2024 Annual Report of Journal of Translational Genetics and Genomics

Journal of Translational Genetics and Genomics (JTGG) achieved remarkable progress in 2024, thanks to the collective efforts of our editorial team, authors, reviewers, webinar and conference participants, readers, and editorial staff. These contributors have played a vital role in helping the journal reach significant milestones and earn recognition among professionals and academics in the field. This report highlights the journal’s key achievements over the past year.

Highlights：

1. 132 submissions received and 27 papers published;
2. 20 outstanding experts joined Editorial Board and 30 in Junior Editorial Board;
3. Experts from diverse countries lead the 19 special issues as guest editors;
4. JTGG received its second Citescore increased to 2.7;
5. JTGG was indexed in Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI).

1. A letter from the Editor-in-Chief:

Dear Colleagues,

The past year of 2024 has been particularly significant for all of us, as we have witnessed substantial progress made by the Journal of Translational Genetics and Genomics (JTGG). After thoroughly reviewing this annual report, I am confident that we are on the right path. I am optimistic that within the next year, our diligent efforts will be recognized with an inclusion in a major database. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all the current and newly appointed members of our esteemed and dedicated Editorial Board, Guest Editors, reviewers, and authors, as well as the staff of the Editorial Office. Their contributions have been fundamental to the ongoing improvement and growth of our journal. One of the most critical tasks for the Editorial Board and the Journal Office is to solicit more high-quality manuscripts. As an author, I understand the significant impact that a journal’s rank or impact factor has on the decision to submit a manuscript. Therefore, the responsibility of attracting top-notch submissions lies heavily on the shoulders of the Editorial Board, Guest Editors, and the Journal Office. Although there is still much work ahead, I am confident that with the combined efforts of all members of the JTGG family, we will succeed in making our journal one of the most attractive and prestigious publications for authors in the field of translational genetics and genomics.

Sanjay Gupta,

Editor-In-Chief

2. Submission and Publication Metrics

In 2024, JTGG received a total of 132 submissions, publishing 27 papers, with a rejection rate of 54.5%. Compared to last year, submissions increased by 118.3% and publications by 28.6%. Committed to publishing high-quality papers, JTGG features various article types, including Original Articles, Reviews, Case Reports, Commentaries, Perspectives, and Editorials [Figure 1].

Figure 1. Distribution of Publication Types

These articles addressed critical topics such as long non-coding RNAs, Barth syndrome, Fabry disease, atypical neurofibromas (aNF), prostate cancer, and neurocognitive dysfunction, garnering international academic recognition.

The 39 corresponding authors published in 2024 included notable figures such as Mark Wilkinson (University of Sheffield), Grant M. Hatch (University of Manitoba), and Brigitte C. Widemann (National Cancer Institute). Nearly 28% of these authors have an h-index exceeding 60, with another 28% holding an h-index between 40 and 60 [Figure 2].

Figure 2. H-Index Distribution of Corresponding Authors in 2024

Reviewer Contributions

In 2024, 63 reviewers from nine nations or regions strongly supported JTGG’s peer-review process, with USA (40%), China (22%), and Italy (13%) contributing the most reviewers [Figure 3]. Their thorough evaluations and constructive suggestions significantly enhanced the quality of published articles and accelerated the journal’s development. The Editorial Office extends special appreciation for their invaluable contributions.

Figure 3. Reviewer Distribution by Country/Region

3. Editorial Board

3.1 New Membership

In 2024, 20 distinguished scholars joined the JTGG Editorial Board, contributing their expertise across diverse fields [Figure 4]:

• Prof. Corrado Angelini, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Padua, Veneto, Italy
• Prof. Giuseppe Novelli, Lab. Medical Genetics, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy
• Prof. Yiping Shen, Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
• Prof. Mohammad Bohlooly-Y, Translational Genomics, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
• Dr. Erika Cione, Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
• Prof. Rosaria Maria D'Apice, Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Tor Vergata Hospital, Rome, Italy
• Dr. Jin-wu Nam, Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
• Prof. Laura Ottini, Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
• Prof. Kenneth Blum, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA
• Prof. William C Cho, Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, China
• Prof. Hani Gabra, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kindom
• Prof. Minxin Guan, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
• Prof. Susan T. Iannaccone, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
• Prof. Qingyi Wei, Greater Bay Area Institute of Precision Medicine (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
• Prof. Ralf Weiskirchen, Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
• Prof. Kun Xia, The Key Laboratory of Pediatric Rare Diseases of the Ministry of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
• Prof. Narasimman Gurusamy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, FL, USA
• Prof. Frank Staal, Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
• Prof. Zhongheng Zhang, Department of Emergency Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
• Prof. Bofeng Zhu, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Figure 4. New Members Joining the JTGG Editorial Board in 2024

On March 18, 2024, JTGG held its annual Editorial Board Meeting [Figure 5]. Several board members participated to review the journal's status and discuss plans for the year ahead. A second meeting, the Online Chinese Editorial Board Meeting, was held on October 16, 2024, to introduce and welcome new members and review the journal’s progress. During the session, members celebrated the journal’s inclusion in the ESCI and focused on addressing challenges related to its indexing to additional databases. Participants contributed effective strategies and actionable recommendations for the journal’s future development.

Figure 5. JTGG Editorial Board Members Attending the Meeting

3.2. Special Issues

In 2024, JTGG collaborated with 22 distinguished scholars to publish 19 Special Issues, as shown in Figure 6. This initiative built a community of authors and readers who exchanged ideas and proposed innovative directions for future research. A complete list of ongoing Special Issues is available at https://www.oaepublish.com/jtgg/ongoing_special_issues.

