In 2024, 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 (2024)

Justine Ko, University of California, San Francisco - Fresno, USA

Andy Ton, University of California, Irvine (UCI), USA

Outstanding Author

Justine Ko

Justine Ko, MD, MPH, is a fellow in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco - Fresno (UCSF-Fresno). She plans to pursue a career in interventional pulmonology, and her research focuses on procedural techniques used in the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer along with their outcomes. After graduating with a BS in physiological sciences and a minor in Spanish at the University of California, Los Angeles, she attended the Keck School of Medicine of USC, where she received her MD and MPH degrees. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at the University of Southern California.

“The most memorable papers that I have read are often the most straightforward,” says Dr. Ko, who believes a good paper should have a clear outline and simple language to present the material while presenting all the relevant information. She believes the length of the paper does not necessarily reflect the quality of the paper. Details, graphs, or tables included should not detract from the overall message that is being shared. Because bias is implicit, it is important that the papers acknowledge possible biases and share the limitations of their study, no matter how well-designed it may be.

In Dr. Ko’s opinion, the first paper that one writes may be the most challenging because it is an unfamiliar process, but it gets better each time one writes. Collecting information for the introduction section can surprisingly require more effort and time than expected, but it is a good learning opportunity both for the author as well as the reader. Authors would learn a lot of information in the process, and it will serve them in their future projects related to the topic. Here are her tips for new authors, “Keep in mind that not all readers will be familiar with the material or perhaps even the specialty that you are in. Care should be taken to emphasize as simply as possible why the particular topic is important, why it was worth the effort to be studied, and why it should be of interest to the reader.”

(by Brad Li, Alisa Lu)

Andy Ton

Andy Ton is an orthopaedic surgery resident at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program. During medical school, he became the foremost clinical research fellow for the USC Spine Center. As such, his research initiatives focus on novel diagnostic imaging techniques such as kinetic magnetic resonance imaging (kMRI), innovative operative techniques including single-position lumbar spine surgery, and proprietary bone tissue engineering applications as potential alternatives to contemporary bone grafts. Having just completed medical school in 2024, Dr. Ton has led a team of 40+ undergraduates, medical students, and resident physicians who help drive the team’s research initiatives; as a result, he has authored over 50 peer-reviewed scientific publications with 60 accepted podium/abstract presentations with award nominations. He has also developed funded grant proposals both across clinical and basic science research domains and has also contributed to accepted symposium designs for academic spine conferences. Learn more about Dr. Ton here.

In Dr. Ton’s opinion, a good academic paper should provide an informative yet concise review of the relevant literature to frame the research context and to describe how the aims and prospective findings from the study integrate into contemporary understanding of the subject matter. Applicable to all study types, every academic paper should clearly articulate its purpose and relevance within the field, presenting a well-defined research question alongside an informed hypothesis or a summative statement that establishes the objectives of the article. To him, the methodology should be developed judiciously and in such a way that accounts for the nuances specific to each field while bearing in mind practical considerations such as feasibility. The study framework should also be replicable such that colleagues can evaluate the research design and assess the validity of the outcome measures. He further points out that findings should be described in a technical and objective manner, which avoids biased, selective reporting of the results. Proposed rationales or further descriptions of the findings beyond the obtained data should be deferred for the discussion section of the paper, wherein potential explanations for the described findings can be explored along with their implications within the broader context. Finally, the study should culminate with an explicit acknowledgment of its limitations, providing a concise overview with conclusions that are drawn cautiously.

From Dr. Ton’s perspective, authors must ensure clarity, coherence, and conciseness throughout their manuscript. It is essential to maintain a logical progression that traverses from the introduction, methods, results, and discussion seamlessly. Developing a structural outline that includes the main points for each section can help maintain organization throughout the writing process, particularly when other co-authors are involved. The final stages of preparation should involve a collaborative, critical review from all co-authors to ensure that each team member’s unique insights and skillsets can implemented.

In addition, Dr. Ton emphasizes that research data sharing is crucial as it enhances the transparency, reproducibility, and verifiability of research findings, all of which are fundamental to scientific integrity. In his view, sharing data allows other researchers to validate the results and potentially build upon them. Data sharing moreover fosters multi-institutional and/or multidisciplinary collaboration, which can exponentially expand the impact of the research.

(by Brad Li, Alisa Lu)