In 2024, many CDT 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.

Outstanding Authors (2024)

Sarah M. Bernhard, Bienna Hospital Center, Switzerland

Amin Daoulah, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Saudi Arabia

Katharina Weiss, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany

Julio Garcia, University of Calgary, Canada

Hae Won Jung, Daegu Catholic Medical Center, South Korea

Filippo Cademartiri, Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR - Regione Toscana, Italy

Outstanding Author

Sarah M. Bernhard

Sarah M. Bernhard is an attending physician at the vascular centers of the university hospital in Bern and at the vascular center of the Bienna Hospital Center in Switzerland. She studied in Berlin (Germany) and obtained her qualifications in internal medicine and in vascular medicine/angiology in Switzerland. Her research focuses on vascular diseases with a focus on endovascular treatment strategies, but her main field of research is congenital vascular malformations. In translational research projects, she aims to identify new therapeutic targets to enable advances in personalized targeted therapies. In clinical trials, she aims to establish patient-reported and radiological outcome-measures and to assess safety and efficacy of targeted therapies for congenital vascular malformations.

To Dr. Bernhard, the most important element of a good academic paper is a captivating idea or question attending to a scientific need. The research question should be assessed by robust methods, of which the limitations should be critically discussed in detail. These limitations should also reflect in the conclusions drawn from the results. Lastly, the whole paper from the research question over methods, results and conclusions should be an understandable and well-written story.

From Dr. Bernhard’s perspective, it is important to stick to reporting guidelines (e.g. STROBE, PRISMA and CARE) as they serve as guidance and checklists to ensure all relevant information is included. This does not only help to structure the paper, but also increases transparency and credibility amongst other researchers. Furthermore, these guidelines are also helpful in the early planning process of a research project, as they help to reflect on potential weaknesses and pitfalls of the study design.

Lastly, Dr. Bernhard would like to say a few words to encourage her peers, “Try to find a good mentor. Take a step at a time. When preparing a manuscript, think about why you are passionate about the subject and how you would like to transfer this passion to an audience. This is how you should start your scientific manuscript. To reach a broad audience, you need to tell a captivating and concise story, that is understandable, not only for experts in your field of research, but also for the broader scientific community.”

(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)

Amin Daoulah

Dr. Amin Daoulah is a consultant cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. He is a researcher with over 45 publications. He has collaborated with fellow expert cardiologists across the Gulf Cooperation Council. Currently, Dr. Daoulah is working on three registries from six Gulf countries, including Gulf Cardiogenic Shock Registry, Gulf Chronic Total Occlusion of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions Registry, and Gulf Upgrade Study (Predictors of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Requirement in Patients Receiving Pacemaker). Connect with Dr. Daoulah on Instagram, Facebook, and ResearchGate.

In Dr. Daoulah’s opinion, the best academic papers come with a clear purpose and combine organization and concise writing to keep the readers engaged. Good papers should have solid literature reviews, sound methodology, and well-executed data analysis. The critical thinking and discussion components of any academic paper are where scientists derive changes in practice and forward-thinking for future research.

From Dr. Daoulah’s perspective, academic writing can be challenging for many reasons. Some of the most difficult aspects are time management and maintaining motivation. He explains, “Writing occurs throughout a project and balancing research, writing, and other responsibilities can be tiring. Additionally, academic writers must maintain resilience while dealing with feedback, revisions, language barriers, and moments of writers’ block. Overcoming these challenges and seeing a publication come to fruition are fantastic.”

“What I find fascinating is how academic writing feels like its own unique language. For years, we design, collaborate, gather data, and interpret complex ideas that are challenging to understand individually. We take this multi-dimensional information, translate it, and transcribe it into a collection of words and numbers that go on to the readers in the hope they will utilize our writing to change the lives of their patients for the best. This unique language of academic writing underscores the significance of our work,” says Dr. Daoulah.

(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)

Katharina Weiss

Katharina Weiss, M.Sc., is a doctoral student at the Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany. Since August 2023, she has been a lecturer for health promotion and prevention at the Academy for Public Health in Duesseldorf, Germany. Her research focuses are on stress and coping, mental health, positive psychology, public health, chronic disease, and quality of life. Katharina is originally a qualified veterinary nurse and specialist in small animal anesthesia and analgesia. From 2017-2021, she studied integrative health promotion (Bachelor of Science) at the Coburg University of Applied Sciences. From 2021-2023, she studied health promotion (Master of Science) at the same university. During her Master's degree, she worked as a student research assistant at the university and as a research assistant at the beginning of her work at the Academy of Public Health Duesseldorf. Additionally, she is a member of the German Society for Public Health (DGPH). Connect with Katharina on LinkedIn.

In Katharina’s view, the essential elements of a good academic paper include compliance with the guidelines of good scientific practice, (self-)reflected critical research process, iterative revisions during the research and publication process, and no concealment of weaknesses and possible confounders of the study, but transparence.

In constructing a manuscript, Katharina points out that, apart from the above points, authors should bear in mind the following things: 1) Publications are mostly only interesting if they can identify a research gap and provide new insights. 2) One should publish in a journal where the article undergoes a peer-review process. 3) One should select a journal suitable for the research topic. 4) The manuscript should be about the research topic and the scientific findings and, in the best case, also about the added benefit for other people or society, not about the authors themselves.

“I would recommend other students to be courageous in what they want to do professionally and not to allow themselves to be forced into a job that literally doesn’t ‘suit’ them. They should also take the necessary time to find out what their path is. Where they can live a self-effective and healthy life, where they can develop, grow, flourish and work. This takes longer for one, shorter for the other. That is not the decisive factor. What only matters is that we recognize our own health and that of others as the most important thing,” says Katharina.

