The journal Biomedicines (ISSN: 2227-9059) is proud to present the winner of the Biomedicines 2025 Outstanding Reviewer Award—Dr. Nicoletta Cera!

Dr. Nicoletta Cera is an enthusiastic researcher with a Ph.D. in functional neuroimaging. She collaborates with the Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences at the University of Porto, and she is an invited researcher at the Research Unit in Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy, Cross I&D Lisbon Research Centre, Escola Superior de Saúde da Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa.

Please see below an interview with Dr. Nicoletta Cera:

1. Can you share your current research direction and latest progress?
My interests vary from neuroimaging to psychophysiology to neuropsychoendocrinology.  

2. Could you share with us your feelings about winning the award? What does this award mean to your academic career?
Thank you for this question. When I read the email announcing the award, I was amazed and happy, and I shared this with my family and close friends. I am unsure if this prestigious award will benefit my academic career, but it holds significant value for me, as it acknowledges my efforts, time, and dedication to an important facet of research. I am grateful for this award.

3. What role do you think reviewers play in the process of paper publication?
This is a very relevant question, thanks. Reviewers play a key role in the process of publication since they can help and guide authors to improve the quality of a submitted manuscript. This is particularly important for young researchers or Ph.D. students who can receive feedback about their scientific work, organization of the manuscript, methodological and theoretical insights, and encouragement to do their best to revise their manuscript. Unfortunately, “desk rejections” without editorial feedback can be both disappointing and a missed learning opportunity for researchers submitting their first manuscripts.  

4. How do you balance the comprehensiveness and efficiency of review? Can you share some specific methods or principles for reviewing?
Thank you. According to me, three tips can be important for a reviewer: “Be kind”, “be serious, thoughtful, and independent”, and “Be quick”. When reviewing a manuscript, above all, we need to be kind. Behind a manuscript, there are researchers with their lives, who did their best to conduct a scientific study under difficult conditions. Reading a manuscript several times is important, as well as analyzing it, section by section, before writing the report, seriously and independently. Assessing methodological quality is essential, checking the hypotheses and research questions, in which manner they were assessed, and the statistical analyses performed, etc. When I have doubts, I usually use checklists, which are important and helpful tools. I suppose that it is difficult to explain how to submit a report quickly, and it is a matter of expertise. 

5. In your opinion, what key qualities should an excellent manuscript have? From what perspectives will you help authors improve the quality of their papers?
An excellent manuscript should possess a good or excellent methodological quality, complemented by a solid theoretical background that facilitates the replicability of the study in a different context. In this way, a detailed description of the material and methods, including procedures, is fundamental. A good manuscript can also become excellent with the assistance of editors and reviewers, who can help improve its quality, raise concerns, and provide specific suggestions.

6. How do you hope that journals and publishers can further support reviewers’ work?
Thanks for the question. During the last few years, some initiatives have supported the reviewers’ work, like yours, and I hope that in the future, new initiatives to support reviewers will be done and improved.

7. Please briefly describe your experience with our services and journals so far.
My experience with your services, both as author and reviewer, was satisfying. Every time I needed assistance, I found kindness, prompt responses, and flexibility in being able to meet my specific needs.