JH: Tell us a bit about yourself and your current focus of research.
PJ: My name is Pritesh Jain, and I am a Postdoctoral Scientist in the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada. My current research focuses on pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic interventions of Pulmonary Hypertension and Right Ventricle (RV) dysfunction.
JH: What do you think is the most fascinating recent development in pulmonary medicine?
PJ: Previous studies suggested that the RV plays a minor role in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). However, accumulating evidence now demonstrates that Right ventricle dysfunction is a critical factor in determining the mortality of PAH. Recent studies indicate that RV dysfunction in PAH initiates at the organ-level, even before advancing to impaired cardiac tissue and cardiac myocyte function.
JH: Is there an area of pulmonary medicine that you think is currently under-explored?
PJ: The status of the RV in PAH needs to be fully explored. The current PAH therapies do not directly target the RV. Despite promising advances in understanding the pathophysiology underlying RV remodelling in PAH, continuous studies are needed to explore the biomechanical forces of RV remodelling, which can facilitate the designing of tailored therapeutics aiming to reverse RV remodelling.
JH: Where do you see (or where would you like to see) the pulmonary medicine field in 10 years from now?
PJ: I foresee elucidating the pathogenic mechanisms of PAH and RV dysfunction by taking advantage of animal models of PH and RV failure and examining the potential of novel innovative therapeutics to further prolong the survival rate of PAH patients and improve their quality of life.
JH: What does it mean to you to be an Editorial Board Member for BMC Pulmonary Medicine?
PJ: It is a great privilege to be a part of the Editorial Board Member for BMC Pulmonary Medicine. I continuously learn, improve, and polish my skills. In addition, being an Editorial Board Member helps enhance my academic visibility and allows me to reach out to experts in the field with similar interests.
JH: What is one piece of advice you would give to reviewers as an EBM handling manuscripts?
PJ: Provide timely feedback report on reviewing manuscripts.
JH: What is one piece of advice you would give to the authors of submitted manuscripts?
PJ: Please carefully read the instructions for authors to comply with journal policies.
JH: What would you change in scientific publishing if you could?
PJ: Extend submitted manuscripts to at least 4-5 reviewers and keep the handling time as short as possible without compromising the quality of manuscripts.
