In 2026, many CCTS 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 (2026)

Dario Familiari, University of Messina, Italy

Outstanding Author

Dario Familiari

Dario Familiari, MD, PhD, is the Deputy Director of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Messina, Italy. He obtained his medical degree cum laude in 1999 and completed his residency in Thoracic Surgery with honors in 2004 at Policlinico “G. Martino” Hospital, Messina. During his training, he completed an international fellowship at Reina Sofía Hospital in Córdoba, Spain, with a focus on video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). In 2019, he undertook further advanced training in thoracic surgery at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester, United Kingdom. Dr. Familiari is the author or co-author of more than 75 peer-reviewed scientific publications. His main research interests include lung and pleural malignancies, minimally invasive thoracic surgery, and the surgical and endoscopic management of airway diseases.

To ensure one’s writing is critical, Dr. Familiari believes that a thorough understanding of the topic being addressed, coupled with data from the international literature, is essential. To him, developing the writing in this manner leads to realistic and reliable results that can meaningfully contribute to the scientific community. It is also essential to avoid Conflict of Interest (COI) that could undermine the credibility of the paper.

Disclosing COIs, on the other hand, is equally important. It allows readers to properly evaluate the paper and assess whether the authors may have been influenced in their statements—particularly in areas where the literature is complex or difficult to interpret. Transparent disclosure of COIs helps readers understand how such interests might tilt the conclusions one way or another, thereby reducing the risk of incorrect information being passed on to the scientific community and knowledge users.

“Clinical and surgical practice takes up a lot of time, but the desire to contribute to collective knowledge and share my experience and my research pushes me to carve out some time to dedicate to academic writing. Writing also encourages critical reflection on daily practice and promotes continuous learning,” says Dr. Familiari.

(Brad Li, Masaki Lo)