Medical Sciences | Interview with the Editorial Board Member—Prof. Lukas Jaroslaw Motloch
Medical Sciences recently interviewed Prof. Lukas Jaroslaw Motloch, an Editorial Board Member (EBM), about his research journey, his suggestions for enhancing the journal’s influence, and his views on supporting the next generation of researchers. The interview was conducted on 15 September 2026 and has been edited for clarity and length.
Personal Profile:
Prof. Lukas Jaroslaw Motloch, MD, MSc, PhD, FESC, FEHRA, FACC, is a University Professor of Internal Medicine at Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg and Head of the Department of Internal Medicine II (Cardiology, Nephrology and Intensive Care Medicine) at Salzkammergut Klinikum Vöcklabruck, Austria.
He studied medicine at the University of Cologne, Germany, and completed his clinical and scientific training in Cologne, Salzburg and New York, including a postdoctoral fellowship in cardiac electrophysiology and gene therapy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He obtained his PhD in molecular medicine and completed his habilitation in internal medicine at Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, focusing on “Novel Mechanisms of Cardiac Arrhythmias”.
His research combines basic and clinical cardiovascular science, focusing on cardiac electrophysiology, arrhythmias, heart failure and cardiovascular biomarkers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he investigated cardiovascular complications in critically ill patients. His current research focuses on syncope, including guideline development and multicenter clinical studies.
Prof. Motloch is actively involved in international scientific collaborations, clinical trials, academic teaching and editorial activities. He is an active member of the Austrian Society of Cardiology (ÖKG), contributing to its Working Group on Cardiac Arrhythmias and educational initiatives. He is also a fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC), the European Heart Rhythm Association (FEHRA), and the American College of Cardiology (FACC).
Research Focus and Motivation
1. Could you briefly introduce your current or recent research focus? What motivated you to explore this particular area?
My background is quite interdisciplinary. I began in electrophysiology research, completed my postdoc there, and received training in both basic and clinical electrophysiology. That remained my main research focus for many years. I also worked on cardiac biomarkers, including cardiac electrophysiology and heart failure. As a clinician, my training gradually led me toward clinical science and patient-centered problems that can be translated into clinical practice.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was involved in patient care in Austria. With a background in cardiology and intensive care, I was responsible for COVID-19 patients and focused on the cardiac impact of COVID-19, especially arrhythmias. After the pandemic, the topic became less novel. My current focus is syncope research. I am involved in German-speaking guidelines and in developing multicenter syncope studies in Austria. In October, we will start a new multicenter syncope trial, and I serve as principal investigator. What excites me most is combining basic research and clinical experience to understand the full picture behind the work.
Enhancing Academic Influence and International Visibility
2. As one of our Editorial Board Members, what do you think are the most important steps we can take to enhance the journal’s academic influence and international visibility?
You are already doing a good job, especially in terms of general impact. However, greater credibility is still needed, particularly so that guideline groups will regard the journal as a reliable source worth citing. Trust comes through cooperation. It is also important to remove obstacles for authors, reviewers, and readers.
Specific suggestions include the following: strengthen cooperation with guideline teams and international multicenter studies; encourage Editorial Board Members to follow and share the journal on social media; feature the journal’s best papers; and proactively contact young, talented researchers, especially investigator award winners and researchers with highly valued posters at major congresses. In five to ten years, these researchers will be leaders in the field. Key congresses include the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the American College of Cardiology (ACC), and the American Heart Association (AHA).
Editorial Process and Contributor Support
3. What suggestions do you have for improving the editorial process or overall structure of the journal?
I have a very good impression overall. The handling is easy, the process is open, and the review reports I have read were very good. The selection of reviewers was also appropriate. One suggestion is that manuscript assignment should match the editor’s scientific field more precisely. Reviewers do a thankless job and carry a heavy workload. Journals should recognize this, for example, by offering something after five completed reviews. Early Career Editorial Board Members could also assist more with the review process.
Supporting Young Researchers
4. For young researchers aiming to publish in Medical Sciences, what advice would you offer regarding topic selection, research design, writing strategies, or the submission process?
The discussion focused on how journals can better attract and support young researchers. I suggest contacting young scientists who have won investigator awards or presented highly valued posters at major congresses. These researchers are often open to collaboration and are at a key stage in their careers. Journals can also support young researchers who face difficulties obtaining sponsorship to attend conferences, for example, through travel grants. Such support helps them present their work and promotes the journal. For young researchers themselves, this means seeking visibility at major congresses, building international networks, and engaging with journals early.
Social Media and Promotion
5. Would you be willing to follow the journal’s social media account and help promote the journal?
Yes. Please send me the journal’s social media link so I can follow. The editorial team can follow me back and share relevant activity. I believe Editorial Board Members should follow the journal’s social media.
6. Do you have any other suggestions for promoting and advertising the journal?
Continue regular social media activities, especially highlighting the journal’s best papers. Editors and Editorial Board Members should actively follow and share. Promotion can also happen through congresses and young scholar networks. Offering travel grants and recognizing reviewers are valuable measures. The core remains building trust and credibility so that guideline makers and high-quality researchers will cite the journal.
Medical Sciences thanks Prof. Lukas Jaroslaw Motloch for his continued service as an Editorial Board Member and for sharing these valuable insights.