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 who have been making immense efforts in their research fields, with a brief interview of their unique perspectives and insightful views as authors.

Outstanding Authors (2023)

Alessandro Boscarelli, Institute of Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”, Italy

Antonio F. Corno, Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital, USA

George W. Koutsouras, Department of Neurosurgery, SUNY Upstate Medical University, USA

Lika’a Fasih Yaqoub Al-Kzayer, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Japan

Tina O. Findley, University of Texas Health Science Center, USA

Andrew S. Day, University of Otago Christchurch, New Zealand

Ali Dodge-Khatami, RWTH University Hospital, Germany

Francesca Bartoli-Leonard, University of Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, UK

Michael Yafi, University Texas Health Houston, USA

Carla R. Pinto, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Coimbra, Portugal

Ricardo A. Mosquera, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, USA

Felix Sebastian Oberhoffer, LMU Munich, Germany

Angel M. Carcaboso, SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Spain

James J. Ashton, the University of Southampton, UK

Peong Gang Park, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Korea

Maria von Stumm, Technical University of Munich, Germany

Alessandro Boscarelli

Dr. Alessandro Boscarelli is a Consultant in Pediatric Surgery and Urology at the Department of Pediatric Surgery and Urology of the Maternal and Child Health Research Institute “Burlo Garofolo” of Trieste, Italy. His main research interests include congenital anomalies, surgery, gastrointestinal surgical diseases and pediatrics. He is an active member of the European Paediatric Surgeons’ Association (EUPSA), and he is actually the principal investigator of a project entitled “The role of preoperative D-dimer levels in the diagnosis of adnexal torsion in children and adolescents”. He is also involved in research collaborations such as the ICARUS Global Surgical Collaboration Working Group for Intraoperative Complications Assessment and Reporting with Universal Standards (iAEs). Learn more about Dr. Boscarelli from ORCID or ResearchGate and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Academic writing, in Dr. Boscarelli’s opinion, plays a crucial role in science for experience sharing with other colleagues or peers from around the world. He believes the main qualities that a researcher should have are: communication skills, integrity, and transparency. And in the era with robust scientific advancement, he tries to give new ideas to the field of research through daily clinical practice and by working on projects of current interest. In addition, he tries to keep the writing up-to-date by selecting and reading the latest literature that researches on different subspecialties of Pediatric Surgery.

Speaking of Conflict of Interest (COI) disclosure by academic writers, Dr. Boscarelli thinks it is of utmost importance and that applies especially for reviewers, in order to maintain the highest level of integrity and transparency in medical and surgical research. Despite the busy schedule of being a surgeon, he keeps on with the activities of being an academic writer as he would like to constantly improve in the clinical setting and be always updated on his research interests.

(by Masaki Lo, Brad Li)

Antonio F. Corno

Dr. Antonio F. Corno’s professional career has been focused on surgical treatment of congenital heart defects. He is currently serving at the Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery at Children’s Heart Institute, Department of Pediatrics at Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital and McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, USA. The clinical experiences move him through hospitals in different countries and continents, such as Italy, where he received his medical education and started the career, then in Europe in the Netherlands, France, Scotland, Switzerland, England, Middle East (Saudi Arabia), Far East (Malaysia), England again and North America (Texas, United States). Simultaneously to the clinical activities, in many places he has had the opportunity of having academic commitments, dedicating his time and energies to education, including the role of Professor in Leicester, England, and in Houston, Texas, USA. Wherever he works, he also performs experimental and clinical research activities, with a long list of projects, always focusing on congenital heart defects. All the above activities result in a remarkably large number of publications, including books, chapters for books, original and review articles, and editorial commentaries.

With his extensive experiences in the medical and academic field, Dr. Corno thinks as an academic writer, one has to possess extreme interest and motivation for science advancement, curiosity for discovering the truth, desire to push the boundaries of the current knowledge and consciousness that it is always justified to look for space for improvement. And with unconditional honesty and strong work ethics for the validation of all data to achieve unbiased evaluation and complete reporting, are a must to prepare any manuscripts.

