In 2025, 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 (2025)
Fangdi Sun, Stanford University, USA
Linda Hammerich, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Germany
Ari Kassardjian, City of Hope National Medical Center, USA
Outstanding Author
Fangdi Sun
Dr. Fangdi Sun is the Chief Fellow for the Hematology & Medical Oncology fellowship at Stanford University. She received her BS in Bioengineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, followed by her MD from Harvard Medical School. She then completed her Residency and Chief Residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco prior to coming to Stanford. She is establishing an academic career as a clinical investigator in Thoracic / H&N medical oncology. Her research interests include targeted therapies in NSCLC, virus-driven malignancies, and the appropriate use of circulating tumor DNA in the early-stage setting.
TCR: What are the essential elements of a good academic paper?
Dr. Sun: The building blocks of strong academic writing start well before the first word is written. The author needs to understand the landscape of existing knowledge in their field, and how the topic they plan to address, even if highly specific, will fit into and contribute to this body of knowledge. For original research, the data elements, collection methods, and analysis plan should be clearly defined a priori, then followed in a rigorous manner to ensure data quality and minimize bias. For review articles or editorials, the authors should have an idea of who their intended audience is in order to best structure and summarize the topic of interest. Finally, the best academic papers are often ones where the figures (and occasionally the tables) tell most of the story. When it comes down to the actual writing, most of the hard work should already have been done.
TCR: What are the key skill sets of an author?
Dr. Sun: Patience and perseverance are the most important characteristics of an academic author, but also some of the hardest skills to learn. The obvious interpretation is that science is a series of successes and failures, as anyone who has tried to publish a peer-reviewed article knows the experience of having a manuscript rejected by one or many journals. Yet more importantly, being willing to put pen to paper is critical, whether with the first iteration of a study concept or the first draft of a manuscript. Then having the patience to go back and iterate upon this can be even more challenging. The most successful people are willing to go out on a limb in the beginning, not letting perfection be the enemy of good.
TCR: Is there any interesting story during academic writing that you would like to share with us?
Dr. Sun: I am always impressed by patients’ willingness to have their stories told through the lens of an academic case report. While I have often worried that patients will object to having specific details of their individual treatment experience shared publicly, the near-universal answer is one of immediate agreement. Behind this answer is a sense of altruism – a hope that such information will help someone else in their position. When possible, the ability to share the published case report with the patient or family is particularly meaningful. In general, I view this as a reminder that we have a responsibility to share information back to patients, the most important partners in what we do.
(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)
Linda Hammerich
Dr. Linda Hammerich is the head of the Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Lab at the Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology at Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin (Berlin, Germany). She is an immunologist by training with a strong background in chronic liver diseases and high-throughput single-cell methods. Her scientific interests include developing and improving immunotherapies for gastrointestinal cancers and immune monitoring of cancer patients using full spectrum flow cytometry and mass cytometry. She is also researching and developing refinement measures to improve animal welfare in preclinical studies.
Dr. Hammerich believes that academic writing is an essential tool for sharing knowledge, communicating ideas with peers, and developing critical thinking skills. It helps to express complex ideas in a clear and precise manner and allows researchers to document research findings and developments over time. Sharing ideas, theories, and results (even negative ones) builds and advances the knowledge base within a particular field and drives the development of new ideas and concepts. Academic writing also encourages critical thinking, engaging with the work of others, and challenging one’s own thoughts, which is crucial for personal growth as a researcher.
In Hammerich’s view, critical writing involves questioning and analyzing ideas or concepts carefully to draw well-informed conclusions. It is crucial to consider multiple perspectives, including but not limited to one’s own, and to consider the context in which information or evidence is presented. She adds, “Be not just descriptive, but examine ideas or assumptions, question them, and point out strengths and weaknesses. Critical writing often suggests alternative solutions rather than merely highlighting flaws. It also requires self-awareness to recognize personal biases and their potential influence on your writing. Finally, be as clear and precise as possible and present a logical and focused analysis of the data.”
(by Sasa Zhu, Brad Li)
Ari A. Kassardjian
Ari Kassardjian is a 4th year radiation oncology resident at City of Hope National Medical Center. He received a Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, followed by his MD from Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. His research interests include CT- and MR-based online adaptive radiotherapy, expanding indications of radiation for cutaneous malignancies, and long-term patient reported outcomes in head and neck cancer. His recent research includes a prospective analysis of patient perceptions and expectations of radiation therapy before and after consultation. Additionally, he is working on a project evaluating patterns of breast cancer recurrence following neoadjuvant systemic therapy to assess whether a subset with low-risk residual disease may benefit from partial breast irradiation. His other research interests include changes in patient characteristics and demographics over time, expanding healthcare delivery and access to medically underserved communities, and patient education. Connect with Dr. Kassardjian on X.
In Dr. Kassardjian’s opinion, having a clearly defined research question and easily interpretable figures, both supported by robust data, represent the most important aspects of writing an academic paper. In addition, a strong paper should be written in a way that is accessible to a broad audience, including those not directly involved in the field. Double- and triple-checking one’s work for clarity, grammar, and syntax can help ensure other key components, such as a comprehensive literature review, structured methodology, and a discussion highlighting the significance and implication of one’s findings, shine through effectively.
On the other hand, Dr. Kassardjian highlights the importance of following reporting guidelines when writing a manuscript. Guidelines, such as SROBE and PRISMA, standardize the data reporting process, and ensure thoroughness, clarity, and transparency. Although research projects can generate interesting results, those results should be reproducible, and reporting guidelines are an important avenue for collaboration with researchers from other institutions or countries.
“The most important piece of advice I want to give to others engaging in scientific research is to always remain open-minded and curious. No matter what stage of education, training, or research that I am in, there is always something new to learn, and I never assume that I know everything. Always be open, humble, and receptive to help and advise. Establish mentors and ask for feedback early. Collaboration is key; engage with your peers, share your findings, and be willing to learn from others. Finally, remember that setbacks are part of the journey, but they often lead to the most significant breakthroughs!” says Dr. Kassardjian.
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)