There is no doubt that we have long entered into an information explosion age, and the pace is escalating by the minute. Not only have the borders between disciplines been torn down, but there are no longer any barriers between counties, states, regions, countries, and continents. Knowledge is no longer reserved for a privileged few, but indeed can be shared by all. This freedom of information is what we cherish as scientists, but this information is much more valuable when screened first by experts before dissemination.
The “eye” has been referred to by ancient proverbs as the “window to the soul”. More importantly, it is a major connection between the individual and the rest of the world. In a recent announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, an estimated 14 million people in the United States alone are visually impaired. Approximately 3.3 million people aged 40 years or older have vision impairment and blindness not correctable by glasses, and the number is projected to reach 5.5 million by 2020. The major causes of vision impairment and blindness are diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. With an increasingly aging population, the prevalence of these diseases is bound to escalate. Research and education are the keys to prevent and overcome this major health hazard.
It is with this goal in mind that the Eye and Brain journal was born. Break-through clinical findings, cutting edge research, and expert reviews of pertinent topics on vision will be peer-reviewed and disseminated to all professionals and the public free of charge in an “open access” forum. A dedicated group of outstanding clinicians and basic scientists serve on the Editorial Board to provide expertise in their specific visual fields. None of us has any monetary gain, as we all volunteer our services. Our goal is simply to promote the dissemination of quality information on vision science. The turn-around time for the publishing process is weeks rather than months.
This unique journal is one that everyone can tap into for information, spanning from the cornea to the associational visual cortex and all the visual centers in between. Topics range from basic biological problems to therapeutic treatment, from simple organisms to humans, and utilizing techniques from molecular biology to behavior. This is one forum where cross-talk and cross-pollination enlighten and benefit all. We welcome input from all angles. We especially welcome primary research articles or review papers that make the connection between the eye and the brain. After all, one cannot function adequately without the other.