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
Bryan S. Benn, Cleveland Clinic, USA
David Klemet, Henry Ford Health, USA
Hasnain Bawaadam, Advocate Aurora Medical Center, USA
Olivia Galloway, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
Arthur P. Drouaud, George Washington University, USA
Arthur Oliver Romero, University of Nevada Las Vegas, USA
Ashli K. O'Rourke, Medical University of South Carolina, 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)
Bryan S. Benn
Dr. Bryan S. Benn, MD, PhD, is an interventional pulmonologist practicing at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He completed both his interventional pulmonology and pulmonary and critical care fellowships at the University of California, San Francisco, internal medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, and his combined MD/PhD at New Jersey Medical School in the US. He is a board-certified physician in internal medicine, pulmonary diseases, critical care medicine, and interventional pulmonology. His clinical practice includes all aspects of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopy, as well as pleural procedures. In addition to improving bronchoscopy education, Dr. Benn’s research interests focus on improving diagnostic accuracy of bronchoscopic biopsies of peripheral pulmonary lesions and increasing the safety and diagnostic accuracy of transbronchial lung cryobiopsies for interstitial lung disease.
Dr. Benn believes that the essential elements of a good academic paper mirror those of a good story in general. There needs to be an interesting or novel question that is being asked, something that both the authors and the readers will share a common interest in further exploring. The way the question is addressed needs to be thoughtful and insightful to keep the reader's attention throughout the story, rather than having it drift away in too much minutia. Similarly, the discussion is essential so that the readers understand the paper's importance not just in terms of this study, but also how it may impact and shape the field. The message needs to be clear and concise so that the readers can understand its importance and implications.
In Dr. Benn’s opinion, in academic writing, it is important for authors to write about something that they themselves are interested in, something that they want to learn more about and would like to explore further so they can impact their field of interest. He would encourage authors to avoid projects in which they lack a shared interest in the topic as the quality of the product produced will likely reflect their disinterest. Therefore, he recommends authors to prepare something they are interested in, that they want to learn more about, for their interest will be reflected in the quality of their work.
“I choose to publish in AMJ because it has a long and proven track record of providing high-quality, evidence-based research to a diverse audience of readers in a wide range of medical fields,” says Dr. Benn.
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)
Hannah A. Levy
Hannah Levy is an orthopaedic surgery resident at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. Prior to medical school, she completed her undergraduate in materials science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she pursued research in polymeric extended release drug delivery and captained the women’s lacrosse team. At Thomas Jefferson Medical School, she was able to integrate her engineering mindset and passion for translational research to patent a medical device, develop a global health conference, and execute a rat spinal fusion study. During the orthopaedic residency, she has continued her productivity in clinical research, leading a spine division research team, publishing over 40 manuscripts and completing with over 50 conference presentations. She also pursued an infolded master degree in orthopaedic research during residency focusing on spinal biomechanics and vertebral bone density and stress mapping.
AMJ: What are the essential elements of a good academic paper?
Dr. Levy: A good academic paper should be hypothesis driven, informed by a careful review of the literature prior to project initiation, and provide a simple and clear take-home message. Scientific literature should provide an objective and concise description of background information and related investigations and describe the data driven findings at face-value without pre-defined messages/ agendas. If fundings or authors experiences may bias the study design, they should be specifically described. Furthermore, manuscripts should be appropriately directed towards the journal readership. This will help avoid both extraneous topic introduction and extended discussion of minutia to maximize clinical relevance. A simple test of manuscript quality is to ask yourself: 1) If someone only reviews the methods and tables, would they have enough clarity to perform the same study and analysis at their own institution? 2) After reading the discussion, can they clearly conceptualize how they will apply these results to their own clinical practice?
AMJ: From an author’s perspective, do you think it is important to follow reporting guidelines (e.g. STROBE, PRISMA, and CARE) during preparation of manuscripts?
