In 2024, AOB reviewers continue to make outstanding contributions to the peer review process. They demonstrated professional effort and enthusiasm in their reviews and provided comments that genuinely help the authors to enhance their work.

Hereby, we would like to highlight some of our outstanding reviewers, with a brief interview of their thoughts and insights as a reviewer. Allow us to express our heartfelt gratitude for their tremendous effort and valuable contributions to the scientific process.

January, 2024
Rick Kapur, Sanquin Research, The Netherlands

February, 2024
Sentot Santoso, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Germany

January, 2024

Rick Kapur

Dr. Rick Kapur currently serves as the Research Group Leader at Department of Experimental Immunohematology Sanquin Research, and Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Trained in the Netherlands as a medical doctor (MD) as well as a biologist specialized in fundamental biomedical sciences (MSc), he gained a PhD degree in medicine (immunohematology). His lab is focused on unraveling the pathophysiology and improving the diagnostics of benign immune-hematological disorders. This includes immune responses to platelets: in immune-mediated thrombocytopenias including the autoimmune disorder immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), and immune responses towards the endothelium in adverse blood transfusion reactions: in Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). His awards include the prestigious Jean Julliard Prize of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) in 2018, and the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) RISE award in 2016. He currently has around 100 peer-reviewed journal publications, including multiple papers in high-quality journals such as Blood, Science Translational Medicine and Haematologica. Learn more about him here.

Dr. Kapur: I think it is crucial to evaluate the manuscript objectively, regarding methodology, analyses of results, conclusions and statements made in relation to referenced literature, closely linked to the goal of advancing the field. In my opinion, a good reviewer not only judges the accuracy and novelty of the work but also aims to significantly improve it with constructive suggestions. In presenting critique or suggestions, the feedback must be fully explained and detailed so the authors also understand why certain improvements are recommended and what the added value of incorporating them would be.

AOB: What are the limitations of the existing peer-review system? What can be done to improve it?

Dr. Kapur: I think it is the most efficient to have an optimal and open academic dialogue between the authors and the reviewers, and to do so, it may be beneficial to have this with complete transparency by for instance co-publishing the peer-review reports and also by revealing the identity of the reviewers to the authors. In this context, full disclosure of possible conflicts of interest remains of great importance.

AOB: Peer reviewing is often anonymous and non-profitable, what motivates you to do so?

Dr. Kapur: I appreciate seeing the latest developments at this pre-publication stage, not only to observe the current status of the field but also to learn from novel scientific and clinical directions that are taken. In addition, I like the added value of the possibility of bringing new suggestions which may improve the manuscript. As part of the scientific community, we are obliged to contribute to the peer-review process, as we also expect the same contributions for our own manuscripts under review. Together, we need to ensure supporting of research integrity, transparency, openness and efficient communication aimed at promoting scientific progression.

(By Lareina Lim, Brad Li)

February, 2024

Sentot Santoso

Dr. Sentot Santoso, PhD, currently works at the Institute for Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Germany, Institute of Blood Transfusion, Guangzhou Blood Centre, China, and Faculty of Pharmacy, Widya Mandala University, Surabaya, Indonesia. His research areas and recent projects are antibodies against platelets which play important role on the pathomechanism of immune mediated bleeding disorders. Recent data demonstrated that these antibodies could not only react with platelets, but also with other blood cells and endothelial cells. However, little is known about the clinical consequence of this interaction. Currently, they are focusing on the characterization of several target antigens on the molecular level to dissect the functional consequences of antibody binding on different cells both in vitro as well as in vivo using murine models. In addition, they are also working on antibody-mediated severe lung edema injury, known as TRALI (Transfusion-related Acute Lung Injury). Further insight into the role of antibody on the crosstalk between different cells expressing the target antigens may help them to improve the understanding about the mechanism of antibody-mediated immune disorders and TRALI. This knowledge will improve diagnostic quality as well as treatment strategy of these immune diseases.

Dr. Santoso thinks that peer review is crucial to keep high-quality standard of the published articles, and to help the authors to improve their studies. He believes that constructive review should be helpful, scientific, evidence-based, focused and solution-oriented, instead of destroying the work.

“AOB is a new scientific journal but already contains interesting and solid works,” says Dr. Santoso.

(by Lareina Lim, Brad Li)