Dr. John Fletcher named new Editor-in-Chief of the CMAJ

OTTAWA, Jan. 18, 2012 /CNW/ - Dr. John Haggie, President of the Canadian Medical Association, announced today that Dr. John Fletcher has been named the new editor-in-chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).

Born and raised in England, Dr. Fletcher holds a medical degree from the University of Cambridge and a master's degree in public health from Harvard University. He is an accredited specialist in public health in the U.K. and was a research fellow at the University of Oxford. He worked at the London office of what is now known as PricewaterhouseCoopers and managed his own Internet medical knowledge company before moving to the British Medical Journal, where he spent seven years. For the last three years, Dr. Fletcher has been the deputy editor, research, of the CMAJ.

"We are very pleased that John Fletcher has taken on this key role at the CMAJ," said Dr. Haggie. "His wide experience in medical research, writing and editing, as well as his clinical and business background, have already proven to be a great asset to the journal. I am confident he will inspire CMAJ staff and help drive the journal's reputation as a standard-bearer for medical knowledge as it heads into its second century."

"John Fletcher has the right combination of leadership and interpersonal skills, editorial expertise and a commitment to knowledge transfer," said Paul-Émile Cloutier, Secretary General and CEO of the CMA. "I think he will be an excellent editor-in-chief."

"I am honoured to be appointed as the journal's new editor-in-chief," Dr. Fletcher said. "CMAJ is a respected journal that is read by both Canadian and international health care professionals. I plan to continue publishing high-quality, credible research while providing more practice-focused content for Canadian doctors in a variety of ways."