In 2023, many authors make outstanding contributions to our journal. Their articles published with us have received very well feedback in the field and stimulate a lot of discussions and new insights among the peers.

Hereby, we would like to highlight some of our outstanding authors, with a brief interview of their thoughts and insights as authors. Allow us to express our heartfelt gratitude for their tremendous effort and valuable contributions to the scientific process.

Outstanding Authors (2023)

Shahzad G. Raja, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Harefield Hospital, UK

Victor Espinheira Santos, AC Camargo Cancer Center, Brazil

Lee Yee Lim, Queen Elizabeth Hospital II, Malaysia

Simone Furia, Venezia-Mestre Hospital, Italy

Christopher Ryan Caruso, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, USA

Shahzad G. Raja

Shahzad G. Raja is a Consultant Cardiac Surgeon at Harefield Hospital, London, United Kingdom. He has a special interest in clinical research and quality improvement. He has published widely on all aspects of cardiac surgery. He is credited by ResearchGate with 328 peer-reviewed publications and 11,539 citations and as of 2023 Google Scholar reports an h-index of 39. He has a special interest in assessing the impact of off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery and arterial grafting in improving outcomes. He has contributed chapters to different cardiac surgery textbooks as well as to undergraduate and postgraduate surgery books. He is the editor of Cardiac Surgery: A Complete Guide, the first ever and only textbook of cardiac surgery from the United Kingdom. He is involved in several NIHR-funded research projects and is also the Associate Editor of International Journal of Surgery as well as Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Thoracic Disease.

Speaking of academic writing, Dr. Raja thinks it is a communication tool that allows researchers to convey and showcase their research and acquired knowledge in a certain discipline. He explains, “It enables individuals to develop critical thinking skills, understand others, and communicate effectively. Academic writing in a broader perspective is not strictly a cognitive activity, but also includes interpretation and producing a variety of academic texts within important social contexts of the relevant professional discipline. Academic writing is the ability to write for different purposes, target groups and occasions, as well as accessing, interpreting and evaluating information, utilizing critical thinking, which is reflected in performance and creation of new texts and knowledge. Logical and critical thinking ability is strongly associated with academic writing. Academic writing requires logical flow. Logical flow is the key to achieve a smooth and orderly progression of ideas, sentences, paragraphs, and content towards a convincing conclusion. Logical flow in academic writing promotes logical thinking. Academic writing also promotes lexical coherence.  Lexical coherence is attained by the appropriate use of words that helps readers navigate the article to its main message.”

Dr. Raja goes on to give us tips on avoiding biases in one’s writing: The ideal academic writing contains language that is sensitive to race, age, physical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity and other categories where terms used to describe them can change. It is advisable to use the third person pronoun, choose the right words when making comparisons, be specific when describing people and refer to people first. It is also important to use gender-neutral language avoiding gender assumptions as well as plural nouns or plural pronouns.

From an author’s perspective, Dr. Raja highlights that it is important to follow reporting guidelines such as STROBE and CONSORT during the preparation of manuscripts. He elaborates, “The purpose of having reporting guidelines in medical research is to create a manual for the authors to follow, which should lead to total transparency, accurate reporting, and easier assessment of the validity of the reported research findings. These guidelines make the task of authors, reviewers, and editors easy. They provide a systematic way by which authors know exactly how a particular manuscript is to be prepared, the reviewers make out what they are supposed to evaluate and the editors identify problems with submitted as well as reviewed or corrected manuscripts. Another valuable and highly recommended use of these materials is critical appraisal of published articles.”

Victor Espinheira Santos

Victor Espinheira Santos is a Brazilian urologist working at AC Camargo Cancer Center, one of the biggest oncology centers in Latin America, which is also the institution where he obtained his master's degree in 2021 and is currently pursuing a PhD on muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Dr. Santos believes that academic writing contributes significantly to science, considering that it is the basis, the core for new discoveries, promoting clinical research. He adds, “We in the health field focus a lot on clinical research, however, I understand that academic writing is also fundamental in other areas.”

