In 2025, 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 (2025)

Gino Pigatto Filho, Hospital de Clínicas, Brazil

Nikolaos Pyrgidis, LMU University Hospital of Munich, Germany

Matthias May, St. Elisabeth Hospital, Germany

Outstanding Author

Gino Pigatto Filho

Gino Pigatto Filho is a Urologist in southern Brazil, and he is in the final stages of completing his PhD in Surgical Clinics at the Federal University of Paraná. His research focuses on the management of surgical waiting lists for nephrolithiasis, a chronic and highly challenging issue in our region. In clinical practice, he specializes in the treatment of urinary stones and prostate diseases. Additionally, he serves as a proctor for Endoscopic Laser Enucleation (HoLEP/ThuLEP). Beyond research and clinical practice, he is also dedicated to teaching—He is a Surgery professor for medical undergraduates at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná.

Dr. Filho believes an ideal academic paper should have a clear purpose and generate a tangible impact on society. Additionally, researchers must always uphold intellectual honesty, resisting trends or herd mentality that may compromise the integrity of scientific work.

Dr. Filho thinks that keeping writing up-to-date is an enormous challenge, and there is no easy solution. It is crucial to distinguish between real scientific advancements and mere hype—unfortunately, hype often outweighs true progress. One of the most surprising developments in recent years has been artificial intelligence (AI). Initially, AI tools were quite ineffective, but recent breakthroughs have significantly improved their capabilities. When the AI tools are used correctly, today’s technologies can compress a researcher’s week-long workload into a single day. Moreover, applying rigorous criteria when using these tools is essential, as their results are undeniably impressive.

“During my school years, linguistics was my worst subject. I struggled to connect concepts and never imagined myself writing professionally. However, life has a way of teaching resilience. After countless mistakes and learning experiences, I now find great fulfillment in both receiving and sharing knowledge through writing,” shares Dr. Filho.

(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)

Nikolaos Pyrgidis

Dr. Nikolaos Pyrgidis is an Assistant Professor of Urology at the Ludwig-Maximillian University of Munich. He has an avid interest in evidence-based medicine, clinical research and meta-research. He has also completed a Master of Science in Medical Research Methodology. He has contributed more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, 50 oral presentations and 4 book chapters. His clinical interest focuses on benign prostatic hyperplasia, urological oncology, and sexual medicine. He is an active reviewer for more than 30 journals.

From Dr. Pyrgidis’s perspective, academic writing is fundamental in science as it facilitates the dissemination of new knowledge, fosters collaboration, and ensures the reproducibility of research. In urology, academic writing is essential for sharing clinical findings, reporting innovative treatment approaches, and contributing to evidence-based medical advancements. Well-structured scientific writing ensures that research is accessible, critically evaluated, and integrated into clinical practice, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Dr. Pyrgidis thinks staying updated requires continuous engagement with the latest literature, participation in conferences, and collaboration with leading experts. In his research, he tries to incorporate recent clinical data that stem from high-impact journals to ensure his writing reflects the best available evidence. Additionally, involvement in clinical studies allows him to contribute firsthand insights rather than just summarizing existing knowledge.

“My primary motivation in academic writing is the potential impact of research on patient care and treatment strategies. As an assistant professor and a clinician-researcher, I see academic writing as a bridge between research and clinical application. The ability to contribute to the improvement of patient outcomes makes the effort worthwhile. Moreover, academic writing facilitates international collaborations, and helps establish credibility in the scientific community,” says Dr. Pyrgidis.

(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)

Matthias May

Dr. Matthias May is a Professor of Urology at St. Elisabeth Hospital in Straubing, Bavaria, Germany, where he leads a vibrant clinical research group. Additionally, he serves as a lecturer at the University of Regensburg. His academic journey has been defined by a deep commitment to urologic oncology, particularly surgical innovations, including robotic-assisted approaches, and the development of prognostic models in genitourinary cancers. Over time, his research focus has evolved toward translational projects in penile, prostate, and bladder cancers. With more than 300 peer-reviewed publications (mostly as first or senior author), an h-index of 49, and the privilege of leading over 30 multicenter studies, he remains passionately curious about the many unanswered questions his field still holds. Curious, yes – but always with both feet on the ground, a scalpel within reach, and robotic instruments in his hands most of the time.

To Dr. May, academic writing is the connective tissue of scientific progress. It is how ideas travel, how knowledge grows, and how researchers argue, collaborate, and inspire each other across borders. Writing forces clarity, demands rigor, and invites dialogue. Without it, even the most brilliant ideas would risk fading into the silence of forgotten hard drives and half-empty lab notebooks. Academic writing gives science its voice and even its rhythm.

Dr. May thinks of scientific writing as a living organism – fed by curiosity and nurtured by context. Staying up to date requires a healthy balance of humility and obsession: the humility to realize how many researchers do not know, and the obsession to chase after what they might. He always reads widely, listens carefully (especially to patients), and keeps close to the heart of clinical reality. Often, the most relevant research questions do not arise from a spreadsheet, but from a patient’s quiet sentence at the end of a consultation. He shares, “As Einstein put it, ‘I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.’ That curiosity, coupled with a tendency to ask ‘Why haven’t we figured this out yet?’, often leads me straight to a new research idea – or at least to a very long to-do list.”

“What keeps me motivated to write is the same force that originally drew me to science: a deep sense of curiosity – paired with the joy of discovery,” says Dr. May, “Writing is how I process ideas, test hypotheses, and, in many ways, have a conversation with the wider scientific world. It allows me to challenge assumptions, follow the quiet signals from clinical practice, and give form to the questions that arise when something doesn’t quite add up. But creative thinking rarely happens at a desk. Many of my most productive insights have come while running through the forest or swimming laps at the end of a long day. There’s something profoundly generative about motion – an uncluttering of the mind that makes space for clarity and inspiration. For me, physical activity is not an escape from science; it is part of its architecture.”

(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)