Journal of Molecular Psychiatry, a new open access journal published by BioMed Central, has launched today with its first published articles.

In the launch Editorial, Editor-in-Chief Professor Johannes Thome highlights that one of the great achievements of molecular psychiatry is to ‘unravel the oversimplification of many theories in biological psychiatry and to open our eyes to the fundamental processes such as gene-environment interaction which enable us to integrate even psychotherapeutic and social concepts of mental health into a new holistic and integrative psychiatry’. In keeping with this objective, this new journal aims to disseminate state-of-the-art research focussing on psychiatric conditions, their diagnosis, therapy and prevention, by providing a platform for the rapid communication of scientific work focussing on the elucidation of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders.

The first articles to be published showcase the extensive range of topics covered in the journal, and include a review discussing the use of post-mortem analysis of brain tissue as a possible tool to gain a deeper insight into the neurobiology of different psychiatric disorders, as well as an article reporting an investigation into the effect of Methylphenidate, a drug commonly used to treat ADHD, on neuronal stem cell differentiation. In his correspondence piece, Professor Eric Nestler details the origins of the field of molecular psychiatry, and highlights recent advances in the field, as well as challenges yet to be overcome.

Journal of Molecular Psychiatry is an exciting new addition to our growing portfolio of psychiatry journals, and is supported by an expert Editorial Board. Please visit the journal website to find out more about the journal, and to sign up for article alerts.