Expanding understanding of the autonomic nervous system with a dash of Flemish charm, Belgian beer, and unrelenting camaraderie: <i>The Anatomical Record</i> raises a glass to <scp>J‐P</scp> Timmermans

This month's Special Issue focuses on advances from Eastern Europe in the understanding of the complex and ever-fascinating world of the autonomic nervous system. The Special Issue has been Guest Edited by Professor Petr Masliukov of Yaroslavi State University in Russia (Timmermans, 2023, this issue). Great appreciation and praise are due to Professor Masliukov, both for engaging and enlisting colleagues to submit their research to our journal, and for doing so in a most challenging and difficult time in the region. This work is a testament to the overarching camaraderie that the quest for expanding scientific knowledge brings to the fore even in periods of geopolitical turmoil. Our words here are not meant to review the Special Issue, or the Anatomical Record's robust history in publishing new science on the autonomic nervous system and related topics, as that has been well-detailed in the issue's overview by Jean-Pierre Timmermans, as noted above. Rather, we wanted to say a few words on and about Professor Timmermans, European Associate Editor for our journal, who also served as the overseeing Editor for this Special Issue and was integral in seeing it to fruition. First off, J-P, as the distinguished professor is known to us, has been, and always will be, an icon in the storied history of The Anatomical Record. J-P came on-board in 1993 as an Associate Editor serving under the incomparable John Ladman when the latter was Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of The Anatomical Record. Indeed, along with Commentary co-author JL, J-P is the longest serving member of our AR Editorial Board family, harking back to the days of handling manuscripts by carrier pigeons before easy electronic submissions and Scholar One! Following the halcyon days of John Ladman, J-P's wisdom was shared with EIC's Roger Markwald, co-author Kurt Albertine, and co-author Heather Smith. J-P's scholarly excellence has also regularly graced the pages of our journal (he has been a frequent author reporting his own novel science and served as Guest Editor for Anatomical Record Special and Thematic Paper Issues; e.g., Abdellah et al., 2018; Adriaensen et al., 2003; Alpaerts et al., 2015; Bagyanszki et al., 2010; Geerts et al., 2008; Klimaschewski & Timmermans, 2019; Scheuerman et al., 1989; Timmermans & Geertz, 2005; Timmermans, Hens, & Adriaensen, 2001; Timmermans, Markwald, & Litke, 2001, 2003; Van Remoortel et al., 2023). We are most appreciative of his heartfelt efforts and support. J-P's value to The Anatomical Record (and for our parent association, the American Association for Anatomy) goes far beyond the reporting of his insightful science, the recruitment of similarly valuable work from many colleagues, or the organization and promulgation of new findings in Special Issues. His value to those of us privileged to work with him has been that J-P has always “lifted us up.” He makes those around him better through his unique combination of warmth, wit, and wonder, always mixed with a sharp and probing mind. Do not let that smiling Flemish charm fool you—J-P always has an eye on the bottom line—AR budgets, our place in Index-factors, submission delays, problematic authors, or even difficult Associate Editors—J-P never let anything get by him! KA would always lose a few (remaining) hairs when J-P would hold him to the fire over budgets, delays, or deadlines! A hallmark of The Anatomical Record, and one of the reasons for our continued and, indeed, growing success, is the close working relationship among AR Editorial Board members. This did not happen by chance but has been effectuated intentionally by the EICs over the years. Starting with Roger Markwald who brought the AR Board down to beautiful Charleston (oh the food!), and energetically enhanced by KA (smiling at the thought) who created in-depth bonding working retreats usually at the home-base of an Associate Editor (indeed, each AE was made to feel special by having them and their home highlighted in this fashion; for example, for 2023, HS's extraordinary Australian home will welcome many of the AR Board with shrimp on the barbie; only JL and little 'ol New York have been regularly snubbed—for 25 years, but who is counting!). Such working retreats enabled the board to get to know each other—and often their families—very well. Friendships were fostered that have spanned the years, and have generated enormous productivity for our journal and association. J-P