(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)

Julio Garcia

Julio Garcia is an Associate Professor at University of Calgary. He is a Biomedical Engineer trained in Mexico. During the last 17 years, he has developed biomedical imaging technologies to assess heart valve disease, aortopathies, pediatric and adult congenital diseases. He leads the 4D Flow program at the Stephenson Cardiac Imaging Centre (more information here). He is a Fellow of the Mexican National Researcher’s System, a Junior Fellow of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and a Fellow of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. Learn more about him here, and connect with him on X and LinkedIn.

In Dr. Garcia’s opinion, important skills for scientific writing include being critical of one’s work and structuring a clear story. In addition, co-authors play an important role to avoid biases in one’s writing. They can provide relevant feedback to identify gaps and biases. Sharing findings in conferences also helps to get feedback and improve one’s work in an objective manner.

“My passion for my work and research is the main motivation to be an academic writer. Sharing our findings and developments are important for me and my team. The challenge frequently encountered is to properly communicate our work. We want our readers to understand what we do and what we find,” says Dr. Garcia.

(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)

Hae Won Jung

Hae Won Jung serves at the Department of Cardiology of Daegu Catholic Medical Center, South Korea. His research areas cover cardiovascular intervention and dyslipidemia. Recent published works include “The comparison of the associations of lipoprotein(a) and the atherogenic index of plasma with coronary artery calcification in patients without high ldl-c: a comparative analysis”, “Randomized, multicenter, parallel, open, phase 4 study to compare the efficacy and safety of rosuvastatin/amlodipine polypill versus atorvastatin/amlodipine polypill in hypertension patient with dyslipidemia”, and “The LDL-C/Apo B predicts coronary atherosclerotic heart disease in non-diabetic patients without high LDL-C”.

In Dr. Jung’s opinion, a good academic paper should answer current clinical unresolved problems. It should also recruit appropriate patients and analyze the data scientifically. He adds, “During the paper preparation process, I consider whether there is sufficient evidence to support new medical discoveries. And I keep asking whether new medical findings will be helpful in actual clinical practice.”

Research data sharing has been a common practice in recent years. To Dr. Jung, since these medical data may contain personal information, he does not think it is essential to share them with other researchers. Nonetheless, he believes data sharing will be beneficial as new papers can be published from a new perspective.

(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)

Filippo Cademartiri

Dr. Filippo Cademartiri is an expert and pioneer of Cardio-Vascular Imaging with particular focus on Cardiac CT/MR and Photon Counting CT technology. He is a Radiologist/Imaging Specialist. His main areas of expertise are related to advanced imaging techniques especially CT and MR, advanced competence in cardio-thoracic and cardio-vascular anatomy, physiology and diseases. He is interested in diffusing innovation, technology and empowerment for patients and healthcare operators in order to accelerate the improvements that advanced imaging can bring to everybody's lives. Granting more access to state-of-the-art technologies and procedures is his aim. To do this, he believes proper education and experience creation must be delivered when newer technologies are available for clinical use. Follow him on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Google Scholar.

CDT: What do you regard as a good academic paper?

Dr. Cademartiri: Before designing a paper, any researcher should think about the word “impact”. Since I am mostly working in a clinical and research domain that deals with translational research and innovation of advanced imaging technologies, I believe a good academic paper should have a single question that affects immediately clinical practice for the better. It can be a technical aspect of how to perform or analyze images or how to extract information that is immediately relevant for patient care. It can also be about the uselessness of a procedure or method that has been used in clinical practice for a while.

A good academic paper in advanced cardiac imaging should be clear, concise, and well-structured. It must begin with a clear objective, outlining the research question and its significance. The methodology should be robust, providing detailed descriptions of imaging techniques, patient cohorts, and statistical analysis. Reproducibility is crucial, especially for studies involving algorithms or computational models.

High-quality visuals are essential, with clear, well-annotated images and data representations like graphs and tables. The paper must include a comprehensive literature review, contextualizing the research within existing knowledge while identifying gaps.

In the discussion, the findings should be interpreted thoughtfully, addressing both strengths and limitations, with a clear comparison to existing methods. Ethical considerations, such as patient consent and data transparency, must be adhered to. If new technologies like AI are employed, rigorous validation against accepted standards is essential.

The abstract should provide a concise summary, and appropriate keywords must be selected for easy indexing. Overall, the paper should offer an original contribution to the field, demonstrating scientific rigor, clinical relevance, and potential for future research, all while maintaining clarity and precision throughout.

CDT: What is fascinating about academic writing?

Dr. Cademartiri: Academic writing is fascinating for its blend of intellectual challenge, creativity, and real-world impact. It encourages critical thinking and deep analysis, pushing writers to engage with complex ideas and synthesize diverse sources. This process of research and reflection fosters intellectual growth and a deeper understanding of a subject.

One of the most exciting aspects is the ability to contribute to human knowledge. Academic writing allows you to present new discoveries, refine existing theories, or apply concepts in innovative ways. This contribution to the broader academic conversation makes the work feel purposeful and significant. While it follows a structured format, academic writing also offers room for creativity. Crafting well-reasoned arguments, presenting data, and developing unique interpretations provide a satisfying balance between discipline and creative expression. The collaborative nature of academic writing adds to its appeal. Whether working with co-authors, engaging with peer reviewers, or building on the ideas of others, it fosters a sense of shared progress and ongoing dialogue. Lastly, academic writing often addresses real-world issues, from healthcare to technology, making it impactful and relevant beyond the academic sphere. This combination of intellectual rigor, creativity, and meaningful contribution makes academic writing a uniquely engaging pursuit.

(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)