Welcome to the first issue of the Journal of Atrial Fibrillation in 2021. What a year that was in 2020! It was in many ways forgettable with historic events that will go down the history lane. It was the year where the world experienced a global pandemic of unprecedented magnitude in the modern history of human civilization. It was the very same year where we witnessed the incredible sacrifices of many of our colleagues in the healthcare field that saved millions of lives. We also saw how collective commitment could produce a vaccine for a tricky virus at warp speed. It was the year when the United States narrowly escaped the clutches of tyranny and democracy prevailed. This was the year that has taught us the spirit of humanity and resilience.

Congratulations to the organizers of EP-Live Austin on days of live cases. This was the 5th edition of the event where 20 lives and 15 recorded cases spanning the entire spectrum of clinical electrophysiology were displayed. Despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic, there were several thousand viewers from all over the world participating in this event.

In this issue of the journal, we have a wide variety of articles ranging from the risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing open heart surgery to identification of ganglionated plexi for arrhythmia ablation. Finally, the journal has moved to a new platform which will be more robust and easier to navigate. There will be additional changes coming to the website and the editorial team as well.

We appreciate your continued support of the journal and welcome your best work to be showcased for our audience. I wish you all a happy, health and prosperous 2021.

Sincerely

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Dhanunjaya (DJ)Lakkireddy MD, FACC, FHRS Editor-in-Chief JAFIB