Mindy J. Fain, MD, has been appointed as the next editor in chief of The American Journal of Medicine, effective January 2027. The announcement was released by the publication's publisher, Elsevier Health & Medical Sciences. Dr. Fain, who currently serves as a professor of medicine and nursing at the University of Arizona and director of the university's Center on Aging, will succeed Joseph S. Alpert, MD, following his 23-year tenure at the helm of the publication.
First published in 1946, the monthly peer-reviewed journal serves as the official publication of the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine, an organization encompassing chairs of medicine departments across more than 125 U.S. medical schools. The publication reaches an estimated print distribution of 130,000 U.S. physicians alongside a global online readership.
Dr. Fain brings more than four decades of clinical, academic, and editorial experience to the role, with a professional focus spanning general internal medicine, geriatrics, palliative care, and aging research. She has served as a specialty editor in practical geriatrics for the journal since 2015. In addition to her roles at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, where she holds the Anne and Alden Hart Endowed Chair in Medicine, Dr. Fain leads the Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine.
James K. Liao, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Arizona, described the appointment as a reflection of Dr. Fain's academic contributions and standing within internal medicine, expressing confidence in her upcoming leadership following Dr. Alpert's long tenure.
Reflecting on the appointment, Dr. Fain expressed gratitude for Dr. Alpert's mentorship and noted her intention to focus the publication on integrating scientific research, primary care, education, and health policy.
Dr. Fain earned her medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine in 1977, completed her internal medicine residency and infectious diseases fellowship at University Hospital of Cleveland, and underwent executive leadership training at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Drexel University. Her career includes extensive administrative and clinical roles, such as directing the Home-Based Primary Care Program at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System and serving as principal investigator for state and federally funded programs, including initiatives supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration and the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Alpert's departure in December 2026 will conclude the second-longest editorial tenure in the journal's history, behind founding editor Alexander B. Gutman, MD. During his leadership, Dr. Alpert relocated the journal's editorial operations to Tucson, Arizona, expanded the editorial board, and adjusted the publication's content mix to broaden its readership. During his tenure, the journal published several widely cited studies, including a 2013 analysis of commercial chicken nugget compositions, research examining dietary sodium metrics, and evaluations regarding the clinical health outcomes associated with organic food consumption.
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