In 2026, CCTS reviewers continue to make outstanding contributions to the peer review process. They demonstrated professional effort and enthusiasm in their reviews and provided comments that genuinely help the authors to enhance their work.
Hereby, we would like to highlight some of our outstanding reviewers, with a brief interview of their thoughts and insights as a reviewer. Allow us to express our heartfelt gratitude for their tremendous effort and valuable contributions to the scientific process.
Kazuki Sato, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Japan
Kazuki Sato
Kazuki Sato earned his medical degree from Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine. He received systematic clinical training at Hokkaido Cancer Center and Sapporo Medical University Hospital, and currently practices thoracic surgery at Hakodate Goryoukaku Hospital. His clinical scope covers the diagnosis and surgical management of thoracic conditions such as lung cancer, mediastinal tumors, pneumothorax, and empyema.
Dr. Sato believes that peer review underpins the quality, credibility and scientific rigor of academic publications. Expert appraisal verifies the rationality of study methodologies, result interpretation and clinical relevance of conclusions, while identifying flaws and ambiguous descriptions overlooked by authors themselves. It blocks low-quality or misleading research from being published, safeguards the integrity of scholarly communication, and provides solid evidence to guide evidence-based clinical work.
In Dr. Sato’s opinion, reviewers should not focus solely on pinpointing trivial mistakes. They need to grasp the core research intent of authors and propose targeted suggestions to elevate the manuscript’s scientific value. Comments ought to be specific and actionable, including recommendations for supplementary analyses, detailed methodological elaboration, expanded discussion sections or revised result interpretation. The core aim is to assist authors in polishing their work. All evaluations should be delivered fairly and respectfully. Peer review is a collaborative process to strengthen research value, rather than a one-sided mechanism for criticism or rejection.
“Peer review is often a behind-the-scenes activity, and reviewers’ efforts may not always be visible. However, reviewers play an important role in advancing medicine and science. Through thoughtful and constructive comments, reviewers work together with authors, almost like partners, to improve scientific papers. This process contributes to better evidence, better clinical practice, and ultimately better patient care. Although reviewing requires time and effort, it is a meaningful academic contribution. I would like to express my respect and appreciation to all reviewers who continue to support scientific progress behind the scenes,” says Dr. Sato.
(by Lareina Lim, Brad Li)