Dr. Levy: It is important to present information in a structured manner to ensure that the manuscript is comprehensive but also concise and easy to follow. I have found that utilization of manuscript reporting guidelines and checklists can be extremely helpful when it is your first time performing an investigation and writing the manuscript for a unique study design. For example, the first time I carried out a systematic review, I constantly referred to the PRISMA checklist in protocol development and reference screening. As I become a more experienced researcher and have previously performed with a similar study design, I notice that I automictically incorporate the steps of reporting guidelines. However, outlining still remains crucial to maximize manuscript readability and economy of words.
AMJ: Would you like to say a few words to encourage other academic writers who have been devoting themselves to advancing scientific progress?
Dr. Levy: Performing clinical research has a tremendous learning curve and the process of developing thoughtful questions, collecting and analyzing data, and developing a cohesive manuscript continues to become more efficient over time, requiring less activation energy. However, I have always found that amount of effort and forethought put in on the front end pays off when it comes to time for analysis and manuscript preparation. While it is important to understand and have opportunities to contribute to all stages of the research project development and execution, research is ultimately a team sport that provides numerous opportunities for mentor/ mentee relationships and allows for contributions that take advantage of individual strengths and interests.
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)
David Klemet
Dr. David Klemet is in his postgraduate year 1 in combined Emergency/Internal Medicine at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Since having transitioned to residency, he has been working on figuring out areas of research in which he has passion. Prior to medical school, he was involved in emergency medical services in Detroit. He has an interest in protocol development and research in pre-hospital medicine.
In his opinion, a good academic paper strives to improve some aspects of the world, whether through challenging a current standard or providing a novel approach. He is excited about the scientific process and reading papers in which the authors show their curiosity in making the content meaningful.
Speaking of the use of reporting guidelines, such as STROBE or ARRIVE, Dr. Klemet indicates that the standardization of reporting is helpful, as it creates common language which helps others to understand the research being presented.
Lastly, Dr. Klemet would like to say a few words to his fellow peers, “Never stop being curious.”
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)
Hasnain Bawaadam
Dr. Hasnain Bawaadam is a board-certified Interventional Pulmonologist and Intensivist at Advocate Aurora Medical Center in Kenosha, WI, USA. He is also the Director of the Interventional Pulmonary Department and Respiratory Care Services there and Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Program Director at The Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, for the Pulmonary Fellowship Program. He graduated from Grant Medical College, University of Mumbai, India, in 2002 and completed his Master's in Public Health at the University of Illinois, Chicago, in 2005. He then completed his Internal Medicine residency in Chicago and worked as a full-time hospitalist for 2 years before joining the Pulmonary Medicine Fellowship Program at Chicago Medical School/RFUMS. After working for 8 years in Pulmonary and Critical Care at Advocate Aurora Medical Center, Kenosha, he went back for fellowship training in Interventional Pulmonary and Robotic Bronchoscopy at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Bawaadam is a fellow and member of the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology and serves as an Education Committee board member for both The Society of Advanced Bronchoscopy (SAB) as well as the American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonary (AABIP). He has recently invented and patented the ingenious and innovative ICG dye-soaked fiducial coil method for marking lung lesions for surgical localization, which has revolutionized lung sparing surgery and helped patients with early-stage lung cancer. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
A good academic paper, in Dr. Bawaadam’s opinion, should typically include several essential elements that ensure clarity, rigor, and effective communication of research. A clear and concise title with an introduction part that sums up the significance, objectives and overview of the study is important. Another key essential element is a thorough literature review that scans through the current existing data and identifies the gaps in knowledge that require to be addressed.
Dr. Bawaadam points out that authors, in constructing an academic paper, have to bear in mind that the idea is novel within an area that is new and intriguing, and the methodology used adequately describes the research design, methods, and procedures used to collect and analyze data, at the same time ensuring the reproducibility and allowing for the assessment of the study’s validity.
“AMJ is an open access, well reputed and cited platform with a broad international readership that includes researchers, clinicians and healthcare professionals. It’s a prestigious and influential journal that publishes and highlights clinically relevant and high-quality research and work. They have a rigorous peer-reviewed process that augments the clinical validity of its work and findings,” says Dr. Bawaadam.
