New Editor-in-Chief for the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society | Dr Karen Sears
Dr Sears will bring a range of research, editorial and learned society experience to this role starting 1 September 2023, when current Editor-in-Chief, Professor John Allen, steps down after 26 years.
Published on 13th July 2023
The Biological Journal of the Linnean Society is a direct descendant of the oldest biological journal in the world, which published the epoch-making papers on evolution by Darwin and Wallace. Today the Journal specialises in evolution in the broadest sense and covers all taxonomic groups in all five kingdoms. It covers all the methods used to study evolution, whether whole-organism or molecular, practical or theoretical.
Dr Sears brings a range of research, editorial and learned society experience to the role of Editor-in-Chief. Her research team at UCLA harnesses the diversity that exists in mammals to study how evolution works. Their primary research goal is to understand how developmental variation interacts with environmental factors to foster new adaptations in diverse mammals, with implications for human health.
This research requires the integration of methods and data from several fields, including many of those that the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society has traditionally served. She has acted as Associate Editor and Editorial Board Member on a number of top evolutionary and biological journals including Evolution, eLife, and Proceedings of the Royal Society B. She also brings significant experience of learned societies, having been a founding member and President of the PanAmerican Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology.
Dr Sears' research team's primary goal is to understand how developmental variation interacts with environmental factors to foster new adaptations in diverse mammals, with implications for human health.
Public outreach and student development are core to Dr Sears’ work. At UCLA she has been Chair for many awards, faculty and student committees, and for her department. She is a regular public speaker, and has worked on projects to encourage young people, particularly girls, to get into science.
Dr Sears said of the role: “Taking up the reins of the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society is a huge honour. It’s a publication that is so important to the history of science in general, and personally to my work, and I can’t wait to get started. I’m looking forward to working with Professor Allen over the coming weeks, and with all of our authors, Editorial Board and of course the Linnean Society team, to continue to share high quality research with the community.”
We are incredibly grateful to Professor Allen for his contribution to the journal over this time, and that he is sharing his knowledge and experience with our new editor, who will be shadowing him in the role until September.