The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) is now accepting applications for the next Editor-in-Chief of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum (DCR), the leading peer-reviewed journal in colorectal surgery, for a 5-year term, renewable for a second 5-year term. The Editor-in-Chief will play a pivotal role in shaping the journal’s editorial strategy, ensuring scientific excellence, and advancing the field of colorectal surgery.

It is the responsibility of the Editor in Chief to:

• Ensure that the journal addresses cutting-edge issues in diseases of the colon, rectum and anus
• Provide overall leadership and direction for journal content and business ventures
• Supervise the solicitation, receipt and review of manuscripts and respond to authors in a timely manner
• Oversee correspondence with authors, editorial board, and reviewers
• Oversee editing and production of the journal in collaboration with the publisher
• Ensure that 12 monthly issues are produced in a timely fashion
• Develop new sections in the journal, methods of communication, and initiatives to ensure the journal maintains its standing as the premier colorectal surgery journal

Applicants must be ASCRS Fellows. Qualifications should include a record of significant scholarly achievement; familiarity with the literature in the field, clinical research design and basic concepts of statistics and ethics of research; administrative and editorial skills; capacity for detail work; understanding of the international community of scholars and practitioners; demonstrated ability to adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of surgical journals and technology, and possess strong interpersonal skills.

The new Editor-in-Chief will be selected in October 2025 and commence a one-year transition with the current Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board starting on January 1, 2026. He/she assume will full responsibility for the Editor-in-Chief role on January 1, 2027. The successful candidate will receive a stipend for personal support and reimbursement of travel expenses to attend meetings and other events that are relevant to the Editor role and success of the journal – as approved by the ASCRS Executive Council through the annual budgeting process.

Interested applicants should send a letter outlining her/his qualifications and her/his vision for the future of the journal including the challenges and opportunities that face the next editor. They should also include:

• Most recent curriculum vitae
• A statement of support from the individual’s institution
• Names of two references

Depending upon the applicant pool composition, there will be either one or two rounds of interviews, with the final round conducted in-person at a location to be occur no later than September 15, 2025. A decision will be made by the ASCRS Executive Council soon thereafter.

Please review the DC&R Editor-in-Chief Job Description here.

Applications must be received no later than April 30, 2025 and should be addressed to:

George J Chang, MD, MS, MHCM

Chair, DC&R Editor Search Committee

E-mail Address: [email protected] 

Any questions about the Journal may be directed to [email protected].