To Dr. Santos, ensuring one’s writing is critical is an important point for researchers, who must show their results clearly and above all ethically, without any type of bias. Ethics must exist in personal, professional, and academic life.

In addition, Dr. Santos reckons that author’s disclosure of Conflict of Interest (COI) is very important. He reiterates that we must value ethics in life and in clinical research it is no different. Any type of COI that could raise doubts about the results of clinical research must be made very clear.

“I would like to encourage young researchers like me, that academic research, despite being laborious and requiring dedication, adds a lot of knowledge, creating expertise in our area of activity, making it possible to offer better and more modern treatment to our patients and provide updated medicine,” says Dr. Santos.

(by Brad Li, Hailing Lian)

Lee Yee Lim

Dr. Lee Yee Lim currently works in Queen Elizabeth Hospital II, Sabah, Malaysia as an internal medicine physician and also in the training program of cardiology fellowship. His area of research interest was general internal medicine but recently move towards cardiology. Apart from writing up interesting cases with significant academic values, he is currently working on few studies mainly in cardiology and will focus more on cardiac electrophysiology in the future.

In the realm of medical science, academic writing, according to Dr. Lim, assumes a fundamental role in driving education and progress. It serves as the primary medium through which researchers communicate their discoveries, methodologies, and advancements, enriching the collective knowledge base of the medical community. The clarity and precision inherent in scholarly prose facilitate collaboration among medical professionals, enabling a global exchange of ideas and innovations. Moreover, he believes academic writing stands as an essential tool for educating healthcare practitioners, medical students, and the wider public. The meticulous documentation of research methods and results not only ensures the credibility of medical studies but also supports the reproducibility of experiments, fostering trust in scientific advancements. In his opinion, embracing high standards of academic writing is not just a scholarly practice; it is a commitment to advancing medical science, promoting transparency, and contributing to the ongoing education of professionals in the field.

To avoid biases in writing, Dr. Lim thinks it is crucial to start by acknowledging personal biases and keeping aware of them throughout the writing process. Authors should 1) conduct thorough research, incorporating diverse sources and perspectives, and critically evaluate their own assumptions; 2) scrutinize language for neutrality, avoiding loaded terms and stereotypes, while ensuring proper citation to give credit to diverse voices; 3) seek peer review for constructive feedback, consider their audience's diversity, and use inclusive language; and 4) periodically reflect on their writing, revising as needed to maintain objectivity and foster inclusivity. He believes these practices collectively contribute to producing more balanced and unbiased written content.

“To all the dedicated academic writers tirelessly contributing to the advancement of scientific progress, your commitment and passion are driving forces that propel our collective knowledge forward. Your efforts in meticulous research, clear communication, and the pursuit of excellence in academic writing play a vital role in shaping the future of your respective fields. Remember that every insight, every well-crafted paragraph, and each meticulously documented study contributes to the foundation of scientific understanding. Embrace the challenges, celebrate the successes, and know that your work holds the potential to inspire, educate, and transform the landscape of knowledge. Your dedication is a beacon, guiding us toward a future enriched by discovery and innovation. Keep writing, keep sharing, and keep pushing the boundaries of what we know. Your contributions are invaluable, and the impact of your work extends far beyond the pages of your manuscripts. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to the pursuit of truth and progress,” says Dr. Lim.

(by Brad Li, Zhixin Xie)

Simone Furia

Simone Furia, MD, PhD, is currently working at the Thoracic Surgery Unit of the Venezia-Mestre Hospital, Italy since 2017. He earned his medical degree in 2002 at the University of Milan and completed his residency in Thoracic Surgery at the University of Verona in 2008. From 2009, he worked at the National Cancer Institute of Milan, where, in 2013, he obtained his PhD degree with a research about reconstructive techniques and physiopathology of new materials in Thoracic Surgery. During 2015-2017, he became one of the staff of the Thoracic Department of the Hospital of Perigueux (France). He is engaged in research projects on the clinical aspects of thoracic oncology, in which his interests range from minimally-invasive surgical techniques to recent developments in chemo- and immunotherapy treatments against neoplasms of thoracic structures. He is credited by ResearchGate with 22 peer-reviewed publications and 239 citations, attaining an h-index of 8.