and his beloved better half Karin De Beul have always been key figures in our meetings and retreats. Oh, the glorious memories! J-P was an involved participant for AR Board Meetings from the time of John Ladman's sessions at AAA Annual Conferences, to Roger's Charleston events, to the myriad of KA working retreats, to HS recent get-togethers. So many images come flooding in, some are shown in Figures 1 and 2, a brief trip down J-P lane! Among the highlights are the incomparable meetings J-P organized in 2016 in Belgium. From bustling Antwerp, to historic Ghent, to majestic Bruges, to venerable Ypres, our AR Board were up at the crack of each dawn moving with Flemish efficiency throughout the country while intensely meeting for half of every day to put our journal under an editorial microscope! And in the spare moments, J-P would cause all sorts of problems for JL and KA, telling our accompanying spouses that they must not forget to purchase diamonds in his home town of Antwerp, the diamond capital of Europe (thanks, J-P, we are still paying these off! J-P have you bought diamonds for your better half?). During our non-work hours, we would encounter Belgian beers (did you know each beer in Belgium gets its own distinctive mug?); frites with mayonnaise (try it before you complain; “French” Fries originated in Belgium—sorry Macron); Belgian chocolates (no “sugar-free” or phony “white” chocolates allowed in this world; only slightly ahead of the smoothness of the venerable AR dark chocolates created by KA); plus cheeses and foods galore (why do they eat so many “moules”—mussels?) (btw, JL had his first—and, hopefully, only—horse steak!), and did we mention the beers? Although Belgium is a small country, its inhabitants seem to eat enough for the entire European continent—and they wash it down with beer! While J-P's piece-de-resistance was our Flemish meeting, he also elevated, smiled, teased, provoked, and made meetings in locales from New Zealand to China to Spain to Vancouver to the mountains of the great American West always memorable (he even journeyed to visit and work with JL in poor, overlooked New York!). His thoughtfulness (and humor) never flagged. As a personal memory from JL, at an AAA Conference some years back in Chicago, JL appeared at dinner in a newly bought sport-coat with leather patches on the arms and collar (KA was always commenting on JL's wardrobe, even noting that a previous new sport-coat of JL's was probably a hit “during the Hoover administration”; said coat was sent to the Salvation Army). As JL came to dinner (thinking he looked spiffy), J-P loudly announced to the AR Board, “Very nice; does it come with Lederhosen!” The assemblage laughed so heartily (and for so long) that the manager asked us to keep it down. This sport-coat joined the previous one at the Salvation Army. Thanks, J-P! From pushing JL's pot belly (J-P sported this as well; see figures) so a seat belt would close allowing a tiny propeller plane to land at our AR Board Meeting in southern Utah in 2009; to descending together in karst limestone caves in Guilin China in 2018; to spotting glow worms in caves in New Zealand in 2012 (btw, KA and J-P love spelunking; guess who is not so nimble and hates them; JL advice to HS: do not go in caves with them!); to the beauty and tranquility of Japan in 2013 (J-P and KA led a heartfelt gesture of compassion for JL who arrived in Tokyo with a typical male problem of aging that necessitated an unpleasant and prompt return to the Big Apple); to horseback riding in the Grand Tetons and moose viewing in Yellowstone; to spotting killer whales off the coast of Vancouver in 2017 (KA and J-P are great nature photographers; guess who was sea-sick) (Albertine et al., 2017). J-P's smiling, encouraging, persona was always ubiquitous, making our days full of good comradeship. This is J-P's last editorial mission for the AR as he walks into the Flemish sunset, beer mug(s) in hand. For us, as for our entire AR Editorial Board family, J-P has been, and will remain, the embodiment of what a brilliant, demanding, scholar can be when blended with equal parts goodness, caring, and always, great collegiality. So, we lift our beer-filled glasses and AR caps to you Jean-Pierre Timmermans! Thanks for all you have given to us and, especially, for being you! Jeffrey T. Laitman: Conceptualization; writing – original draft; writing – review and editing. Kurt H. Albertine: Conceptualization; writing – original draft; writing – review and editing. Heather F. Smith: Conceptualization; writing – original draft; writing – review and editing.

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