Howard Bauchner

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Howard C. Bauchner
Howard Bauchner Portrait.jpg
Bauchner Portrait
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater University of California, Berkeley (BA)
Boston University School of Medicine (MD)
Known forEditor-in-Chief of JAMA and the JAMA Network (2011–2021)
AwardsMember, National Academy of Medicine; Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Scientific career
Fields Pediatrics, Public health, Medical publishing
Institutions Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine; Boston Medical Center; JAMA

Howard C. Bauchner is an American pediatrician, public health researcher, and medical journal editor. He is a professor of Pediatrics and Public Health at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. [1] [2] He served as the 16th editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the JAMA Network from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2021. [3] [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Bauchner earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley and his MD from the Boston University School of Medicine. [3] He completed pediatric residency training at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center) and Yale New Haven Hospital, and was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fellow in General Pediatrics at Yale. [5]

Career

At Boston University and Boston Medical Center, Bauchner served as Vice-Chair of Research for the Department of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of General Pediatrics. [6] From 2003 to 2011, he was Editor-in-Chief of Archives of Disease in Childhood . [7]

Editorship of JAMA

Bauchner was appointed the 16th Editor-in-Chief of JAMA and the JAMA Network in 2011 by the American Medical Association (AMA). [8] Under his leadership, the network expanded substantially: the “Archives” journals were renamed to “JAMA [Specialty]” journals, and several new titles were launched, including JAMA Oncology (2015), JAMA Cardiology (2016), JAMA Network Open (2018), and JAMA Health Forum (2020/2021). [7]

Following the journal renaming, the JAMA Network automated a cascading submission process, enabling manuscripts to transfer seamlessly from one journal to another—a practice that has since become common in medical publishing. [7] He also introduced new article types, strengthened peer review and editorial standards, and modernized the journal’s print and online presence through redesigned layouts, improved accessibility, and a broader digital and multimedia strategy. [8] Under Bauchner's editorship, JAMA's social media following grew from 19,400 in 2011 to nearly 1.2 million in 2020, while article views across the JAMA Network reached 135 million in 2020, up from 29 million in 2012. [7]

In 2016, JAMA published an article on health care reform authored by sitting U.S. President Barack Obama, marking the first such publication by a sitting president. [9] That same year, JAMA began publishing recommendation statements and evidence reports from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). [10] Bauchner also prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion, substantially increasing the representation of women, Asian, Black, and Hispanic individuals on editorial boards and among decision-making editors across the JAMA Network journals. [7]

Controversy and resignation

In March 2021, JAMA faced criticism after a JAMA Network podcast and tweet questioned the existence of structural racism in medicine. Following the backlash, the AMA placed Bauchner on administrative leave pending review. [11] On June 1, 2021, the AMA announced that Bauchner would step down from his role as Editor-in-Chief effective June 30, 2021. [8] The decision followed ongoing public discussion of diversity, equity, and representation in medical publishing. [12] [13] [14]

Research and publications

Bauchner has written and spoken widely on issues in medical publishing, including open science, data sharing, conflict of interest, the role of peer review, diversity in authorship, and the communication of medical evidence. [1] He has also addressed topics such as team science, authorship ethics, and the responsibilities of editors during public health crises. [7]

Selected works

Bauchner’s publications have shaped discussions on public health policy, clinical research standards, and publishing ethics. Below are some of his most-cited publications, based on citation counts from Google Scholar:

Honors and memberships

Bauchner was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2015. [19] [20] He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. [21]

Legacy

Bauchner’s decade as JAMA’s editor-in-chief coincided with rapid changes in scientific communication, digital publishing, and global dissemination of medical information. His leadership saw both expansion of the JAMA Network and heightened scrutiny of diversity and equity in academic medicine. [7] This period also highlighted ongoing debates in medical publishing regarding the handling of sensitive topics like structural racism, contributing to broader discussions on editorial accountability. [13] Bauchner's continued work post-JAMA, including writings on open science and AI in publishing, underscores his enduring influence on the field. [22]

References

  1. 1 2 "Howard C. Bauchner, MD". Boston University. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Howard Bauchner, MD". Doximity. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "BU Prof to Lead JAMA". BU Today. Boston University. March 11, 2011. Archived from the original on October 15, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  4. ↑ "New JAMA Editor-in-Chief". Chronicle of Higher Education. March 10, 2011. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Howard Bauchner, MD". Skin of Color Society. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Howard Bauchner Receives BU Alumni Award" (PDF). Boston University. 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fontanarosa, Phil B. (June 1, 2021). "To Howard Bauchner, MD, Visionary Editor in Chief of JAMA". JAMA. 326 (1): 33–34. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.9772 . PMID   34061955. S2CID   235300515.
  8. 1 2 3 "AMA Announces JAMA Editorial Transition". American Medical Association. June 1, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  9. ↑ Hoover, Eric (July 12, 2016). "President Obama publishes journal article". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  10. ↑ Bauchner, H.; Fontanarosa, P.B.; Golub, R.M. (January 26, 2016). "JAMA Welcomes the US Preventive Services Task Force". JAMA. 315 (4): 351–352. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.18448. PMID   26813207.
  11. ↑ Mandavilli, Apoorva (March 25, 2021). "JAMA Editor on Leave After Racial Controversy". The New York Times. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  12. ↑ Lee, Bruce (June 9, 2021). "JAMA Editor Resigns After Racism Podcast Backlash". Forbes. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  13. 1 2 Joseph, Andrew (June 1, 2021). "JAMA Editor Steps Down After Podcast Backlash". STAT. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  14. ↑ "JAMA Editor on Leave Amid Racism Controversy". BMJ. 372: n851. March 2021. doi:10.1136/bmj.n851.
  15. ↑ Bauchner, Howard; Rivara, Frederick P.; Bonow, Robert O.; Bressler, Neil M.; Disis, Mary L. Nora; Heckers, Stephan; Josephson, S. Andrew; Kibbe, Melina R.; Piccirillo, Jay F.; Redberg, Rita F.; Rhee, John S.; Robinson, June K. (November 14, 2017). "Death by Gun Violence - A Public Health Crisis". JAMA. 318 (18): 1763–1764. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.16446.
  16. ↑ Bauchner, Howard; Golub, Robert M.; Fontanarosa, Phil B. (August 27, 2019). "Reporting and Interpretation of Randomized Clinical Trials". JAMA. 322 (8): 732–735. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.12056.
  17. ↑ Bauchner, Howard (October 1, 2024). "Artificial intelligence and the future of scientific publication". Eur J Emerg Med. 31 (5): 301–302. doi:10.1097/MEJ.0000000000001164.
  18. ↑ Bauchner, Howard; Rivara, Frederick P. (February 1, 2025). "Evolving issues in open science". Eur J Emerg Med. 32 (1): 1–2. doi:10.1097/MEJ.0000000000001183.
  19. ↑ "Bauchner Elected to National Academy of Medicine". Boston University. October 19, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  20. ↑ "NAM Elects 80 New Members". National Academy of Medicine. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  21. ↑ "RCPCH Honorary Fellows - 1997 to present". Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  22. ↑ Bauchner, Howard; Rivara, Frederick P. (October 15, 2022). "The scientific communication ecosystem: the responsibility of investigators". The Lancet. 400 (10361): 1285–1286. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01898-0.
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