We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Juan Carlos Laguna has been appointed as Section Editor-in-Chief of the “Carbohydrates” Section of Nutrients (ISSN: 2072-6643).

Prof. Dr. Juan Carlos Laguna has worked as Full Professor of pharmacology since 2003 at the University of Barcelona UB (Spain), teaching at the School of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, in the fields of molecular pharmacology, pharmacological biochemistry and cardiovascular pharmacology. He is coordinator of the subject Cardiovascular Pathologies and Arteriosclerosis in the Master of Biomedicine and Director of the UB/EFAME Master's degree “Scientific Departments of the Pharmaceutical Industry”. He has directed 35 research training projects for undergraduate and graduate students, 15 of them being doctoral theses. Between 1987 and 1989, Prof. Dr. Juan Carlos Laguna worked as a post-doc at the Department of Pharmacology of the University of Connecticut (USA), under the supervision of Dr. Dominick L. Cinti, studying liver metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids. In 1989, he established himself as an independent researcher in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry UB, in the field of cardiovascular diseases and its relationship with alterations of energy metabolism. His research group has participated in the ISCIII Genetic Hyperlipemia Network (2003-2006), the Network for the Study of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases (2006-07), and the CIBERDEM Network Research Center (2007-10). Since 2011, they have been members of the CiberObn Network Research Center for Obesity and Nutrition Physiopathology. They are members of the Institute of Biomedicine UB. As lead researcher, he has obtained funding for more than 36 research projects, from governments and private sources, producing more than 170 scientific documents, including book chapters, revisions, and scientific and dissemination articles—HI 42. In the last decade, his research group has participated in the study of the metabolic effects produced by the chronic consumption of simple sugars. They have studied, both with in vivo and in vitro models, the effect of isocaloric supplementation of fructose and glucose solutions on lipid and glucose metabolism at different times (from two weeks to eleven months) to reproduce the complete pattern of consumption of these sugars by human populations. They have studied metabolic changes in vascular tissue (atherosclerosis), visceral adipose, and hypothalamic (cognition) and skeletal muscle tissue (insulin resistance), but focus mainly on liver tissue (MASLD), since the pharmacokinetics of fructose directs fructose mainly to hepatic cells. Lately, they have been searching for candidate drugs to prevent/treat MASLD. After having focused on the early stages of this disease (simple steatosis), their current project intends to study more advanced stages of MASLD, with inflammation and liver fibrosis.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Juan Carlos Laguna, who shared with us his vision for the journal, as well as his views on the research area and open access publishing:

1. Can you please introduce your current research focus?
My research over the years has been devoted to the study of liver lipid metabolism, how it is involved in liver pathologies and metabolic dysregulation, and which dietary and pharmacological measures can be taken to restore its normal functioning. In the last decade, after characterizing, by using experimental rodent models, the role of simple sugar consumption in the development of metabolic diseases, we have focused on the characterization of a dietary model of MASL (metabolic-associated steatotic liver), the High Fat High Fructose Sprague Dawley rat model. Using this model, we search for new approaches, from natural products to the repurposing of drugs already in clinical use, to prevent/treat liver steatosis. Our next goal is to test the most effective interventions in models of advanced liver disease, MASH (metabolic associated steatohepatitis). 

2. What are some of the current hot or novel topics in your research field?
From my personal point of view, it is the realization that in order to curtail the epidemics of MASLD (metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease), we need to find effective measures, besides promoting changes to a healthy lifestyle, to avoid the development of MASL and its progression to more aggressive forms of liver disease. Among these measures, nutritional supplements and repurposed drugs designed to reduce metabolic dysfunction (steatosis, dyslipidemia, overweight, etc.) should have a role. Related to this subject, interventions aimed to modify and improve gut microbiome metabolic performance hold high promise. 

3. What factors encouraged you to join the Editorial Board and serve as Section Editor-in-Chief of the journal?
My very satisfactory previous experience with the Nutrients team, either as a reviewer or as an author. Also, the fact that I have a great respect and consideration for the scientific merits of Kimber Stanhope, Ph.D., RD, my predecessor as the “Carbohydrate” Editor-in-Chief of Nutrients. 

4. What advantages does Nutrients have compared to other journals in the same field?
Its broad scope across the field of nutrition, and the scientific soundness of the published work, reflected in its high impact factor, ranking 18/114 in the “Nutrition and Dietetics” category (Journal Citation Reports source).

5. What advice do you have for young researchers?
Endurance, perspective, humility, and rigor for the long trial ahead.

6. What suggestions do you have for increasing the journal’s visibility and promotion?
I am still considering several possibilities, but my first goal would be to maintain and, if possible, to increase the scientific quality and soundness of the work published in the “Carbohydrate” Section.

We wish Prof. Dr. Juan Carlos Laguna every success in his new position, and we look forward to his contributions to the journal.