It is with much regret on our part that we announce that Jan van Gijn has decided to stand down as the pioneering spirit and lead of our “Pioneers of Neurology” section, a role he took on after his time as Joint Chief Editor came to an end in 2000. Over this time, he has solicited many fabulous articles to which he has often added his own edits to craft the accounts into what has become a unique and much loved part of the Journal of Neurology.