborations have led to new technologies, devices, and therapies in the past decade, according to Dr. Rajguru.

“Being part of this editorial team and especially as a biomedical engineer at this exciting journal allows me to help evaluate and highlight new translational research from a diverse set of scientists, physicians and engineers,” Dr. Rajguru said.

In the field of otolaryngology there are only a few pre-eminent journals, and ONO will be one, according to Dr. Hoffer.

ONO is . Follow ONO on Twitter (@ONOjournal) and on to learn more about the journal and for direct links to articles upon publication later this year.