As we leave 2009, we have witnessed some great successes. First and foremost, increased awareness of health and healthcare issues, popularity of the mind and brain, and realization that our knowledge of how the brain works is still in its infancy.

We at Brain Blogger have seen our readership and feed subscriptions triple from the preceding year, and we are grateful to our loyal readers. But, let’s not forget our contributors. We have been fortunate to have regular contributions from Mr. Dirk Hanson, noted book author and science writer (Marijuana Withdrawal Syndrome); Dr. Jennifer Gibson, clinical pharmacist and medical writer/editor (Autism – No Need For A Cure?); Dr. Sajid Surve, physiatrist and osteopath (Are Humans Hard-Wired to Torture?); and the more than 50 other contributors.

2010 will be a year of change and expansion for Brain Blogger. We are completely redesigning our site from the ground up for both style and functionality. Headed by Rolam Shahin Designs, it is projected to be finished by the end of this month. We will offer the same great articles that have been piquing your interests for quite some time now, however, I will take a more prominent role in covering the breadth of neuro-, psych-, and health-related topics.

Here is just a preview of what is to come in the new year:

• Interviews with notable names and rising stars in science and medicine.
• Strong twitter coverage that will keep you abreast on the latest news/findings in neurology, psychiatry, and general health.
• Neurology anecdotes, secrets, and pearls that will both entertain and tickle your mind.
• Sneak peek at future article titles that are schedule to go live at Brain Blogger.
• Regular announcements, updates, and reviews of the major neuro/psych/health conferences where participants will be encouraged to contribute.
• Monthly articles on the most enlightening neurological case from the Journal of Medical Case Reports.
• Latest research findings and author commentaries under our new partnership with BioMed Central’s International Archives of Medicine.

We have taken in many suggestions throughout the past months and we will try to implement them in our redesign and writings. Should you have any suggestions on how to improve our site/articles, please feel free to comment.

I would like to end my first post of the year with one of my favorite maxims:

Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.

— Albert Einstein

So, rev up your brain and put it to good use for 2010…

Happy New Year!

Sincerely,
SHAHEEN E LAKHAN
Editor and Co-Founder, Brain Blogger