In 2025, many FOMM 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 (2025)
Anu Babu, Yenepoya Dental College, India
Arvind Ramanathan, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India
Bose Divya, SRM Dental College, India
Outstanding Author
Anu Babu
Dr. Anu Babu is a qualified specialist in Oral Medicine and Radiology, currently serving as an Assistant Professor at Yenepoya Dental College, Mangalore, India. She is a life member of the Indian Academy of Oral Medicine and Radiology (IAOMR) and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Oral Oncology in collaboration with a comprehensive cancer center. Her research focuses on oral cancer, mucosal lesions, oral potentially malignant disorders, and TMJ disorders. Dr. Babu is trained in CBCT reporting and is actively involved in clinical research, with numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals. Her recent projects include the development of a mouth-opening device, proteomic analysis of saliva in oral submucous fibrosis, and the role of molecular markers in assessing treatment response in advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma. She is also mentoring a healthcare start-up developing an AI/ML platform for oral cancer screening. Dr. Babu is passionate about teaching and has received several awards for her contributions to the field. Follow her on LinkedIn.
From Dr. Babu’s perspective, a good academic paper is characterized by clarity and a logical flow of the manuscript, ensuring the research is easily understood and engaging for the readers. It should make a meaningful addition of knowledge by addressing a significant research gap and offering novel insights or solutions. A systematic methodology is crucial, as it demonstrates rigor, reproducibility, and reliability in the research process. Together, she thinks these elements ensure that the paper is both impactful and credible, advancing the field while maintaining accessibility for the intended audience.
In academic writing, Dr. Babu reckons that some of the most encountered difficulties include the lack of time due to balancing teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities, which often limits the ability to dedicate sufficient effort to writing manuscripts. Collating quality evidence is another challenge, as it requires extensive effort to find and synthesize credible, up-to-date, and relevant research to support the study. Additionally, article processing fees charged by many reputable journals can be a financial burden, especially for early-career researchers. Beginners in academia also face pressure to publish frequently to establish their careers, which can sometimes lead to rushed or less impactful work. Other challenges include navigating the peer-review process, maintaining originality, and, for non-native English speakers, achieving clarity and precision in writing. In her opinion, these hurdles highlight the need for better support systems and resources to help researchers succeed in the academic publishing landscape.
“Academic writing enables you to contribute to the vast volume of knowledge in your field, advancing understanding and potentially impacting future research. The process of reading and synthesizing literature broadens your perspective, while critically analysing results enhances your analytical skills. It also provides a platform to communicate complex ideas clearly and engage in meaningful scholarly discourse. Additionally, seeing your work published and cited by others is rewarding, as it validates your efforts and contributes to the collective progress of your discipline,” says Dr. Babu.
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)
Arvind Ramanathan
Dr. Arvind Ramanathan is a specialist oral & maxillofacial surgeon, presently serving as Associate Professor in the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India. He is also a part-time PhD scholar with a research focus on oral implantology. His work includes teaching, clinical patient care and research. His research interests are oral & maxillofacial surgery, traumatology, pathology, biomaterials, minor oral surgery and implantology. Learn more about him here.
In Dr. Ramanathan’s opinion, academic writing is an integral and inseparable facet of scientific thought and progress. It serves to communicate research ideas and findings, interpretations and analyses, mostly to a readership of scholars, students and academicians. By necessity, it should adopt a formal tone and structured format, reference and acknowledge source materials, and provide conciseness and clarity to scholarly discussions. Academic writing is a demanding process that requires patience, commitment and training.
To ensure one’s writing is critical, Dr. Ramanathan highlights that alternative views or hypotheses should be included, and their merits and demerits should be discussed along with the presentation of one’s own new idea or hypothesis. This provides the readers with a more complete understanding of the status quo and a measure of the impact of the new idea.
Dr. Ramanathan further points out that the Institutional Review Board (IRB) is the sounding board for good research. Being composed of internal and external members derived from diverse scholarly backgrounds, ethicist and community members, it provides approval and monitoring of research, ensures participant safety and confidentiality, maximizes benefit while reducing risk, and ensures regulatory compliance that may be required. Overall, it ensures smooth and safe conduct of research. Omitting this process would negatively impact research output and integrity, and could potentially compromise safety of participants.
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)
Bose Divya
Dr. Bose Divya is a Lecturer in the Department of Oral Pathology at SRM Dental College, Chennai. Her research focuses on oral cancer, immuno oncology, and translational diagnostics, with particular interest in malignant transformation of oral submucous fibrosis, molecular and immunological markers, and salivary diagnostics. She has editorial and peer review experience, contributing to the advancement of transparent and high quality scientific communication. Dr. Divya has authored systematic reviews, narrative studies, and collaborative projects in indexed journals, including recent work on novel therapeutic strategies for oral squamous cell carcinoma, oral manifestations of systemic diseases, and immune modulation by probiotics in cancer prevention. Recognized as an Outstanding Author, she has also received multiple academic honors, including a Gold Medal for her MDS in Oral Pathology. Her current focus is on bridging molecular insights with clinical applications to improve early detection and management of oral malignancies. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
Beyond the actual scientific work, Dr. Divya believes that an author needs to possess a strong command of language in order to effectively connect with readers. Clear communication ensures that research findings can be disseminated to a wider audience and validated within the scientific community. In addition to subject expertise, authors must demonstrate clarity of thought, originality, and critical analysis, thereby making complex ideas accessible and impactful. In today’s digital era, it is equally important for authors to understand strategies for optimizing content visibility, including search engine optimization, to enhance reach and engagement. It is also essential to write in a way that is understandable to both specialists and non-specialists, bridging science with society.
In Dr. Divya’s opinion, an author’s writing often reflects how they visualize their work in their own mind. Hence, it is essential to consciously reduce bias by striving for objectivity and ensuring that personal perspectives do not overshadow evidence. Clear, inclusive language helps connect with readers, while presenting research findings in a way that is accessible and free from stereotypes or assumptions. Providing evidence supported by relevant resources wherever possible strengthens credibility and allows the scientific community to validate the work. Avoiding bias requires a balance of rigorous methodology, ethical responsibility, and effective communication so that knowledge can be disseminated widely and fairly.
“Although academic writing demands considerable time and effort, the impact it generates is my greatest motivation. I believe that it is essential to communicate research to a wider audience so that the work becomes socially relevant and receives appraisal from the scientific community. Writing also enables me to critically reflect on our current work, identify gaps, and plan future directions more effectively. At the same time, it enhances my knowledge and keeps my mind open to new ideas and perspectives. The effort invested in academic writing is truly rewarding when research findings influence clinical practice, policy, and inspire future innovation,” says Dr. Divya.
(by Brad Li, Masaki Lo)