Thoughts and Reflections

As a young Lipidologist starting a lipid clinic there were very few colleagues and mentors to turn to.  Just as the NLA was young and germinating, so was the internet and a search quickly led me to the Southeast Lipid Association (SELA). I joined as an upstart New Yorker and soon was swept up by the momentum and inertia of the times.  As SELA morphed into the NLA, I was asked to join the Northeast Lipid Association (NELA) board and soon met and worked with many of our key founding members. Sitting with Dave Capuzzi, Penny Kris-Etherton, Len Kielson and Don Smith at early meetings allowed me to understand the depth and commitment of those in our field.  Five NLA scientific meetings a year (yes we had five then, hosted by each of the regional chapters) was not enough. I loved the energy and ideas circulating at these meetings. The ability to interact with national and international experts fueled my thirst for a more in-depth understanding of our specialty.

The early Presidents of the NLA started our organization on a path to success that has continued today. I am lucky and honored to consider Virgil Brown, Peter Jones, Michael Davidson, Anne Goldberg, Vera Bittner, Penny Kris Etherton, Matt Ito, Carl Orringer and Terry Jacobson  all friends and mentors. Only an organization like the NLA would allow relationships like these to germinate. They helped shape and build the NLA but never seemed unapproachable. This connection between leadership and membership remains today a strength of our organization. 

I was asked to take the initial ABCL exam and sat between Tom Dayspring and Mary McGowan. I recall Michael Davidson proctoring the test. The only other thing I remember was how challenging it was, but at the same time, it was exciting. When Terry Jacobson asked Bob Wild and myself to take on the role of co-editors of LipidSpin, I was not sure if I was up to the task. Never having edited any kind of journal before, I was not convinced of the assignment. In retrospect, it was one of the most enjoyable projects I have ever participated in as a physician. 

LipidSpin grew and changed while Bob and I worked alongside one another. We co-edited from 2009-2015 (almost half of the life of the NLA!). During this time not only did LipidSpin grow and evolve but so did the NLA along with it! We updated the format to a rotating one between regional chapters and added in several new topics and sections. The Potpourri edition was one example of how significant this “newsletter” had become. We needed an extra issue to publish all the work that people were submitting. Making sure that each issue captured the true diversity of the NLA from the varied practitioner groups but also both junior and senior members was a key goal of ours. We involved more members in the editorial process and began to expect quality and expertise that would rival many peer reviewed journals but still maintained elements that connected the membership.

In addition to the wonderful friends and colleagues we continually interacted with during the development of each issue, Bob and I were lucky to work with several smart, dedicated and truly gifted NLA staff members. We are very lucky to have such a dedicated team, and for those of us who work with them often, we are better to have known them.

Editing LipidSpin enabled me to become completely invested in the inner workings and details of the NLA.  The complex interactions of geographic regions, diverse practitioner members, and varied topic create a publication that truly reflects the NLA.

As I continue in my ongoing commitment to the NLA, I look back fondly on my time as co-editor. I would not give up those 6 years for anything yet am completely convinced that the current product is even better than what we passed on. This is the beauty of the NLA. We continue to build upon the past and look to the future.  We are all lucky to be involved in such a wonderful organization. The NLA truly stands as a pure and simple representation of its individual members, who like LipidSpin, represent a complex and fascinating fabric of ideas, goals, hard work, friendship and collegiality. I can’t wait to read each LipidSpin issue and expect it to continue to mirror the unique and extraordinary aspects of the NLA.