Figure 6. Covers of Newly Released Special Issues in 2024

4. Academic activities

4.1 Exclusive Interviews

Over the past year, we conducted interviews with three prominent experts:

• Prof. Yiping Shen, Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA [Figure 7]
• Prof. Dennis Lo, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China [Figure 8]
• Prof. William C Cho, Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, China [Figure 9]

Figure 7. Special Interview with Prof. Yiping Shen

Figure 8. Interview with Prof. Dennis Lo by Prof. Yiping Shen

Figure 9. Special Interview with Prof. William C. Cho

4.2 Webinars

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was recently awarded to Professors Victor Ambros and. Gary Ruvkun for their groundbreaking discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. In light of this achievement, we are dedicated to highlighting cutting-edge research in this area. We are planning to host a webinar titled “microRNA: Paradigm Shift in Molecular Biology and Precision Medicine” on December 18, 2024 [Figure 10]. However, considering the Christmas season, we have decided to reschedule this webinar to Spring 2025.

Figure 10. Webinar on microRNA: Paradigm Shift in Molecular Biology and Precision Medicine

5. Collaboration and Conferences

In 2024, JTGG successfully partnered with five international conferences, including three online collaborations with Human Genome Meeting 2024 (HGM 2024) [Figure 11], the 3^rd European Congress on Human Genetics [Figure 12], and Histone Modifications and Chromatin Structure Symposium organized by the NIH [Figure 13]. Additionally, the editorial team participated in three offline conferences in China: International Society of Reproductive Genetics (ISGR) [Figure 14, 15], National Academic Conference of the Genetic Society of China [Figure 16], and 2024 China (Guangxi) - Asian International Cancer Precision Medicine Conference [Figure 17]. These collaborations have significantly increased JTGG’s exposure, attracting greater attention and support from scholars in the field.

Figure 11. Scene from Human Genome Meeting 2024 (HGM 2024)

Figure 12. Partnership with the 3^rd European Congress on Human Genetics

Figure 13. Partnership with Histone Modifications and Chromatin Structure Symposium

Figure 14. Scene from International Society of Reproductive Genetics (ISGR)

Figure 15. Editors of JTGG with Prof. Huanming Yang (center) (BGI-Shenzhen, China)

Figure 16. Editors of JTGG at the 2024 National Academic Conference of the Genetic Society of China

Figure 17. Scene from 2024 China (Guangxi) - Asian International Cancer Precision Medicine Conference

6. Citations

6.1 Indexing

In the past year, JTGG achieved significant developments in database indexing. On February 29, 2024, it was indexed in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) [Figures 18, 19]. The journal aims to secure its inaugural impact factor in 2025 and is targeting a Q2 ranking in the GENETICS & HEREDITY category.

Figure 18. Notification of JTGG’s Indexing in ESCI.

In June, JTGG received its 2024 CiteScore of 1.9, placing it in the Q3 tier for journals in the “Medicine | Genetics (clinical)” category.

Figure 19. Citescore for 2024

6.2 Citation analysis

In 2024, JTGG gained notable recognition within the global academic community, with 185 citations from 25 countries and regions. Figure 20 shows the geographic distribution of these citations, emphasizing JTGG’s global academic impact. The top 5 countries contributing to these citations are China, USA, Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Figure 20. Distribution of Citing Authors by Country/Region

Additionally, we analyzed the quartile distribution of citing journals, as summarized in Figure 21. It is encouraging to see that the majority of citations come from Q1 and Q2 journals. The leading Q1 journals are listed in Table 1. We hope that the exceptional articles published in JTGG will attract more attention from high-impact journals and inspire more scholars to contribute to our journal.

Figure 21. Quartile Distribution of Citing Journals

Table 1. Top Citing Journals of JTGG in 2024（Q1）

Top 10 Most Cited Articles (All Years)

We are proud to highlight the top 10 most cited articles in our journal:

• The DNA damage response - from cell biology to human disease
  Fred C. Lam et al.
• Zebrafish models of inherited retinal dystrophies
  Brian D. Perkins et al.
• Potentials and challenges of launching the pilot phase of Hong Kong Genome Project
  Annie T. W. Chu et al.
• Development and early evaluation of clinical decision support for long QT syndrome population screening
  Jordan Baye et al.
• Genomics in practice - a review of inherited cardiac conditions
  Shaun Seh Ern Loong et al.
• Epigenetic effects of high-fat diet on intestinal tumorigenesis in C57BL/6J-ApcMin/+ mice
  Dan C. Qu et al.
• Genomics education for medical specialists: case-based specialty workshops and blended learning
  Fran Maher et al.
• Genomics in leukaemia in clinical practice: past, present and the future
  Ho Ching Leung et al.
• A case with prenatal molecular diagnosis of X-linked transient antenatal Bartter syndrome
  Ke Xu et al.
• Genetics in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases Kevin Bliden et al.

We appreciate any efforts to promote these articles, as they will further amplify JTGG’s impact.

7. Conclusion and Future Plans

As we conclude another successful year, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who have supported and contributed to our journal. We deeply appreciate the trust placed in us by researchers who have shared their invaluable insights and groundbreaking work. Your commitment to academic excellence continues to be the foundation of our publication.

Looking ahead, the editorial team of JTGG is committed to maintaining the journal’s tradition of academic excellence while striving to position JTGG as a leading authority in the field of genetics and genomics. With the continued support of our contributors, readers, and Editorial Board, we are confident in achieving these goals and making significant contributions to the global advancement of genomic research.

Editor: Yana Wei
Language Editor: Catherine Yang
Production Editor: Ting Xu
Respectfully submitted by the Editorial Office of Journal of Translational Genetics and Genomics