Speaking of the importance of applying the institutional review board (IRB) approval for any researches, Dr. Corno points out that is a prerequisite in all serious institutions regarding any research projects. He further explains, “The application for any IRB approval requires a deep analysis of the currently available knowledge of the topic which is the matter of the application, and a serious analysis of the question(s) motivating the research project. And in all serious institutions, the members of the IRB committee have a lot of experience in research, and the review of the application is generally followed by a series of questions and comments extremely useful to improve the quality of the proposal for a research project.”

As an encouragement to the young and junior researchers or academic writers, Dr. Corno thinks there are two valid reasons to publish. The first is that acceptance of the prejudice that “we have done in the same way for the last 30 years” is the receipt for stagnation and absence of progress in any fields. That is what we should have avoided. The second is that the decision of publishing on a specific topic is forcing us to study all what has been reported before and acquire all the available knowledge on that topic, until we know all what is already known, what is unknown, and what is matter of controversies or disagreements. Only in this way we can contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge.

(by Masaki Lo, Brad Li)

George W. Koutsouras

Dr. George W. Koutsouras is a fifth year neurosurgery resident at SUNY Upstate in Syracuse, New York, USA. He is a graduate of New York Institute of Technology, and later from SUNY Downstate with his Master of Public Health. He received his medical degree from the NYIT-College of Osteopathic Medicine and was awarded membership into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. After neurosurgery residency, he will pursue a focus on pediatric neurosurgery. His research is focused on all pediatric neurosurgical pathologies, with particular focus on hydrocephalus, brain tumors and epilepsy. He is highly active within the Joint Section of Pediatric Neurosurgery. He is currently a Council of State Neurosurgical Societies Socioeconomic fellow, AMA resident/fellow section member, and CNS Guidelines fellow. He is committed to mentorship and education, serving as the chair of his institutions GME resident and fellow forum and participates in numerous curriculum taskforces at the Norton College of Medicine. Connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Dr. Koutsouras thinks the most critical component an author must consider for preparing a manuscript is to provide an unbiased, accurate portrayal of how the study and its results contribute to the field of study. It is vitally important to never lose sight of the scope of the project in the preparation of a paper. Maintaining the integrity of the project should be an author’s biggest priority. “Maintaining neutrality is the key to avoiding bias in writing. As long as you stick to the facts, while understanding how your writing compares and contrasts to the topics’ current evidence, your manuscript will benefit greatly,” adds he.

Regarding reporting guidelines such as PRISMA and STARD, Dr. Koutsouras does not believe they are essential to prepare a manuscript, but he does think the reporting guidelines help provide a framework for the academician. However, he must endorse that they should be understood and utilized well prior to the preparation of the manuscript. He adds, “They must be considered at the inception of study design, as to ensure proper use and fulfillment of the reporting guideline.”

Dr. Koutsouras shares that his interests in research stem from his curiosity for discovery and his love for medicine and with neurosurgery. This motivates him to constantly ask questions and to learn more about the field. “The opportunity for research is endless, but that takes time and a commitment to the scientific process. Academic writing is essential part of this process,” he says.

(by Masaki Lo, Brad Li)

Lika’a Fasih Yaqoub Al-Kzayer

Lika’a Fasih Yaqoub Al-Kzayer, M.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor/Researcher in the Pediatrics Department at Shinshu University School of Medicine, Japan. She obtained her M.D. degree from Mosul University in Iraq (1993). She specialized in pediatric/pediatric-oncology D.C.H. (2000)/C.A.B.P. (2001). Dr. Lika’a established the first Pediatric Oncology Center in Mosul (Nineveh) province in Iraq (2002), and she became the center’s Chair until 2009. Her Ph.D. degree was from Shinshu University (2013). She was a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (F.R.C.P., Eden.), UK (2020). She has been leading overseas collaborating research since 2009 on the genetics of pediatric leukemia in connection with many pediatric oncology centers in Iraq and Japanese universities. She received a research award from Shinshu University in 2013 and has acquired Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japanese government (2018-2020). She is a member of several international cancer committees and organizations and has published many papers in scholarly academic journals. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

To Dr. Lika’a, academic writing is an essential skill required for a scientific researcher who needs to be a professional in a subject of one’s interest. Ideas can be translated, presented to others, and shared through academic writing to pursue effective communication. Academic writing often sparks arguments and leads to scholarly conversation. Moreover, with more academic writing, the cumulative knowledge about an issue will improve over time, not only for a writer but also for those interested in the subject promoting critical thinking to solve complex issues and topics.

