Lily Gutnik, M.D., MPH, assistant professor and vice chair for global surgery in the UAB Department of Surgery, has been appointed to a three-year term on the editorial board for the Annals of Surgical Oncology (ASO), serving in the journal's breast section.
The appointment recognizes Gutnik's expertise in breast surgical oncology and adds her to the group of reviewers responsible for evaluating the research the journal publishes within the section. As an editorial board member, she will provide expert peer review of submitted manuscripts in her field, help identify the strongest new research for the journal, and may be called upon to write editorials – work that shapes which findings reach practicing surgeons and helps uphold the standards of one of the specialty's leading publications.
Peer review is central to the journal's educational mission. By assessing the quality, rigor, and relevance of submitted studies, the ASO editorial board members help ensure that all published research meets the institution’s high academic and scientific standards. ASO credits much of its standing since its founding to the quality of that board, and rightfully so, since an article from the journal is downloaded approximately every 10 seconds.
“Serving on the editorial board is both an honor and a responsibility,” Gutnik said. “Peer review is where we decide together what evidence is strong enough to change practice, and I'm glad to take that on in breast surgical oncology.”
The appointment also reflects the department's growing national presence in surgical oncology, as its faculty take on editorial and leadership roles within the specialty's major professional organizations and journals.
About Annals of Surgical Oncology
The Annals of Surgical Oncology (ASO) is the official journal of the Society of Surgical Oncology and publishes peer-reviewed research across the surgical management of cancer, including breast, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and other disease sites. Its editorial board, organized into sections by specialty area, provides the expert review that supports the journal's educational mission and its role as a resource for surgical oncologists worldwide.