Welcome to our “Meet the Editors” series, where we interview the editorial team about their work and their relationship to the journal. In this post we meet Professor John T. Ellis, Editor for Parasitology

Thank you very much for agreeing to participate in our Meet the Editors series on the Parasitology blog. We are very grateful for your time and input, and we hope that you enjoy the chance to share your work and a little bit about yourself with our readers.

Firstly, what is your current job title both within Parasitology and outside of the journal? Where are you based in the world?

I am the Editor for Special Issues of Parasitology, but I also help out the Editor in Chief more generally with the peer-review of submitted papers as well. I live in Sydney (Australia) where I am employed by the University of Technology Sydney as a Professor of Molecular Biology.

In a few sentences, please describe the focus of your work. Which parasites do you study? What is the goal of your research? What approaches do you use in your work?

My group studies a wide variety of topics in parasitology, both medical and veterinary. My initial PhD was in leishmaniasis, and I went back to this field recently as the need for diagnostics came up again in Sydney.  I collaborate more broadly with colleagues in local Sydney Hospitals in the general area of molecular diagnostics for human parasitic diseases. My group also studies the biology of neosporosis in cattle, which has been a long term interest. Recently in this area we have been investigating the potential of reverse vaccinology to identify vaccine candidates. 

When did you first become interested in parasitology as a field? Did a particular teacher or mentor direct your career path?

After I graduated from University, I travelled around the world quite a bit to interesting places and parasitology kept coming up.  It all really sounded interesting and gave me a focus.

How did you first become familiar with the Parasitology journal?

As a PhD student at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, I repeatedly read papers in the Journal.  As a young member of the British Society for Parasitology, I saw the journal was always represented at meetings which is an important part of the engagement process. I suppose I was indoctrinated early in my career that it was an important journal for the parasitology discipline. 

What motivated you to become an editor at the Parasitology journal?

I had been on the editorial board for several years and the opportunity came up.  I did not need to think twice about putting my hand up.  Curiously, I first saw the position advertised in Nature and so I applied.  That of course was back in the days when transparency and equal opportunity principles were considered important by employers.

What is the best part of editing for Parasitology?

I enjoy networking and meeting people with shared interests in parasitology.  Living in Australia means that I am normally forever on a plane in order to get to conferences and workshops.  Fortunately, I enjoy this, so travel, going to conferences and networking is a real plus for the job. I go to the Spring and Autumn meetings of the British Society for Parasitology in an official capacity as I represent Cambridge University Press on the Council of the British Society, which is a real honor.

Do you have any advice for those submitting to Parasitology?

There are several important steps in the peer-review process that you need to consider. However the first step is ensuring you can convince the editor that your paper is worth reviewing. Hence it’s really important to emphasise the important findings, novelty and significance of your study up front, such as in the covering letter and the abstract. It’s an important marketing exercise.  It’s also worth investing time in well-illustrated colour figures, which look great.  We provide an “instructions for authors” for you to follow for formatting so you need to ensure your paper is formatted correctly and edited to a high standard and not full of typos.

What advice would you give to early career researchers who are just starting out in parasitology as a field?

Science broadly is a global business and so it’s important for ECRs to be seen at international conferences, especially ones that are not in their home countries. It’s important they meet as many people in their chosen field as possible and leave them with a good impression, as you never know who will review their next grant or paper. My time in Australia arose from meeting someone at a conference in the USA.  It’s always important to take opportunities when they arise; that includes invitations to publish, review a paper, or attend a workshop. Timing is also crucial; do not delay writing papers as the ECR period is a relatively short time period to establish that critical track record. Take advice!