Academic writing often involves evidence synthesis. Regarding Dr. Lika’a’s field of genetics in cancer, which is undergoing an accelerated revolution in recent years, she gathers updated information from scholarly academic journals and reads recently published reviews in and around the field, which helps in a better selection of references. The collaboration with great Japanese doctors in the field has contributed to a better understanding of utilizing and analyzing such data. The collaboration with Japanese universities equipped with advanced molecular technology was a significant step in building a bridge with Iraq (the country of repeated wars and their related medical collapse). Through such cooperation based on collecting dried blood samples from patients in Iraq and analyzing them in Japan, the goal of leveling up the molecular evaluation and thus improving the management of pediatric leukemia in Iraq was established. By acquiring and sharing advanced knowledge, authors can be able to synthesize and analyze their research data and evidence.

On the topic of data exchange and sharing in scientific writing, Dr. Lika’a believes that sharing research information and results is very important for several reasons. On the one hand, there are reasons related to the author including credit for the achieved work, acquiring citations, boosting the author’s publications, and introducing the author to other experts in the field which may open the way to other work or new collaborations. On the other hand, there are reasons related to other parties, including the new ideas that can be obtained from a published paper and its recommendation to be utilized by other authors. Reuse or reinterpretation of the data would be possible and at the same time, duplication would be avoided. And from her point of view, sharing papers with transparency would strengthen public confidence and respect in research and research institutions. Some kinds of academic papers can play a role in guiding governmental policy or changing rules.

(by Camellia Zhou, Brad Li)

Tina O. Findley

Tina Findley, MD, FAAP, is an associate professor and neonatologist in the Department of Pediatrics at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, USA. Her areas of research interests include translational research on hypoxic injury in neonates with complex congenital heart disease and folate-related genetic-environmental interactions in birth defects. She is also the director of a mother-baby biobank involving mothers and their newborns who are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The NICU patient population is fragile and complex which limits direct scientific research, but through investigations using collected biospecimens, the unique pathophysiology of neonatal diseases is becoming better understood. Just as children are not “little adults”, neonates are not “little children”. Follow Dr. Findley on Twitter @TinaFindleyMD.

The initial difficulty in academic writing, in Dr. Findley’s view, is literally the first word. Starting a new manuscript can be hampered by one’s desire to start off with a perfectly crafted sentence. This is followed by insecurities about one’s ability to write. Individuals often have a fixed mindset that “they are not a good writer,” without interest in improving themselves. These two obstacles lead to many research ideas never being described on paper.

Speaking of the key skill sets of an author, Dr. Findley points out that in the case of review articles written jointly with co-authors, organization, clear communication of expectations, and the ability to tell a story are critical. Each author may have their own agenda, past experiences in group writing (both good and bad), and busy work schedules. Leveraging the expertise of each individual while giving deference to others to ensure the overall direction of the manuscript is cohesive is key to maintaining harmony in the group effort and end result.

In addition, on the disclosure of Conflict of Interests (COI) by authors, Dr. Findley thinks that the procedure is important to ensure the integrity and transparency of the author and their science. When a financial relationship is revealed, the data may require more scrutiny, maybe even skepticism.

“The evolution of academic medical writing over the last several decades is interesting to observe. An article written sixty years ago has a different cadence of language, where often the author’s own voice is distinguishable with more literary creativity. Contemporary scientific journals are much more practical and brevity is often preferred,” says Dr. Findley.

(by Camellia Zhou, Brad Li)

Andrew S. Day

Prof. Andrew Day undertook initial medical training at University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand (NZ). After initial paediatric training in Christchurch, NZ, he was accepted for a Paediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. After completion of this three-year fellowship, he was appointed to a clinical academic position at University of New South Wales and Sydney Children’s Hospital (in Sydney, Australia). He returned to Christchurch in 2009 to take up a joint clinical academic role at Christchurch Hospital and the University of Otago Christchurch. Dr. Day combines his clinical role on providing paediatric gastroenterology services to children across the South Island of NZ with academic and research activities. His research activities encompass themes of host-pathogen interactions, epidemiology, biomarkers and outcomes within the setting of inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease in children. As the Cure Kids Chair of Paediatric Research in Christchurch, he is pleased to acknowledge the support of Cure Kids for his ongoing research endeavours. Connect with Dr. Day on LinkedIn or X (Twitter).