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)
Olivia W. Galloway
Olivia Galloway, MD, is a breast surgical oncology fellow at Washington University in St. Louis. After graduating with a BA in biology with a focus in neuroscience from Williams College, she attended Thomas Jefferson University where she received her medical degree. She recently completed her general surgery residency at Lankenau Medical Center – Main Line Health in Wynnewood, PA, USA, where she received the Anna Elizabeth Fleer award for research. During residency and fellowship, she has continued to be productive in breast surgical oncology research with a wide range of projects on axillary management after neoadjuvant therapy, breast cancer disparities, and localization of breast tumors. Connect with Dr. Galloway on X @OliviaWGalloway.
In Dr. Galloway’s view, a good academic paper should have a clear hypothesis with a conclusion. It should provide an informative review of the literature to frame the study, leading to the formulation of the study question. Results and data should be presented in a concise manner with easily-understood figures and tables such that readers can understand the paper’s major results. The discussion should frame the results in the context of prior literature, evaluate potential weaknesses of the paper, and lead the readers to the major take-home point. The paper should flow logically so that readers can easily and quickly understand the study.
Dr. Galloway stresses that when constructing a paper, it is important for authors to do a thorough and constant literature review, as the time from study design to manuscript submission may be long and there are always novel studies being published in that time frame. This will help authors understand the up-to-date context in which their studies add to the current literature. Authors must also ensure that the manuscript has a clear and logical flow from idea to idea. Because the research is novel, communication with co-authors is paramount to ensure all authors’ expertise and insights are understood and the scientific conclusions are valid.
“I chose to publish in AMJ because it is a high-quality peer-reviewed journal that publishes a variety of research in many fields of medicine. My article is particularly suitable for AMJ because it involves a multidisciplinary review of the case and would be of interest to readers in a variety of fields, from surgery to radiology to pathology. AMJ allows my article to reach a diverse audience,” says Dr. Galloway.
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)
Arthur P. Drouaud
Arthur P. Drouaud is a current third-year medical student at the George Washington University (GWU) School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He completed his undergraduate studies at GWU in 2022, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Psychology. He has authored over 10 publications and presented 17 accepted abstracts at national and international conferences, including those held in Germany and Ireland. He is currently working alongside Dr. Michael Whalen in the field of Urology and OrthoBullets, on the world’s largest online Orthopaedic Platform in the field of Orthopaedic Surgery. His research spans across multiple areas, including environmental sustainability in surgical procedures, gender and socioeconomic disparities in cancer treatment, and the educational potential of AI in medical training. His work is driven by a commitment to enhancing the effectiveness, fairness, and overall impact of healthcare systems. He plans to pursue his residency career in either one of his interests of Orthopaedic Surgery or Urology.
From Arthur’s perspective, one of the most commonly encountered difficulties in academic writing is mastering the process at the beginning. He points out that when starting a research, the entire process can make one feel overwhelming, especially when trying to determine what to focus on while finding and reading articles. The most challenging aspect is often identifying gaps in the literature and developing a clear research idea from one’s literature review. Once the hypothesis and project idea are in place, the research becomes more straightforward. The introduction summarizes the literature review; the methods and results detail how one’s idea is pursued; and the conclusion addresses the gap in knowledge. Everything revolves around the hypothesis, emphasizing its importance in guiding the entire research process.
In Arthur’s opinion, selecting evidence for synthesis and analysis in academic writing is a challenging yet essential skill. The process begins with a solid foundation of knowledge, which can be built by first consulting textbooks that outline established information in the field of interest. These resources provide a comprehensive understanding of the core concepts. From there, it is important to identify and review the pivotal studies and trials that contributed to the textbook’s content. Once this foundation is established, the next step is to explore more recent studies on the same topic, paying attention to emerging trends and current subtopics of interest. This approach not only solidifies one’s understanding but also keeps one’s research up to date. He adds, “While conducting a research, it is crucial to engage in active reading. Ask critical questions as you review each study: What are the methodologies used? How could they be improved? What are the implications of the findings? What gaps remain? By critically analyzing the evidence in this way, you can identify unanswered questions and begin to develop a hypothesis of your own, guiding your research toward meaningful and original contributions.”
