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This editor profile is the seventh in a series which will introduce you to a selection of our editors.
This week we have an interview with Dr. Sudhansu Chokroverty, Editor-in-Chief of Sleep Medicine
What aspect of being an editor do you find most rewarding?
I have access to everything that’s going on in sleep medicine research. It is very important for me to have this information because I am also a teacher.
Can you describe how it feels when you come across a groundbreaking paper?
My first thought is that I wish that I had done the research myself! But of course, you cannot do everything.
What advice would you give to a new editor?
Our function is to keep improving the journal, to stimulate readers and potential authors. The important thing is to review critically so you don’t publish mediocre papers. At the same time, it’s very important to expedite the review process, there’s lots of pressure to get the review on time.
How do you balance your role as editor with your other roles?
It’s very, very difficult. I have patient care, clinics, writing books and all the other things. Time management is very important. Of course, I take a lot of the work home, particularly on the weekends. You have to sacrifice your personal life to an extent. It is one of my problems, or virtues, depending on how you look at it, but if you have made a commitment you have to follow-through.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I come from India and there was more pressure in my day, parents wanted you to get to the top of a profession. My parents wanted me to be a doctor or an engineer. I was very good in math and I wanted to go into biostatistics or medicine. I got a placement in both, but I opted for medicine.
Why did you choose neuroscience as your field of study?
When I was doing post-graduate training, I was toying with cardiology or neuroscience. I wanted to study neuroscience in a more scientific and logical manner. I like to get precise results without all the tests, based on a patient’s history and what I see. In neurology and neuroscience, you can put more emphasis on the logical deduction of why something is happening.
Tell me about collaboration. What is the secret to success?
You have to be assertive, but in a diplomatic manner otherwise you start imposing on people. Some people are good at it others are not. I don’t know that I am that good with diplomacy, but I try not to confront people.
What keeps you awake at night?
I wish I had more time for my patients. I know my patients like me, but time does not permit me to work with them as much as I’d like. One has to find a way to manage all the commitments, but it’s very difficult. How much longer my mind and body will cope, I don’t know!
What is the biggest lesson you've learned in your career?
You have to listen to yourself and try to decide which way you want to go. Instead of ruminating, make a decision and don’t waste valuable time. I got interested in too many things. Once you make a decision, do it right.
What is your biggest achievement?
The biggest achievement would be that I have succeeded as an educator and teacher. I feel good about that. I wanted to do something new like the Sleep Medicine journal and so I founded the journal. Before the journal was established in 2000, there wasn’t a place for anyone to submit papers on the subject from a clinical perspective. I also established the World Association of Sleep Medicine, to promote the importance of sleep throughout the world. I’m very proud that I’ve played a role in these things.
Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
My wife is a physician and directed me to sleep medicine. She heard about sleep disorders, like sleep apnea, and she asked me to look into it. Even before that I was somewhat interested in it and she reenergized my interest.
What would you like your legacy to be?
That I promoted education and better care for human kind. I tried my best and I hope that I’ve done a little bit that will be remembered.
What do you like to do for fun?
If I can, I like to take some time off to relax. A lot of people have a lot of hobbies. My work is my hobby, and that’s my problem. If I retire, what am I going to do?
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