Dr. Day points out that academic writing is a key tool and discipline in the transfer and application of knowledge and learning. Being able to clearly and consistently detail and inform is a critical skill that is learnt over time. Being able to put thoughts together in a logical fashion on paper is an essential communication tool.

He continues with the key goal of academic writing, which is to clearly transmit the key information concisely and without bias or undue emotion. He thinks reporting the outcomes of the current work is essentially telling a story: the results arising need to be seen in the context of the background of prior understanding and within the specific goals of the project. The meaning and implications of new data need to clearly outlined. Furthermore, methods need to transparent so that any other researcher could replicate the current work. All together presenting work in a clear and open fashion is important to ensure that the message is clear and focused. Clouding a message with overinterpretation or with emotional language can diminish the impact of the results.

Dr. Day shares with us some practical tips in academic writing: “I generally counsel to keep the focus on the story and to let the facts speak for themselves, without undue descriptive words or emotional phraseology. I would also avoid bringing a sense of personal opinion from a piece of work: even using third person wording (and avoiding we, us or our) can help to keep the work directed to the goal. Using standard approaches and formatting can also help to keep the writing on track. Whilst it can be hard to avoid all biases, and there can be exceptions where rules might not be completely adhered to, it is nonetheless a very important consideration. This is one aspect of developing academic skills.”

Lastly, Dr. Day indicates that the advent of the reporting guidelines like STARD or CARE has been a further step in ensuring clarity and consistency in academic publications. He explains, “Maintaining rigorous standards and having all ‘on the same playing field’ is essential.”

(by Masaki Lo, Brad Li)

Ali Dodge-Khatami

Prof. Ali Dodge-Khatami is a Pediatric & Congenital Heart Surgeon and Professor of Cardiac Surgery at the RWTH University Hospital in Aachen, Germany. After completing medical school in Geneva (1991) and Cardiovascular Surgical training in Switzerland (1998), he had two Congenital Heart Surgical Fellowships at Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago (1998-99) and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, London (1999-2000) respectively. He has been fully dedicated to congenital heart surgery since 2000. Prof. Dodge-Khatami is author of more than 129 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 9 book chapters. He has been committed to research, faculty, resident and student teaching during the 23 years of post-graduate full-time appointments at University Hospitals culminating in a Ph.D. from the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2003). His involvement with The Novick Cardiac Alliance and dedication to promoting congenital heart surgery in developing nations (Ukraine, Russian Federation, Vietnam, Kenya, DR Congo, Libya, Lebanon, Northern Macedonia, Honduras) is continuous since 2008. Learn more about Prof. Dodge-Khatami through his homepage and LinkedIn.

A good academic paper, according to Prof. Dodge-Khatami, is one with an open-ended hypothesis, a clear study design with the appropriate methodology to answer the question at hand, followed by results which are to the point, and a discussion of findings (negative and positive), with their eventual relevance.

There are a few things that Prof. Dodge-Khatami thinks authors must bear in mind during preparation of a paper. While writing based on your data, ask yourself: Is the topic new? In which case things become easier? If the topic is extensively published already, what does my manuscript bring to the readership which contributes to the interest of a topic, even if it confirms or refutes extant findings in the literature? Manuscripts which are to the point and avoid redundancies are preferred by most readers.

Besides being an indispensable guardian for meaningful, necessary, and hopefully truthful research, Prof. Dodge-Khatami finds that an institutional review board (IRB) can actually help to reset the thought process of the applying researcher in a more structured way. He points out that, very often, we are so embedded in an idea, hypothesis or experiment with an inherent bias which is only normal human nature, that we commit mind leaps, assuming that everyone understands clearly what we are thinking, saying, and what the research is getting at – often it is not as straightforward as one assumes. The IRB process, which includes a panel filled by specialists and lay people of many backgrounds, looks at a research proposal from many different perspectives, often helping to filter mind leaps, and make the applying researcher think more clearly as to how to present a problem, and how to try and answer it.

