The Reviewer of the Month for March 2024: Eugenia Flores-Alfaro, PhD

Peer review is an essential part of the scientific publishing process, helping to ensure that research papers meet high standards of quality and accuracy. Each month, the BiomolBiomed Editorial team recognizes a reviewer who has gone above and beyond in providing thoughtful and constructive feedback on the manuscripts they’ve reviewed.

This month, we’re pleased to announce that the Reviewer of the Month Award goes to Eugenia Flores-Alfaro, PhD, a professor-researcher at the Faculty of Chemical-Biological Sciences, Autonomous University of Guerrero, Chilpancingo, Mexico. Dr. Flores-Alfaro’s review stood out for its exceptional quality, providing authors with valuable feedback that helped them improve the clarity and rigor of their research.

We sat down with Dr. Flores-Alfaro to learn more about his approach to peer review and his thoughts on the current state of the publishing industry. Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

Please tell us more about your research interests and share your thoughts on recent advances or current issues that are currently shaping your field.

I am currently conducting clinical and molecular research on metabolic diseases, focusing on obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. My work particularly involves studying clinical and metabolic risk factors, as well as gene expression of long non-coding RNAs, micro-RNAs, mRNAs, and genetic variants like SNPs.

How has the peer-review process evolved over the years, and where do you see it going in the future? How do you ensure that you remain impartial and objective in your reviews?

Undoubtedly, the evaluation of articles for publication by peers has allowed greater confidence in the reported results and the quality of the research. It is important that the review process be strengthened; ensuring that articles to be published are reviewed by researchers who are experts in the topic of the article. The review of manuscripts must be critical, impartial, and carried out with high responsibility.

In today’s rapidly evolving scientific landscape, what are some of the emerging trends or best practices you have observed in the field of scientific publishing?

The practice of publishing both positive and negative results, as well as methodologies, has improved. An important aspect of scientific progress is the reasoned and critical application of artificial intelligence. Additionally, the use of the Internet has facilitated the communication of scientific and technological advances. It is desirable for science and technology to be accessible to everyone, with the implementation of institutional or government policies aimed at reducing or eliminating publication costs, thus facilitating the dissemination of science.

We’re thrilled to honor Dr. Flores-Alfaro as our Reviewer of the Month and we’re grateful for her contributions to the scientific community. We hope that her example will inspire other reviewers to strive for excellence in their work and will encourage everyone to value the peer review process as an essential part of the scientific publishing ecosystem.