We asked Meike van der Heijden, assistant professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion and School of Neuroscience at Virginia Tech, about her latest research and why she chose to publish in the eLife Model. Thanks for speaking with us, Meike!
Can you tell us about your paper?
The cerebellum is a brain region important for movement. When the cerebellum is dysfunctional, patients can experience different types of motor disorders – ataxia (imbalance and incoordination), dystonia (involuntary muscle contractions), or tremor (involuntary shaking). These movement disorders can also be present in mouse models when the cerebellum is damaged or dysfunctional, and these mouse models have been studied for half a century. Yet, it remained unclear why certain perturbations to the cerebellum caused ataxia, whereas others caused dystonia or tremor.
We compared many mouse models of cerebellar movement disorders with each other. We found that the way cerebellar neurons communicate with each other was different in these models, and dependent on the type of abnormal movements the mice experienced. We were also able to mimic the different patterns of these neural communications in otherwise healthy mice, which then resulted in the predicted motor abnormality.
These findings have implications for the treatment of these cerebellar movement disorders.
one of the biggest advantages is that the authors have a lot of control in the publication process.
Why did you choose to submit this paper to the eLife Model?
We chose to submit this paper to eLife because of the transparent peer-review process and positive experiences with previous publications at the journal. I was also finishing up my postdoc in the Sillitoe lab and moving to Virginia Tech around the time that we submitted the paper. We anticipated that eLife’s model would be especially beneficial in this situation where I was limited in which types of follow up experiments I could execute.
The reviews were of high quality and very fair.
How did you find the new publishing process?
I really enjoyed the publication process. We were able to choose which analyses and experiments we could do during the revisions. But more importantly, through the review and publication process, we were able to highlight the strengths and limitations of the study. I believe this will be very valuable for the readership.
The publication process was fast and efficient. But more importantly, we were given the time necessary for the generation of high-quality data during the review process.
... immediately clear that the paper was reviewed by experts in the field who provided great and constructive feedback.
What did you think about the reviews and eLife Assessment?
The reviews were of high quality and very fair. It was immediately clear that the paper was reviewed by experts in the field who provided great and constructive feedback. The eLife Assessment provides a good summary and fair assessment.
Do you have any advice for people who are unsure about the eLife Model?
This model has many benefits in my mind. But one of the biggest advantages is that the authors have a lot of control in the publication process. I also appreciate the transparency in the reviews and assessment. There is ample opportunity to communicate about the strengths and limitations of the study with the expert reviewers.
What are other eLife authors saying?
“we liked the idea of having an open "conversation" with the reviewers...without the threat of rejection.” – Patrick Allard
Read more about Patrick’s experience publishing with eLife.
“In this new process of publishing, authors have significant autonomy over their papers. The entire publication and review process are more transparent.” – Chunxiao Li
Read more about Chunxiao’s experience publishing with eLife.
“... the review and publication process with eLife was smooth, fair, and transparent.” – Ushio Masayuki
Read more about Ushio’s experience publishing with eLife.
Want to learn more about eLife’s Model for publishing?
What is a Reviewed Preprint?
What is an eLife Assessment?
What happens after you submit your research?
Meike van der Heijden bio:
Meike van der Heijden is an assistant professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion and School of Neuroscience at Virginia Tech. She completed her pre- and post-doctoral training with Drs. Zoghbi and Sillitoe, respectively, at Baylor College of Medicine. Her research focuses on the development of cerebellar function in health and disease.
