CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology (CVIR) is CIRSE’s flagship journal and the official journal of 23 affiliated societies. With an impact factor of 2.9, it is not only the longest running IR publication in the world, but also the leading journal in the field. In September, outgoing Editor-in-Chief Prof. Klaus Hausegger will pass the baton to Prof. Tiago Bilhim who is excited for this new challenge. We talked to him about his motivation and plans for the journal.
CIRSE Insider: For those who do not know you yet; tell us a little bit about yourself!
Bilhim: I am a consultant interventional radiologist working in Lisbon, Portugal, where I was born and raised. