MDPI , the Open Access (OA) publisher, today announced it has successfully acquired and relaunched the Journal of Interdisciplinary Research Applied to Medicine ( JDReAM ). Dormant since 2021, MDPI published its first issue of JDReAM in March, with Volume 6, Issue 3 anticipated this month.
Founded in 2017, JDReAM is the official journal of the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Applied Research in Medicine (DReAM) at the University of Salento, in collaboration with the Local Health Authority (ASL) of Lecce. JDReAM was temporarily discontinued in 2021 due to editorial and organizational restructuring, with the intention of relaunching the journal within a broader international publishing framework. The journal is led by editors-in-chief (EiCs) Prof. Michele Maffia and Prof. Prisco Piscitelli of DReAM.
Michele Maffia, full professor of Physiology at the University of Salento, said: “The current challenge for scientists, regardless of their field, lies in communicating their findings to the public and decision makers. In an era of widespread misinformation, this presents both an extraordinary challenge and opportunity. Open Access publishers like MDPI form a key part of the solution, offering a global platform through which to connect communities and shape knowledge of global health challenges.”
Prisco Piscitelli, adjunct assistant professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, said: “Sharing our findings should always be an integral part of the post-publication process, and cannot be limited to merely collecting citations. Open Access journals are a key part of this puzzle, making research freely available to citizens, scholars, and decision makers alike. Supported by MDPI’s expertise, we reaffirm JDReAM ’s commitment to promoting interdisciplinary, high-quality research that meaningfully contributes to patient care and public health.”
Dr. Carla Aloè, head of societies and acquisition at MDPI, said: “As a leading Open Access publisher, we aim to expand JDReAM ’s impact while maintaining the scientific rigor and editorial integrity that’s defined the journal since inception. We are excited to embark on this new chapter together, advancing interdisciplinary scholarship in medicine through greater visibility and access.”
JDReAM publishes interdisciplinary research addressing human health and disease from different but complementary scientific perspectives, drawing upon fields including biomedical research, health education/pedagogy, philosophy, engineering and Big Data for Health, health economics and law, and many other areas.
Supporting Italian Scholarship
According to recent data from Dimensions.ai, more than 68% of research outputs in Italy were published in OA in 2025, accounting for more than 124,300 papers. The new collaboration between JDReAM and MDPI reflects ongoing demand for quality OA publishing services in Italy, bolstered by active support from the region’s academic community.
To date, MDPI has published more than 168,600 articles affiliated with Italian institutions. More than 143,400 and 147,500 of these publications are indexed in Web of Science and Scopus, respectively. MDPI also collaborates with 12,677 editorial board members from Italian institutions, including 92 EiCs and 247 section EiCs.