Chicago—Catherine D. DeAngelis, MD, was named the 15th editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association on October 8. The 59-year-old pediatrician will become the first woman editor in the 116-year history of JAMA.
DeAngelis begins her duties in early January, almost 1 year after the American Medical Association (AMA) fired former editor George D. Lundberg, MD, saying he had threatened JAMA's integrity by inappropriately interjecting the journal into the debate surrounding the Clinton impeachment trial. The AMA's actions were viewed by many in the academic, scientific, and medical communities as an infringement on the editorial freedom of JAMA (JAMA.1999;281:403). A governance plan guaranteeing editorial independence for JAMA was negotiated and approved by the JAMA Editor Search Committee, AMA senior management, and the AMA Board of Trustees in May (JAMA. 1999;281:2239-2242).