Lastly, speaking of how he allocates time to write papers based on his hectic schedule, Prof. Dodge-Khatami says, “Hopefully most of us are given enough protected time at some point of our careers, at least once a week, for research/reading/writing purposes, short of which it spills over on to private time on evenings and weekends. Each person finds their own way of getting things done and prioritizing time allocation.”

(by Brad Li, Camellia Zhou)

Francesca Bartoli-Leonard

Francesca Bartoli-Leonard completed her undergraduate training at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland with a bachelor’s degree in Immunology, followed by a PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, during which she became interested in the DNA damage and inflammatory mechanisms surrounding calcification. Following completion of PhD in late 2019, she relocated to the US and joined the Aikawa lab in January 2020 to peruse a fellowship focusing on the role of T cells in the propagation of aortic stenosis. She currently works at the University of Bristol, UK under Professor Caputo, investigating mechanisms of immune driven rejection in pediatric congenital heart disease. Her scientific interests lie within unpicking complicated molecular mechanisms which control immune regulation in the heart, and she is excited about the future of translational research in developing the understanding of the pathways linking clinical hallmarks of rejection and inflammatory disease to the diverse receptors and proteins within these complex mechanisms. Learn more about Dr. Bartoli-Leonard’s work through ORCID.

“Academic writing gives you the chance to share the months and months you and the team have spent in the lab with the wider community!” says Dr. Bartoli-Leonard when she is asked about the importance of academic writing, “I think one of the most important things we can do as scientists is write succinctly and clearly, so others can easily understand, pick up and repeat our work and come at from a different aspect with new ideas. Without it, we would be repeating one another’s experiments pointlessly, when we could be pushing forward with new research.”

Academic writing often involves evidence synthesis. In Dr. Bartoli-Leonard’s opinion, evidence synthesis can be a long and tiring process, but it is really important to identify knowledge gaps and establish and evidence base to work off, so it should not be rushed. When reading reviews and studies focused on clinical interventions, she always finds the Cochrane collaboration a good place to start, with a really informative library. Furthermore, she finds it useful for considering the stakeholder in the evidence that one is apprising for synthesis. “For example, I would be wary of using documentation from a biotechnology manufacturer when writing a piece comparing different brands. It is always important to have multiple pieces of evidence from unbiased sources confirming the point you’re trying to make,” says she.

From an author’s perspective, Dr. Bartoli-Leonard thinks it is important to follow reporting guidelines (e.g. STROBE and CONSORT) as it helps to ensure quality and transparency of paper. When reading a manuscript, readers assume it has been reviewed by people knowledgeable in the field and reporting guidelines are an extension of that, ensuring that the study was conducted in the right manner without anything missing. For authors, they allow readers to know what is expected in a specific type of article, and give crucial guidance on how to present these results. They are also really helpful to young researchers, as something like a systematic review can be daunting without any guidance.

“I find it fascinating the way two scientists can see the same data and come out with different viewpoints on what it means and where it is going. That is what is great about academic writing, once you have gathered all your results or all the resources you need to write the paper, the author is responsible for bringing the narrative and making the reader ask the questions,” says Dr. Bartoli-Leonard.

(by Camellia Zhou, Brad Li)

Michael Yafi

Michael Yafi is a professor of Pediatrics, division and Fellowship Director at the University of Texas, Health Science Center/ McGovern Medical School, USA. He is a pediatric endocrinologist, board certified in general pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology, Michigan State University and University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas, USA, and received MHA from the University of Leeds, Nuffield Institute of Health, Leeds, UK. His primary interest are diabetes and obesity research in pediatrics.

According to Prof. Yafi, the most commonly encountered difficulties in academic writing are writing about a new challenge and getting attention. In preparing a paper, he would think about what the reviewer and editors will look at the paper. As an author, he considers it essential to follow each journal/publisher’s guidelines, such as reporting guidelines like STROBE and CONSORT. Lastly, speaking of what motivates him to write papers, he says, “Feeling that the paper will be read globally, academic activities can go global.”

