In 2024, many TAU 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 perspective and insightful view as authors.
Outstanding Authors (2024)
Blair R. Peters, Oregon Health & Science University, USA
Kellen Choi, The University of Louisville, USA
Kevin Kayvan Zarrabi, Thomas Jefferson University, USA
Aaron C. Lentz, Duke University, USA
Daniel A. González-Padilla, Clinical Universidad de Navarra, Spain
Jeanny B. Aragon-Ching, The Inova Schar Cancer Institute, USA
Keisei Okamoto, Prostate Institute of Osaka, Japan
Manuela Andrea Hoffmann, The Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Germany
Thomas Satterwhite, Stanford University, USA
Benjamin Maughan, Huntsman Cancer Institute, USA
Outstanding Author
Blair R. Peters
Dr. Blair Peters is a double fellowship-trained plastic surgeon who specializes in gender-affirming surgery and peripheral nerve surgery. He is an Assistant Professor in both the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the Department of Urology at Oregon Health & Science University and current Director of the Advanced Gender-Affirming Surgery Fellowship. He is one of the first surgeons in North America to complete a fellowship in comprehensive gender-affirming surgery. He carries out clinical research that focuses on optimizing sensation and nerve outcomes in gender-affirming and genital surgery and individualized approaches to patient care. He is frequently invited to speak nationally and internationally regarding techniques in gender and genital surgery. And he is a recognized expert in surgical techniques and multi-disciplinary approaches to gender-affirming care. He strives to be a strong voice in medicine and surgery and focuses on shifting the culture of medicine and mentoring future generations of affirming surgeons. Connect with Dr. Peters on Instagram/Threads: @queersurgeon.
The most essential element of a paper, according to Dr. Peters, is its purpose. To him, we are in a culture of academic medicine that often demands productivity. Unfortunately, that has led to a lot of bloat of the body of literature and a push to publish just to “publish”. The best papers have a clear purpose, whether that is to answer an unanswered question, report a novel surgical technique, etc. If the purpose is clear and shines through, then the paper will carry meaning and impact.
In Dr. Peters’ opinion, during preparation of a paper, authors should keep the intended audience in mind. He adds, “No one reading your paper will know more about that specific topic than you do. There can be a tendency to want to put every pearl of wisdom or knowledge you have into a body of work. However, that can often translate into information overload and the true purpose or ‘takeaway’ of a paper getting lost. The most effective papers have a clear purpose and answer a clear question.”
Lastly, Dr. Peters shares that he chooses to publish in TAU because the journal format allows for robust coverage of topics that sometimes require a significant amount of text or figures. He explains, “It is a great journal for review articles and expert opinion pieces regarding advanced surgical techniques. Many of these types of papers from TAU are both highly cited but also beloved by surgeons and surgical trainees as they are highly clinically relevant and inform practice.”
(by Brad Li, Alisa Lu)
Kellen Choi
Kellen Choi is an Advisory Dean and Faculty Urologist at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. Her research focuses on neurourology and urologic surgeries that affect patients’ quality of life and surgical outcomes. She is a fellowship-trained, board-certified urologic surgeon who concentrates on research on surgical education and outcomes, novel surgical techniques, and ways to improve surgical outcomes in urology, and helping spinal cord injury patients recover their urologic functions with neuromodulation. She has a broad background in urology, with specific training and expertise in reconstructive urology and neurourology.
According to Dr. Choi, good academic papers answer novel questions or attempt to find validity in well-known phenomena that have been accepted for decades as dogma in the scientific community. She regards continuous curiosity and persistence as key skills for an author. By being curious about why certain patients get better but not others and what the true mechanism of action is for certain treatment options, the author can think outside the box to connect the dots. When mentoring medical students, she advises them to anticipate multiple rejections before acceptance of their manuscript. Having the grit to be encouraged to try again when the manuscript is not published is crucial to academic writing.