In addition, Arthur stresses that disclosing Conflict of Interest (COI) is critically important in maintaining the integrity and credibility of academic research. A COI can significantly influence a study, leading to biased methodologies, selective reporting, or even statistical significance chasing to produce results that align with the interests of the involved parties, such as a company or organization. For instance, if an author has financial ties to a pharmaceutical company, their research on a drug produced by that company might unintentionally or intentionally emphasize positive outcomes while downplaying negative ones. This manipulation can create bias in research outcomes, resulting in findings that do not accurately represent the true nature of the subject being studied. Such influences not only undermine the validity of the research but can also destroy the trust in the scientific community. By fully disclosing any potential COIs, authors ensure transparency, allowing reviewers, readers, and other researchers to critically evaluate the work with an understanding of any underlying biases. This practice is essential for upholding the standards of ethical research and ensuring that the conclusions drawn are based on accurate and unbiased evidence.
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)
Arthur Oliver Romero
Dr. Arthur Oliver Romero is a fellowship-trained International Pulmonologist based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. He earned his MSc in Medical Informatics from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Next, he completed postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine at UCSF Fresno. Later on, he pursued an advanced fellowship in Interventional Pulmonology at University of California San Francisco. He is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas and also serves as the Director of Interventional Pulmonology. His clinical and research interests revolve around minimally invasive approaches to diagnose and treat thoracic malignancies and advanced lung disease. Connect with Dr. Romero on Instagram @bronchonaut.
In Dr. Romero’s opinion, effective academic writing in medicine begins with a solid idea grounded in clinical expertise. Authors need to have a keen sense of the knowledge gaps that are relevant to practicing clinicians. After defining the research question, they must systematically and thoroughly search for data, either through experiments or empirical research. The findings must then be crafted into a clear, cohesive, and concise presentation that provides readers with valuable insights that can be directly applied to their practice.
“Writing can be more enjoyable when done collaboratively. Inviting colleagues as co-authors not only fosters networking but also builds goodwill,” says Dr. Romero, who believes it is crucial to establish roles and responsibilities early on and hold everyone accountable for meeting the writing schedule and submission deadlines. The lead author retains final editorial control. Additionally, having a colleague from a different field to review the paper can provide an invaluable outsider’s perspective on its readability and appeal.
Seeing the prevalence of research data sharing, Dr. Romero points out that it fosters collaboration by allowing researchers to combine their datasets and build on each other’s work. This approach prevents duplication of efforts and encourages innovative ideas, enabling researchers to explore new questions and derive fresh insights from existing data.
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)
Ashli K. O’Rourke
Dr. Ashli O'Rourke is a Professor and Director of Laryngology at the Evelyn Trammell Institute for Voice and Swallowing at the Medical University of South Carolina. Initially being a speech-language pathologist with a Master's from Florida State University, she practiced for seven years before pursuing a medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia. She completed her Otolaryngology residency at the University of Virginia and a fellowship in Laryngology at the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. O'Rourke specializes in treating adult patients with voice, airway, and esophageal disorders, with a focus on swallowing disorders and laryngopharyngeal reflux. Her research includes innovative technologies for diagnosing and rehabilitating swallowing disorders. She holds the Mark & Evelyn Trammell Endowed Chair in Otolaryngology and serves as Treasurer and Executive Council member for the Dysphagia Research Society. Learn more about her here, and connect with her on Instagram.
A good academic paper, according to Dr. O'Rourke, primarily advances our knowledge base by clearly articulating a significant research question. It should be well-structured, with an introduction that includes a thorough literature review to identify research gaps. The methodology must be detailed enough for replication. The discussion should interpret the findings within the context of existing literature and address any limitations.
The biggest challenge Dr. O'Rourke faces in academic writing is time management. Academic writing is time-consuming, and balancing it with other responsibilities is always a struggle to her. Another challenge is maintaining the organization and structure of the manuscript, ensuring that all parts of the paper connect logically, especially in the discussion.
“What’s fascinating about academic writing is its enduring nature; it has stood the test of time as the medium through which knowledge is created, shared, and debated. Its longevity highlights its essential role in the advancement of ideas and scholarly communication,” says Dr. O'Rourke.
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)