(by Camellia Zhou, Brad Li)

Carla R. Pinto

Carla Regina Pinto is a Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care Consultant currently working at the third-level Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Pediatric Hospital of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Coimbra, Portugal, which is the referral center for therapeutic hypothermia for perinatal asphyxia and pediatric liver transplant. She is the coordinator of the Portuguese Pediatric Intensive Care Board. She is an invited professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal, and a member of the Center for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research at the same University. Her interests are focused on pediatric and neonatal critical care areas, particularly perinatal asphyxia, neuromonitoring and neuroimaging, sepsis and immunology, and acute liver failure. She integrated several research projects, highlighting “Functional neuroimaging in newborns with perinatal asphyxia predicting neurodevelopmental outcome”. Learn more about Prof. Pinto’s works from ORCID.

To Prof. Pinto, a good academic paper raises original and significant research questions, crucial to relate the experienced observational clinical findings and translational research, respecting ethical issues. She also points out that the methodology must be precise, proper, and reproducible, and the analysis should have a logical and deep but clear structure.

Speaking of the essential qualities of an author, Prof. Pinto believes that an author must have objectivity, reliability, clear and sharp writing, and persistence particularly throughout the peer-review process. Meanwhile, she thinks it is important to have experience on the field which will permit an integrated revision and analysis, addressing fundamental ideas in a succinct way.

Academic writing takes a lot of time and effort. Speaking of the motivation to do academic writing, Prof. Pinto says she hopes to improve robust scientific knowledge in a specific expertise area, deliver key messages, irrespective of negative or null results and share experiences that can aid in optimizing clinical care.

In addition, Prof. Pinto deems that disclosing potential Conflicts of Interest (COI) is a crucial standard research practice to prevent personal or financial interests from influencing research, ensuring its impartiality concerning reporting objective results and its interpretation. It also ensures honesty and transparency to readers and institutions receiving scientific material.

(by Camellia Zhou, Brad Li)

Ricardo A. Mosquera

Ricardo Mosquera, the Division Chief and Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, USA. With a specialization in primary ciliary dyskinesia, children with medical complexity, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary complications of congenital diaphragmatic hernia, he has dedicated his career to advancing knowledge in the healthcare delivery for children with medical complexity. His passion revolves around creating innovative programs to enhance the care of children with complex pulmonary conditions. This commitment is exemplified through his active participation in randomized controlled trials and numerous research projects. Recognition of his dedication to excellence is reflected in the publication of multiple articles in prestigious journals. In his role as Division Chief, he strives to explore innovative avenues and collaborate with colleagues, aiming to make meaningful contributions to the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare for children with complex pulmonary conditions.

To Prof. Mosquera, a well-crafted academic paper incorporates essential elements to effectively convey its research or scholarly content. It should be original, well-written, direct, and based on a well-designed study, preferably with a parallel comparison.

In terms of the key skill sets of an author, Prof. Mosquera reckons that an effective author possesses a diverse skill set essential for producing impactful written work. Proficiency in writing, encompassing clarity, grammar, and adaptability to different styles, are foundational. Additionally, authors must be knowledgeable in the field and have a clear long-term objective of the research. He adds, “This combination of writing excellence and subject matter expertise ensures the production of high-quality and goal-oriented scholarly or professional work.”

From an author’s perspective, Prof. Mosquera thinks it is important to follow reporting guidelines (e.g. STROBE, CONSORT) during preparation of manuscripts, as they serve as standardized frameworks that provide a systematic and transparent approach to reporting research studies. By following these guidelines, authors ensure a consistent and comprehensive presentation of their work, enhancing the clarity and replicability of their findings.

(by Camellia Zhou, Brad Li)

