What drew you to your specialty, and how has it shaped your approach as a JVIM Associate Editor?
What drew me to veterinary neurology and neurosurgery was the combination of diagnostic and procedural complexity and how that mixes, in this particular specialty, with the opportunity to think deeply about the whole patient. I have always been drawn to cases where the answer is not immediately apparent. Where you have to integrate history, examination findings, imaging, laboratory data, and an understanding of pathophysiology to make sense of the bigger picture. That same curiosity ultimately became a major part of my approach to research and academic publishing.
As a JVIM Associate Editor, that background has shaped the way I approach handling manuscripts. I appreciate the complexity of clinical research and the realities of conducting studies in veterinary medicine, but I also think carefully about whether a paper asks an important question, uses an appropriate approach to answer it, and ultimately adds something meaningful to clinical practice. My experience spanning academic medicine, clinical research, and now research operations has made me particularly interested in work that is both scientifically rigorous and has real-world clinical applications. I try to approach every manuscript with curiosity and fairness, while keeping in mind the bigger picture of How does this work advance our understanding or improve the care we provide to our patients?
What do you enjoy most about serving in this role?
What I enjoy most about serving in this role is supporting authors through the publication process, particularly more junior members of our organization, such as residents and interns. There is something especially rewarding about helping someone navigate that process for the first time and then seeing the excitement when their manuscript is accepted. For some, that first publication is the beginning of what will become a long and impactful career in veterinary clinical or biomedical research. For others, it represents an important milestone in completing their training. Either way, it is incredibly rewarding to be a small part of that journey and to see authors gain confidence in their work and in themselves as researchers.
What skills have you developed through your work as a JVIM Associate Editor?
I think probably the most important thing the role has given me is an even greater appreciation for the importance of mentorship in scientific publishing. Working with authors at different stages of their careers has reinforced for me how valuable thoughtful feedback can be, not just in improving an individual manuscript, but in helping researchers develop as scientists and scientific communicators. I also think that seeing hundreds of sets of reviewer comments that others receive each year has made me a better scientific writer in my own field. Seeing the feedback others receive provides a good roadmap for how to be a better communicator when explaining my own work.
What advice would you give to first-time authors preparing to submit a manuscript to JVIM?
For any first-time author, my biggest recommendation is to start by becoming familiar with the journal before you start writing. Take time to review the author guidelines, understand the required format and sections, and look at several recent articles published in the journal. This helps authors understand the types of questions, study designs, and topics that are of interest to the journal and allows them to set themselves up for success from the beginning. Every journal has its own style, priorities, word limits, and expectations, and understanding those details early can make a significant difference.
My other advice is to revise ruthlessly. A strong manuscript is rarely created in the first draft. Taking the time to carefully refine the writing, improve clarity, ensure the story flows logically, and confirm that the manuscript follows the journal requirements will make the review process smoother for both the authors and the reviewers. A well-written and thoughtfully prepared manuscript allows the scientific contribution of the work to stand out, rather than having reviewers distracted by avoidable issues in presentation or organization.
Finally, I would encourage first-time authors not to view peer review as a barrier, but as an opportunity. Thoughtful reviewer feedback can strengthen a manuscript and often helps authors become better scientists and scientific communicators.
What excites you most about the future of veterinary research?
What I find most exciting about the future of veterinary research is the increasing diversity of people and perspectives contributing to the field. Historically, much of veterinary research has been centered within academic institutions, but we are now seeing incredibly valuable and impactful contributions from across the profession, including researchers in private practice, industry, and other areas of veterinary medicine.
It is exciting to see the breadth of scholarship emerging from private practice, from resident research projects that introduce veterinarians to the research process, to larger-scale studies using real-world clinical data, to work focused on improving standards of care and how we deliver medicine. These contributions bring new questions, new perspectives, and new opportunities to study veterinary medicine in the environments where most patients actually receive care.
Watching the entire profession become more engaged in research and scholarship is truly exciting. I think this broader participation has the potential to accelerate discovery, improve the evidence base that guides clinical decision-making, and ultimately help us provide better care for our patients.
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