The way Dr. Furia sees it, writing is a highly skilled and time-consuming process that requires the knowledge of publication steps and formatting rules often required by the publishing industry. He explains, “Not always this know-how can be taught, often you learn to build an article by reading or stealing the job to those who are more experienced.” In addition to the rules to be followed in order not to incur a rejection, another difficulty, according to him, is represented by the costs that accompany the process of a publication. Maintaining 90% of publications as "open access" has a cost that is required of authors in the form of Article Processing Charge (APC) and not all institutions have the will or the ability to pay the fee.

In Dr. Furia’s view, the curiosity, the pleasure of learning, the will of updating and not being afraid of comparison are qualities that all authors have to bring out. Knowing how to synthesize, knowing how to highlight key concepts and having clear ideas about where one wants to take the reader are the basis of any good paper.

In addition, Dr. Furia highlights that reporting guidelines, such as PRISMA and CARE, are the rules that everyone must follow, like a pre-requirement that tells you what kind of structure the paper should have, how it should be divided and what information there should be. To him, it is a kind of grammar that all authors must adhere to. They represent a guarantee of the quality of what is written.

“I am motivated to do academic writing by the curiosity to know how others have faced the same problem I’m facing, and maybe make my experience useful to other colleagues. I would like research and publication to be more recognised and valued not only in academic circles,” says Dr. Furia.

(by Brad Li, Zhixin Xie)

Christopher Ryan Caruso

Christopher Ryan Caruso, MD, MPH, is a fellow in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania. He is also currently a student in the Master of Science of Health Policy program at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on the design and implementation of lung cancer screening programs with a focus on downstream procedural outcomes and quality metrics. Dr. Caruso began his fellowship in 2022 after completing his residency and chief residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado. He completed his MD and MPH at Tufts University School of Medicine and completed his BS at Cornell University.

Academic writing, according to Dr. Caruso, is required to convey the results of scientific studies to both reviewers and clinicians. The ability to communicate background, methods, results, and discussion in clear language and with consistent formatting improves the reach of publications and the chances that evidence-based practice is implemented on a more immediate basis. The ability to communicate the results of research to all levels of readers is what ultimately determines the influence of the work.

Dr. Caruso indicates that bias is an inherent part of science and clinical research. He explains, “Because we develop a hypothesis when developing our research question, there is a natural tendency to want to support the null.” Several methods exist to avoid bias. One of the best ways is to design the research methods to mitigate that bias. By prespecifying the outcomes of interest and analyzing secondary outcomes as purely hypothesis generating, authors can avoid data mining and evaluating outcomes that support the null only when they are positive. This in turn limits the scope of research to that specific research question intended to be studied, which mitigates bias.

From Dr. Caruso’s perspective, as a physician, when evaluating literature, considering conflict of interest (COI) provides a nuanced understanding of scientific results. The methodology of a study and the determination of outcomes are often heavily weighted based on the interest of the investigator, and that interest can be influenced by outside entities. Therefore, disclosure of conflicts is important because it helps guideline developers as well as individual clinicians identify bias that could play a role in research outcomes. While COI may be unavoidable in certain circumstances, its disclosure ensures all parties reviewing the literature are aware, which is important when considering the validity of research.

“Academic writing in medicine is much like training for clinical medicine. There is a significant learning curve that requires patience and practice. Much like moving from intern to resident to attending, academic writing and clinical research is an iterative process that with time develops and focuses your skillset to make you be able to answer research questions that can change the way we practice medicine or deliver healthcare. With mastery of these skills, your work can have an impact on a broad level,” says Dr. Caruso.

(by Zhixin Xie, Brad Li)