Dr. Choi shares her own experience during academic writing, “One of my happiest memories of my initial academic writing experience is my intern year during my urology residency at Charleston Area Medica Center. As a young urology intern, we worked at a urology resident clinic once a week. We had a couple of biochemical recurrence patients after prostatectomy who had positive surgical margins (PSM), and I noticed some of them and adjuvant radiation, but some of them did not. As a young intern, still learning the wonderful, vast world of urology, I asked my attending out of curiosity, ‘What do you do when patients have biochemical recurrence after prostatectomy? And how come some patients got immediate radiation after prostatectomy when they had a positive surgical margin, but some people waited until biochemical recurrence happened?’ My attending physician kindly described the difference between adjuvant radiation and salvage radiation and explained to me that, at the time, there was inconclusive data on what to do with PSM patients after prostatectomy. Our curiosity about the topic led to my very first urology project that started my urology research career, looking at retrospective data on prostatectomy patients who had PSM and BCR. I thank Dr. Deem for helping me navigate problem-solving skills and continuing with a curious mind. It gave me confidence that research ideas could start from anywhere, including the resident clinic discussing patient care, even as a young intern!”
(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)
Kevin Kayvan Zarrabi
Kevin Kayvan Zarrabi, MS, MS, FACP, is an Assistant Professor and a medical oncologist at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. He specializes in genitourinary oncology with a focus on renal cell carcinoma, prostate cancer, urothelial carcinoma, and germ cell tumors. Dr. Zarrabi has published numerous articles pertaining to genitourinary malignancies. He is an active clinical and translational researcher, has worked to design clinical trials and serves as an investigator on multiple studies pertaining to urologic disease. He completed his undergraduate studies at Stony Brook University in New York with a major in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. He then completed his master’s degree in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. Through that time, Dr. Zarrabi performed laboratory-based research studying the matrix metalloproteases and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and their role in cancer cell migration. He then completed his medical degree at St. Georges University School of Medicine, and his residency at Stony Brook University Hospital, where he also served as chief resident. Dr. Zarrabi then went on to complete his hematology/oncology fellowship at the venerable Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. He is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the America Association for Cancer Researcher, and Faculty of the American College of Physicians. Connect with him on Twitter.
Dr. Zarrabi thinks that academic writing is at the foundation of scientific progress – pertaining to the biomedical sciences, humanities-based sciences, and alternative areas of study. At its core, academic writing embodies ethical principles and aims to remain objective in its goal, which is to share novel thoughts, perspectives, or data with the community at large in a clear and concise manner. Academic writing is structured and requires careful consideration of how to best convey the content intended to be shared, which provides time for pause and appraisal of one’s own work. This is important, as one’s work is informed by their own perceptions and experiences, which may be inherently biased. Further, academic writing is typically an ideal space for peer review, which is an important and historic practice dating back to the 5th century and provides opportunity for external critique and evaluation of the writing and content.
In Dr. Zarrabi’s view, peer review can be wearing and even condemnatory. To him, when academic writing feels arduous, he often finds solace in the body of work he aims to share through his writing. Once successful in publishing, the work is then considered a forever part of the greater body of literature pertaining to the subject matter. In rare instances, the work can be timeless and impact the future direction of science – and often that value is felt years or decades after initial publication. Regardless of the overall ‘impact’ a single publication or manuscript may have, or even if the body of work is proven to be incorrect or controversial, all academic writing will always have value. In all, the path towards publication is a rich and rewarding experience.
In Dr. Zarrabi’s opinion, navigating data sharing is complex – but in the instances where platforms, databases, and journals have been developed which enable safe and transparent data sharing, it has been fruitful and facilitated scientific discovery. Whether in the basic sciences, translational, or clinical research, data sharing can streamline communication of scientific data, in a verifiable matter that increases reproducibility and ultimately even public trust. In instances of effective data sharing, often through well-funded or governmental biobanks and databases, the possibilities for advancement are abundant.
