A tribute to Dr. Ridha Joober

We have been very fortunate to have the strong dedication and commitment of Dr. Ridha Joober, who has served as coeditor in chief (EIC) of JPN from 2011 to 2022. Ridha dedicated a most generous amount of time, insight and effort to the journal, while at the same time leading a thriving clinical practice treating psychosis and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and expanding his scope, quality and intensity of research into mental illness as a clinician-scientist.

Ridha fervently championed JPN’s 2-EIC model — 1 editor with a basic science and the other with a clinical background to achieve the full scope of publishing outstanding research providing mechanistic insights into the causes and treatments for mental illness. Working together for more than 10 years, Ridha and Dr. Patricia Boksa oversaw JPN reaching the ranks among the top journals in biological psychiatry and staying on the top for most of their editorial terms. Ridha not only completed 2 terms, but also continued for an additional year and a half, including completion of the manuscripts he had taken on as EIC. This exceptional level of commitment has ensured the smooth transition to new leadership for the journal.

We send our heartfelt appreciation to Ridha for all the dedication and hard work he put into JPN. One of the great pleasures of working with Ridha was the frequent, detailed discussions we had about the scientific and clinical merits of various JPN submissions. It often seemed that our opinions concurred, and we learned a lot from the instances when they did not. We hold the greatest admiration for Ridha’s intellectual and clinical acumen, and for his humanity. As we will greatly miss Ridha’s stewardship of the journal, we know that he will continue to offer his insights for the journal’s success.

Wishing you success in your future goals and research, and hoping that the next 11 years are even more brilliant than those you dedicated to the journal.