- 1 Western Balkans University, Tirana, Albania
- 2 University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Abstract
It is with great pleasure and a deep sense of responsibility that we present the inaugural issue of the European Journal of Medicine and Translational Biosciences (EJMTB), published by Western Balkans University. EJMTB was founded on a simple conviction: that research achieves its full value only when it reaches the clinic, the community, and the policy table. The journal therefore welcomes original research, reviews, case reports, policy papers, and commentaries across medicine, public health, biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical policy, health systems, and healthcare innovation, with particular attention to the translation of evidence into practice. We have chosen a Diamond Open Access model, meaning that there are no fees to read and no fees to publish. Knowledge in health belongs to everyone, and the ability to share good science should not depend on an author's resources. Openness, however, must go hand in hand with rigour. Every manuscript is peer reviewed, and our editorial policies follow the principles of
COPE, ICMJE, and WAME.
This first issue brings together twelve contributions that reflect the breadth of our scope. The original research articles examine the effect of pupil aperture on the agreement between objective and subjective refraction, the relationship between temporomandibular disorders and cervical spine parameters, BRCA1 and BRCA2 copy number variation in an Albanian breast cancer cohort, adaptive frequency-domain filtering of brain MRI, gut dysbiosis and antimicrobial resistance, and antibiotic reimbursement as a lever for antimicrobial stewardship in Albania. The review articles cover OCT angiography biomarkers in diabetic retinopathy, the case law of the European Court of Human Rights on patient autonomy, artificial intelligence in minimally invasive surgery, and the evidence linking periodontitis with systemic disease. A case report describes a rare insulinoma of the pancreatic uncinate process. Finally, a policy review
assesses how Albanian maternal and child health strategies address low birth weight.
All papers in this inaugural issue were selected from contributions presented at the International Conference on Medicine and Translational Biosciences (ICMTB), held in Tirana during 4–5 June, and each was peer reviewed before acceptance.
While our perspective is international, we are rooted in the Western Balkans, a region with its own health challenges, talented researchers, and valuable experience to share with Europe and beyond. We are pleased that this issue already includes authors from various institutions, and we hope EJMTB will become a meeting point where regional and international scholars exchange ideas as equals.
We are grateful to the authors who entrusted their work to a new journal, to the members of our editorial board, to our international advisory board, and to Western Balkans University for its support in making this project possible.
EJMTB publishes two issues per year and submissions for Volume 1, Issue 2 are now open. We invite researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to read, cite, and contribute to EJMTB. This first issue is a beginning, and we look forward to building this journal together with you.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Albana Ndreu Halili, Editor-in-Chief
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Iris Allajbeu, Co-Editor-in-Chief
COPE, ICMJE, and WAME.
This first issue brings together twelve contributions that reflect the breadth of our scope. The original research articles examine the effect of pupil aperture on the agreement between objective and subjective refraction, the relationship between temporomandibular disorders and cervical spine parameters, BRCA1 and BRCA2 copy number variation in an Albanian breast cancer cohort, adaptive frequency-domain filtering of brain MRI, gut dysbiosis and antimicrobial resistance, and antibiotic reimbursement as a lever for antimicrobial stewardship in Albania. The review articles cover OCT angiography biomarkers in diabetic retinopathy, the case law of the European Court of Human Rights on patient autonomy, artificial intelligence in minimally invasive surgery, and the evidence linking periodontitis with systemic disease. A case report describes a rare insulinoma of the pancreatic uncinate process. Finally, a policy review
assesses how Albanian maternal and child health strategies address low birth weight.
All papers in this inaugural issue were selected from contributions presented at the International Conference on Medicine and Translational Biosciences (ICMTB), held in Tirana during 4–5 June, and each was peer reviewed before acceptance.
While our perspective is international, we are rooted in the Western Balkans, a region with its own health challenges, talented researchers, and valuable experience to share with Europe and beyond. We are pleased that this issue already includes authors from various institutions, and we hope EJMTB will become a meeting point where regional and international scholars exchange ideas as equals.
We are grateful to the authors who entrusted their work to a new journal, to the members of our editorial board, to our international advisory board, and to Western Balkans University for its support in making this project possible.
EJMTB publishes two issues per year and submissions for Volume 1, Issue 2 are now open. We invite researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to read, cite, and contribute to EJMTB. This first issue is a beginning, and we look forward to building this journal together with you.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Albana Ndreu Halili, Editor-in-Chief
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Iris Allajbeu, Co-Editor-in-Chief
How to cite
Albana Ndreu Halili 1, Iris Allajbeu 2. Bridging Discovery and Care: Welcome to the European Journal of Medicine and Translational Biosciences. EJMTB. 2026;1(1):vi-vii.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.