(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)
Aaron C. Lentz
Dr. Aaron C. Lentz, MD, FACS, is a Professor of Surgery in the Duke University Department of Urology. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for medical school and residency before completing a fellowship in genitourinary reconstructive surgery at Duke University. He is the founder and director of the Duke Urology Men’s Health Center where he focuses on complex urethral stricture disease; prosthetic urology including penile implants for erectile dysfunction, as well as artificial urinary sphincters and minimally invasive slings for male stress urinary incontinence. In addition to his clinical role, Dr. Lentz is the Chief of Surgical Services at Duke Raleigh Hospital, the co-director of the Duke Urology Genitourinary Reconstructive Fellowship, and an active board member of the Society of Urologic Prosthetic Surgeons (SUPS). His research efforts focus on genitourinary prosthetics with a special interest in preventing and managing infectious and iatrogenic complications. He also enjoys developing novel surgical techniques in both reconstructive and prosthetic urology. His profile can be accessed here.
Dr. Lentz believes a good academic paper begins with a well-crafted question, one that possesses the capacity to challenge existing norms or enhance the standards of clinical care. It delves into existing literature, critically evaluates methodologies, and presents findings with clarity and precision. Ultimately, a good academic paper not only informs but also inspires further inquiry in the pursuit of improved clinical care.
To avoid biases in one’s writing, Dr. Lentz suggests writers must first acknowledge that implicit bias is present in all of them. Start by critically examining their own beliefs and assumptions to recognize potential biases. Continually question their results, ask colleagues to do the same, and always use precise, unambiguous language.
“To all academic writers dedicated to advancing scientific progress, remember that your journey is as significant as the destination. Embrace curiosity and let it guide your exploration. Surround yourself with supportive mentors who champion your growth and offer valuable guidance along the way. Remember, each word you write and each idea you explore contributes to the collective pursuit of knowledge. Stay passionate, stay persistent, and don’t forget how to laugh!” says Dr. Lentz.
(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)
Kevin Koo
Kevin Koo, MD, MPH, MPhil, is an Associate Professor of Urology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He specializes in the medical and surgical management of urinary stone disease and is Co-Director of the Multidisciplinary Stone Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Dr. Koo maintains an active translational research program supported by the National Institutes of Health studying the mechanisms of kidney stone pathophysiology. His research expertise also encompasses technology development, surgical education, and surgical quality improvement. As a frequent contributor to the medical literature, Dr. Koo is an editor of The Journal of Urology and Urology Practice. He serves on numerous committees and advisory councils of the American Urological Association, Endourological Society, and American College of Surgeons. He is a graduate of Yale School of Medicine and completed a urology residency at Dartmouth and an endourology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Koo believes academic writing allows authors to communicate complex, sometimes esoteric ideas in a systematic, decipherable way. However, the purpose of academic writing is not simply to record science and medicine. Rather, he thinks good academic writing is a foundation for scientific discovery and intellectual innovation. He states that a carefully crafted research article can capture the author's imagination and inspire further investigation. He explains that devoting as much effort to writing about research findings as authors do to generating them can help others understand their work and expand its boundaries.
From Dr. Koo’s perspective, authors can think of themselves as storytellers. Good academic writing, like many forms of writing in general, should feel like the author is telling the reader a story. Just as every story has a beginning, middle, and end, the writing follows a natural progression and includes sufficient detail to help the reader understand the narrative without being overwhelmed by minutiae. When the reader reaches the end of the story, there should be a satisfying and logical conclusion. He encourages the trainees and junior investigators who work with him to focus on this concept of presenting the work as a story.