Felix Sebastian Oberhoffer

Felix Sebastian Oberhoffer is a pediatric resident affiliated with the Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Intensive Care, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany as well as the Department of Pediatrics, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Germany. He holds an MD as well as a Master’s in Health Business Administration. Next to his residency in pediatrics, he is completing training in nutritional medicine, sports medicine, and lipidology. His research is focused on cardiovascular prevention in children, teenagers, and young adults. Currently, he is working on the following projects: 1. heARTerY-Study: Assisted Reproductive Technologies and their effects on heart and arterial function in Youth. 2. EDUCATE-Study: Energy Drinks - Unexplored Cardiovascular Alterations in TEens and TwEens. 3. Improvement of cardiovascular care in women with Turner syndrome. Learn more about Dr. Oberhoffer at ResearchGate and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Being asked about the most commonly encountered difficulties in academic writing, Dr. Oberhoffer replies, “Starting the academic writing process can be quite challenging when a blank page is sitting in front of you.” Personally, he begins with writing down key words that he wants to be included in the corresponding subsections of a manuscript (e.g., Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion). He sorts these key words according to their didactic order. Later, he uses these key words to form sentences. And from his points of view, academic writing takes time. He therefore recommends starting the writing process early on. “The introduction and the methods, for example, can be written even before conducting your experiment. Young scientists should regularly ask their supervisors for feedback on their academic writing (e.g., after finishing up the first draft of the methods) to see if they are on the right ‘track’. This will improve overall quality and save time in the long run,” adds he.

To ensure his writing is up-to-date, Dr. Oberhoffer believes that staying connected with scientists and journals on social media (e.g., ResearchGate, LinkedIn) is one great way. To him, it is a terrific tool to interact and network with the peers.

Academic writing takes a lot of time and effort. Speaking of the motivation to do academic writing, Dr. Oberhoffer says it is simply because academic writing is crucial. It is the final step of one’s research project. Scientists can do the greatest experiment that generates fascinating data, however, without academic writing and publishing, nobody will know about it. “I see academic writing as a major tool to ‘market’ research and as a proof of the scientific work performed. Academic writing really helps to get the “scientific credit” you deserve. Is not this motivation enough?” says he.

Last but not least, seeing the prevalence of data sharing in recent years, Dr. Oberhoffer considers the sharing of data an essential measure to objectively validate one’s research. Furthermore, openly available data can be used for future research projects (e.g., meta-analyses) by other scientists.

(by Camellia Zhou, Brad Li)

Angel M. Carcaboso

Angel Carcaboso is a pharmacist, researcher and group leader at SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain. He has contributed to developing new therapies for children with cancer, with focus on drug delivery, drug distribution, and pharmaceutical innovation. He has helped establish patient-derived cell models and xenografts of rare pediatric cancers. More information about Dr. Carcaboso can be accessed here.

Dr. Carcaboso points out academic writing plays an important role in science that experts can share their professional knowledge and perspectives with fellow researchers and trainees through this platform. Authors can receive criticism, comments and requests from their colleagues to improve the research, interact and even collaborate. Students in this field all over the world will also benefit from these academic writings, and they will be able to apply for a position in laboratories so that the possibility of recruiting and training the future generation of researchers would also be strengthened.

To provide new insights to the field of research, Dr. Carcaboso recommends taking advantage of reliable resources such as PubMed and Scopus and attending specialized scientific gatherings. In his field, pediatric oncology, engaging with networks formed by patient families has facilitated the interaction and fostered enduring partnerships with the leading scientists, which can make the writing up to date.

“The main motivation to write academic papers is to consider them as a deliverable of our actual work, i.e., they are the main product of our laboratory resources. The same way a mechanic factory builds good engines after optimizing the manufacturing process, we must write and publish good papers using our workforce and resources wisely. Such effort demands a significant part of our time, but every single minute spent in scientific writing will be worth it. Publications will enhance our capacity to build further deliverables from our work, such as successful PhD theses and, ultimately, clinical trials,” says Dr. Carcaboso.

(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)

James J. Ashton

Dr. Ashton is an associate professor at the University of Southampton in the UK, funded by an NIHR advanced fellowship, and he also serves as a Paediatric Gastroenterology doctor at Southampton Children’s Hospital. His research interest is in precision medicine in inflammatory bowel disease, utilizing genomics and “big data”. In addition, he has a wide-reaching research background covering clinical, translational and basic science, all within inflammatory bowel disease, nutrition, paediatric gastroenterology and genetics. He has a particular interest in applying artificial intelligence on clinical and genomic data, to yield tools for precision medicine for patient benefits. He and his team have developed a number of tools and models that they aim to bring to clinical translation. They focus on specific genetic causes of inflammatory bowel disease in particular. They have developed a strong workstream focusing on the NOD2 gene and its related pathway in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease. More information about Dr. Ashton can be found here.

