In 2025, many ASJ 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)

Tan Chen, Geisinger Health in Pennsylvania, USA

Mohammad Al Tarah, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Hospital, Kuwait

Outstanding Author

Tan Chen

Dr. Tan Chen is a double board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopaedic spine surgeon and assistant professor at Geisinger Health in Pennsylvania, USA, specializing in minimally invasive techniques, outpatient surgery, enhanced recovery, and complex spinal reconstructions. He completed his undergraduate studies in neuroscience with high honors at Dartmouth College and Harvard University, followed by his medical studies at Michigan State University. At the University of Toronto, he completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery and subsequently a combined orthopaedic and neurosurgical fellowship in complex spine and trauma surgery. His research interests include enhanced recovery after surgery, patient outcomes, emerging technologies and techniques, medical education and healthcare economics. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

To Dr. Chen, critical elements of a good academic paper include a clear thesis statement and reason for investigation, well-organized structure and data delivery, and clarity on the clinical significance of the results to the paper’s audience. In constructing a paper, he believes that it is important to see the forest for the trees. To not get bogged down in the details too much, and to focus on the paper’s overall message and significance.

“AME Surgical Journal provides a streamlined platform to distribute and share research on the latest medical advancements and topics, particularly for me in orthopaedic spine surgery, to a wide international audience,” says Dr. Chen.

(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)

Mohammad Al Tarah

Mohammad Al Tarah is currently a first year resident in the plastic surgery board program of Kuwait. He started his scientific and medical careers in Norwich England where he received a diploma in foundation science, to which he progressed to the Netherlands. There he graduated from Maastricht University where he earned his MD along with his Bachelors and Masters degrees in medical science. He started his research career focusing on breast surgery with his masters thesis revolving around VECTRA 3D imaging and breast volumetrics. Afterwards, during his time in general surgery as an intern, he encountered a breast necrotizing fasciitis case that sparked his interest and made him keen on publishing this case as it is rare to see such presentation. His current research focus is shifting into craniofacial surgery focusing more on scar healing in post cleft lip repair patients. 

From Dr. Tarah’s perspective, authors require a number of skill sets that help carry them through the research, the writing and finally the publishing processes. 1) Patience and enthusiasm: as the writing process takes time and effort, one needs to have motivation and enthusiasm to do so. 2) Self critique: an author needs to constantly ask themselves questions like “Why am I writing this paper?” and “What will I add to the exisiting literature”. Knowing when to progress with writing is very important, but equally important is knowing when to abort an idea and not to insist on pushing through with it. 3) Leadership: a key skill when dealing with research, as delegating tasks, setting deadlines and managing a team of researchers can help make or brake a research and could aid gratefully in efficiency when writing a paper.

The way Dr. Tarah sees it, in writing, sometimes we slip into biases without even realizing. Writing a paper can be an immersive experience, where the author becomes ultra focused on his/her writing, and in doing so, falling into biases which takes place without the author being fully conscious about it. Avoiding such pitfall can be done by stopping every once in a while and going through the whole paper, asking oneself what his/her findings mean/entail, and asking for other authors involved as well as senior authors or supervisors to give their input and critique on the writing/finding. As our own vision sometimes maybe obscured when making our own writing.

“Academic writing can be very time consuming and tedious, not to mention the lots of effort required. As many may not be full-time researchers, as a result, many find themselves shuffling clinical work and having to make time for academic writing. However, the outcome of writing can be very rewarding and could potentially hold keys to helping many patients that the author may never meet or encounter. This is what motivates me during writing specially in my latest article that has been published in AME. I had to balance multiple factors to be able to complete that paper. My motivation through it all was the possibility of gaining reach and helping patients get an early diagnosis to whom I may never meet but I would still have some part in helping,” says Dr. Tarah.

(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)