Speaking of allocating time to write papers, Dr. Koo shares, “My strategy is to work on the manuscript a little bit every day. I try to allocate 15 or 30 minutes at a time, for instance, between surgical cases or before my clinic begins in the morning. For me, the key is to divide the manuscript into smaller, more manageable sections. My goal for the day might be to draft a few sentences of the discussion or format raw data into a readable table. Focusing on achievable writing goals helps to ensure daily progress, build momentum, and reduce frustration. These goals also remind me that academic writing, like any clinical or technical skill, tends to become easier with routine practice.”
(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)
Daniel A. González-Padilla
Dr. Daniel A. González-Padilla is a urologist specializing in uro-oncology, particularly bladder, kidney, and prostate cancer. He did his urology training at Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre in Madrid, Spain, and currently works at Clinical Universidad de Navarra, an academic high-volume private center. His main research areas are related to bladder and prostate cancer. He is passionate about evidence-based medicine and sharing decision-making since his early days in medical school, including some academic works with Cochrane Collaboration. Currently, he is involved in various research projects, such as utilizing urine biomarkers and bladder MRI for diagnosing primary and recurrent bladder cancer, and conducting clinical trials to test new treatments for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
Dr. González-Padilla states the three pillars of medical practice are care, teaching, and research. Scientific writing is part of research and teaching. Doctors need to keep up to date with all the medical advances through continuous reading. Writing is also important, as authors must read to research and write. He believes writing scientific articles will always be a positive activity for authors and the patients under their care, although it is not mandatory.
Dr. González-Padilla emphasizes the importance of data sharing in writing. He believes that data sharing should be a standard practice, and hopefully, it will be required for all submissions to provide data for external analyses in the future. Some meta-research has shown that re-analyzing data can show different results and possibly change the findings in the opposite direction. He thinks authors should all be open to an external audit, and the ultimate balance will always remain positive for science.
Lastly, Dr. González-Padilla would like to say a few words to encourage other writers, “I think it is important to remember every once in a while that ‘What you do is important’. Without academics, we would not advance as a field, there would be no developments and questions would remain unanswered.”
(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)
Jeanny B. Aragon-Ching
Jeanny B. Aragon-Ching, M.D., F.A.C.P., serves as the Clinical Program Director of Genitourinary Cancers and Medical Director of Clinical Research at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute in Fairfax, Virginia, United States, with a joint academic appointment as Associate Professor of Medical Education at the University of Virginia. She completed an internship and residency at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she served the final year as Chief Resident. She later completed a Medical Oncology Fellowship at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Maryland, where she served as an Associate Investigator on varying trials involved with pharmacogenomics, and early drug discovery for genitourinary tumors. Dr. Aragon-Ching later moved to the George Washington University Medical Center in 2008 and was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor of Medicine in 2014. Her early research work focused on the use of angiogenesis inhibitors, bone-targeted agents, clinical trial design and drug development. She has served in varying capacities as a peer reviewer, editorial board member and expert panel for highly acclaimed journals and congressionally directed research program grants. She is a well-published author and investigator of multiple GU cancer trials, and educator and serves on the Editorial Board of various academic journals. Dr. Aragon-Ching has chaired national meetings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Cancers Symposium and has delivered esteemed presentations at the Society of Urologic Oncology, Best of ASCO and the ASCO Annual Meeting and was also active in the ASCO GU Program Planning Committee, serving as Track Chair for Urothelial Cancers. She was part of the ASCO Leadership Development Program. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
Dr. Aragon-Ching believes good academic writing should be valid, full of integrity, and reproducible. There are varying types of research papers. It is important for authors to understand the audience and the key message of the dataset they are working on, the data and information they have, and what they would like to convey. She thinks there are different types of manuscripts and different levels of evidence, and understanding the journal objectives and scope will help authors prepare for which journal is the right home for their manuscripts.
“It is important to keep and stay abreast of your passion and goals, always to strive to advance scientific endeavors and progress no matter what field you are in,” says Dr. Aragon-Ching.