Dr. Ashton reckons academic writing is crucial because it provides high-quality evidence in an accessible and meaningful way, which is essential for improving scientific understanding and providing benefits to patients. He believes academic writing is the best way to clearly and accurately transmit findings that can assist other researchers, clinicians, and patients. Both high-quality research and superior writing are fundamental elements of this process.

To be an academic author, Dr. Ashton believes one should possess qualities such as training, teamwork, and attention to detail. Different people may make it in different ways. To Dr. Ashton, one of his strongest qualities has always been his ability to concentrate on a task, allowing him to complete projects.

“I am fortunate enough to be employed in two roles, as a clinician and as a scientist. Despite having time for research built into my job, the pressures of balancing competing interests can be difficult and require support from the whole team (on both the clinical and the academic sides). Efficiency and allotting time for activities are key to being productive. Working to specific goals and involving others at early stages seem to provide the best outcomes. I have previously worked a lot on research and writing outside of normal working hours, but now aim to achieve a balance between work and life, in order to maintain longer-term sustainability in my career,” says Dr. Ashton.

(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)

Peong Gang Park

Peong Gang Park is affiliated with Seoul National University Children's Hospital, where he specializes in pediatric nephrology. His primary research focus revolves around childhood kidney diseases, and he has been actively involved in recent projects aimed at identifying valuable insights in this field. One of his recent interests involves utilizing the national insurance data of Korea to gain a deeper understanding of childhood kidney diseases. By harnessing this extensive dataset, his research aims to uncover critical trends, patterns, and risk factors associated with childhood kidney diseases, ultimately leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, and care for young patients with kidney conditions.

In Dr. Park’s opinion, a good academic paper should tackle a relevant research question. While some papers employ a “hypothesis-free” approach, uncovering significant associations with acceptable P-values from data analysis, he believes that a paper becomes more meaningful when it begins with a pre-specified research hypothesis and serves as a means to validate that hypothesis through evidence.

To mitigate biases in one's writing, Dr. Park points out it is crucial to first acknowledge personal biases and make a conscious effort to set them aside. Biases can emerge in various academic and clinical settings, so a comprehensive understanding of previous research, including commentaries from other experts, can significantly reduce inherent biases.

“While I may not have extensive experience to provide advice, I've encountered moments of writer's block and self-doubt when working on research papers. In such situations, taking a brief break from writing and revisiting previous papers has proven to be a helpful strategy for rekindling my motivation,” Dr. Park says.

(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)

Maria von Stumm

Dr. Maria von Stumm is a board-certified congenital heart surgeon at the Division of Congenital and Pediatric Heart Surgery at the German Heart Center Munich, Germany, and at the Department of Pediatric Heart Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Hospital, Munich, Germany. After completing her training as an adult cardiac surgeon at the University Heart Center Hamburg in 2021, she started as a congenital fellow in Munich. Her research interests are conotruncal anomalies and congenital heart valve disease. Currently, she is working on her habilitation thesis focusing on long-term outcomes following the repair of Tetralogy of Fallot and its morphological variants. Connect with Dr. von Stumm on LindedIn. A list of her research work can be found here.

The way Dr. Von Stumm sees it, a good academic paper should add something new to the field with a broad relevance. Furthermore, robust evidence should support the findings. Unfortunately, she believes the quality of research focusing on congenital heart diseases is often limited due to the low prevalence of congenital heart defects and their heterogeneity, restricting the comparability of patients. In the end, published studies are mainly conducted in a retrospective design, including a heterogeneous study population with a long period of patient enrollment. However, she thinks there are still many relevant questions that can be answered even by this “low” study quality.

Dr. von Stumm indicates that a good structure is crucial for preparing papers. She recommends starting with the methods section, then writing the results section, and finally the discussion, conclusion, and introduction. The introduction should be quite short. From a broad aspect, it should bring the reader directly to the hypothesis. The discussion can be structured the other way around: first, summarize the manuscript's main findings; and then embed findings in the context of the current evidence.

To encourage authors to write a good academic paper, Dr. Von Stumm highlights that the research data will be presented to the world, which is the author’s reward and achievement, although the process of writing is a hard and painstaking task.

(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)