Author profiles

Professor SSS Sarma

Professor SSS Sarma works in the Labatory of Aquatic Zoology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. At present he is researching the ecology and ecotoxicology of freshwater zooplankton

“It is a natural scientific evolution that has taken place since conventional snail-mail postal services have been hindering rapid expansion of scientific discoveries and their availability.”

Pierre Durand

Pierre Durand works at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, University of the Witwatersrand and National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa. He is using laboratory and computational methods to investigate determinants of genome evolution in unicellular organisms.

“I thought the submission and review process at BMC was professional, uncomplicated and rapid, which I appreciated.”

Dr. W . L. Adeyemo

Dr Adeyemo is a senior lecturer with the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He is currently researching the quality of life after surgical/non-surgical tooth extraction; the necessity for blood transfusion in cleft lip and palate surgery; and, ultrasound diagnosis of maxillofacial fractures.

“Publishing in an open access journal afforded me the opportunity to interact with the scientific community regarding my research activities.”

Ali Samadikuchaksaraei

Ali Samadikuchaksaraei is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biotechnology at the Iran University of Medical Sciences. He is currently working on the engineering and regeneration of lung, skin, bone, and spinal cord, as well as researching high-tech medical education development.

“The paper was highly accessed and I realized that my assessment of the existing need for such a review was correct.”

Dr. Ricardo Z.N. Vencio

Ricardo Vencio is with the Computational Biology Group at the Institute for Systems Biology. He has been working on the creation of mathematical methods for the solution of problems in Biology and Medicine.

“I felt, as an author and as a reviewer, that the peer review process was extremely fair.”

Philip C Hill

Philip Hill is a Clinical Epidemiologist with the Bacterial Diseases Programme in Gambia, where his team is researching tuberculosis and pneumoccal disease. Philip is also leading a project to establish a pneumococcal surveillance system to accompany the introduction of pneumococcal vaccine into Africa.

“Working in a developing country I feel like I need to be one of those to take a lead in this respect, and publish much of my work in open-access journals.”

Joses M Kirigia

Joses M Kirigia works with the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa as a Regional Advisor for Health Economics. Before joining WHO he was a Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of a Health Economics Masters Program at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

“Open Access journals are crucial not only in reducing the permanent loss of … knowledge, but also in improving access for those living and working in resource-poor settings. These journals are making an immense contribution towards bridging the knowledge-gap between economically rich and poor countries.”

Bart GJ Knols

Bart Knols works as a medical entomologist at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria. He spent eleven years in Eastern and Southern Africa before his current assignment, where he focused on studying the behavioral ecology of insects of medical and veterinary importance, particularly malaria mosquitoes and tsetse flies. He is currently involved in the development of genetic control strategies for African malaria mosquitoes, particularly the use of the Sterile Insect Technique. This work is being undertaken jointly with colleagues in Sudan and other African countries.

“However, for many scientists working in Africa and other remote parts of the planet, libraries are not just round the corner, and subscription fees for journals are often considered too high.... BioMed Central has filled this gap: An Internet cafe in the desert (they exist!) is all you need to read about the latest in science.”

Liqun Lu

Liqun Lu is a Research Fellow at the Animal Health Biotechnology Unit, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore

He is developing a vaccine against avian influenza virus using baculovirus surface-display technology, and trying to validate baculovirus-mediated RNAi as an alternative choice to inhibit viral replication.

“People all around the world, especially in developing countries, may benefit from our research results.”

Dr Tai Pong Lam

Dr Lam is currently looking at how people with respiratory infections are looked after in a primary care setting. In addition, he is interested in the scholarship of teaching and learning, both for undergraduates and postgraduates.

“My article is easily accessible, particularly by those who reside in less affluent countries, as it can be accessed freely on the Internet, which is now available in most parts of the world.”