(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)
Keisei Okamoto
Dr. Keisei Okamoto has been devoted to the low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT) of prostate cancer for nearly 20 years. He has treated over 1500 patients with prostate cancer by LDR-BT. LDR-BT is neither a new nor a costlier treatment modality but instead has a long history. Image-guided prostate LDR-BT has been routinely practiced for over three decades. Stock and Stone et al. first reported prostate brachytherapy delivered via intraoperative planning in 1995 using a biplanar ultrasound probe. He has published a quality LDR-BT technique with a high radiation dose (Ten-step method), which can treat both inside and outside the prostate (2021). By using the Ten-step method, he has shown good clinical outcomes in intermediate-risk (2019) and high-risk prostate cancer (2017). In April 2024, he launched a new hospital named Prostate Institute of Osaka (PIO), specializing in LDR-BT. He is now the director of PIO.
Dr. Okamoto believes academic writing is namely logical writing. To write a scientific paper, authors must construct a vigorous logical structure based on solid evidence. To evaluate whether a paper is critical, authors should check the structure of the paper and whether logical consistency is maintained throughout the sections: introduction (the aim of the study), materials and methods, results, and discussion.
“In this global and social network community of today with an open access system, the meaning of medical publications has evolved dramatically. Now medical publication should be recognized as critical information not only for specialists but also for patients: this means that publications should not be limited to those that contribute to the specialists ‘body of knowledge’. The patients do not want ‘the body of knowledge’ sequestered in Ivory Towers, but do seek information that may benefit them in their cases,” says Dr. Okamoto.
(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)
Manuela Andrea Hoffmann
Dr. Manuela Andrea Hoffmann is the Head of the Institute for Preventive Medicine of the German Armed Forces. Additionally, she is a Scientist at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz. She is a Medicine Doctor and Specialist in Nuclear Medicine and also a Specialist in Occupational and Preventive Medicine. In 2018, she got the Dagmar-Eißner-Award for the research from the Central Rhine Society for Nuclear Medicine. Her research focuses on nuclear and preventive medicine. In recent years, she focused primarily on the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. The most recently published papers at the end of 2023 and in 2024 dealt, among other things, with the topics “Influence of hypothyroid and of hyperthroid metabolic status on blood coagulation; Hybrid positron emission tomography /computed tomography imaging with PSMA; Prevalence of obesity and associated health risks; Magnetic resonance imaging.” More information about her publications can be found here.
Dr. Hoffmann thinks the essential elements of a good academic paper are a clearly defined research question with clear research objectives, a clear description of the findings and results, a discussion of the research results, and a comparison with the results of other comparable studies with clear formulations, indications of the study's limitations and a conclusion of the own results for the scientific community and (in the case of a medical scientific paper) the treatment of patients in clinical settings. Overall, the topic of the paper is intended to make an important research contribution.
From Dr. Hoffmann’s perspective, the key skill sets of an author of scientific papers include focusing on a problem and formulating the research objectives well, writing clearly, presenting the results clearly, looking critically at one’s results, and discussing one’s own findings, even if they are critical, comparing with those of other researchers ideas and results, as well as concluding the own research findings and transferring the theoretical results into the clinical-practical setting.
“The scientific interdisciplinary exchange within the research team and with scientists and other research groups in the national and international research network is particularly important to me. In addition to gaining new knowledge in medicine, networking always motivates me to continue writing,” says Dr. Hoffmann.
(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)
Thomas Satterwhite
Dr. Thomas Satterwhite earned his Bachelor's (Human Biology with Honors) and Medical Degree at Stanford University, USA. He completed his residency in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Stanford Hospital and further specialized with a craniofacial fellowship under Dr. S. Anthony Wolfe in Miami, FL. He has delivered over 80 national and international presentations and authored more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He holds leadership roles in organizations like the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He is a peer reviewer and on the editorial board for many respected journals, and he is an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford. He has been providing gender affirmation surgical care in San Francisco, CA since 2014. More information can be found here. Connect with him on Instagram.
