In 1986 my friend and colleague Dave Muller and I thought that aphasiology would be well served by a dedicated journal and Aphasiology was born. Now, some 36 years later, it is established as the route to publication for most research in aphasia. For me, my 80th birthday in 2022 seemed like an apposite time to retire and allow someone else to take on the role of Editor in Chief with the energy and skill to take Aphasiology into the future.
I have been particularly thankful to many individuals who have supported me and served the journal for many years. If I named names I’m bound to leave someone out, and I would regret that. I thank them for joining me in the journey. Robert Marshall accepted my invitation to take on the role of North American Editor and in more recent years Heather Harris Wright has taken on the role. I want to express my deep gratitude to them both. Together we have seen a steady increase in the journal’s impact in the field. I am grateful to the late Mike Forster at Psychology Press who was a particularly generous and supportive publisher and took great interest in the journal, and the field.
It is with great pleasure that Dr Christos Salis has accepted the invitation to take on the role of Editor in Chief. He is an exceptional clinical researcher with extensive editorial experience and will bring new energy, new creative ideas and new structures to Aphasiology. Welcome Chris. After 36 years, the ending of the current chapter is for me a mixture of joy and sadness. I will miss my privileged connection with what is happening in the world of aphasia - the potential contribution of the new technology, the innovative and creative clinical research, the emergence and development of research and services for people with aphasia in regions of the world starting, almost from scratch, to develop services for people with aphasia.