The way Dr. Satterwhite sees it, a good academic paper should be relevant to its readers and address a clear scientific question with rigor in data gathering and analysis. It must present findings objectively, avoid hyperbolic language, and allow the results to speak for themselves if they are indeed remarkable. A thoughtful discussion is essential. While randomized control trials are the gold standard for clinical papers, achieving this can be challenging. Nonetheless, in his view, all clinical papers should strive for academic rigor and aim to go beyond simple technical reports or case series, though these also have their value.
According to Dr. Satterwhite, finding time and help, during academic writing, can be quite challenging. Clinicians face numerous demands, including patient care, surgery (for surgeons), involvement in organizations and committees, and increasing administrative duties. While having an interesting research question is important, executing the research plan requires significant time and effort—securing funding, setting up IRB, enrolling patients, developing validated questionnaires, conducting statistical analyses, editing, building a research team, and submitting to journals. He adds, “I am in private practice with an academic affiliation. We are fortunate to have a team of multiple surgeons and support staff, and we engage regularly with medical students and residents. Additionally, we have a large patient database for analysis. Most of our research focuses on clinical and patient-reported outcomes in gender-affirming surgery. Over the past two years, we’ve hired a dedicated Research Director who oversees and coordinates all our projects, delegates tasks to the research team, and ensures we meet deadlines. This has been a game-changer for us busy surgeons.”
“Academic writing and research are fascinating because they allow me to fully explore any question I have. In particular, the field of gender-affirming surgery has a dearth of research, so it’s gratifying to conduct studies and produce quality manuscripts that can have a meaningful impact on the gender-diverse community and those involved in their medical care. Despite the increasing constraints we face in practicing medicine, academic writing provides a refreshing opportunity for creativity, curiosity, and freedom, allowing me to create something that is truly my own,” says Dr. Satterwhite.
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)
Benjamin L. Maughan
Benjamin Maughan, MD, PharmD, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at Huntsman Cancer Institute specializing in genitourinary malignancies. He completed his PharmD, cum laude, from Idaho State University in 2004, then completed an oncology pharmacy residency at Mountain States Tumor Institute in 2005. He earned his MD, cum laude, from the University of Kentucky, College of Medicine in 2010 and finished his Internal Medicine residency with the University of Utah in 2013. He subsequently completed his medical oncology fellowship at Johns Hopkins in 2016. He was awarded the Huntsman Cancer Institute Translational Scholar Award in 2019, and was selected for the 2019 SWOG Young Investigator Training Course. Dr. Maughan has clinical and research interests in clinical and translational research. His particular focus is in developing novel therapeutics and in identification of predictive biomarkers. Currently, he is exploring novel immune therapy combinations in prostate and kidney cancer. He is the national lead investigator for the SWOG clinical trial in papillary kidney cancer, S2200 (PAPMET2). Connect with him on X @maughanonc.
TAU: What are the essential elements of a good academic paper?
Dr. Maughan: Most clinical results are interpreted and applied to patient care. Rarely do our patients exactly fit the context of the clinical studies. Understanding the extent and limitations of each study is essential to best apply those data to our patients. The methods are often overlooked but are critical for appropriate interpretation of each study.
TAU: Do you think it is important to follow reporting guidelines (e.g. STROBE, CONSORT and CARE) during preparation of manuscripts?
Dr. Maughan: Yes. This creates a standard framework for each reader to understand the context of the study in relation to prior work. Additionally, this helps understand the structure and conduct of the study.
TAU: Would you like to say a few words to encourage other academic writers who have been devoting themselves to advancing scientific progress?
Dr. Maughan: For some people, writing and editing manuscript can be difficult—writing in general can be challenging! I find it particularly important to remember the reason for writing each specific manuscript. This helps me to see each project to completion. We all work collectively in order to drive science forward towards better outcomes for our patients. We are making progress but still have more work to do in order to cure cancer!
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)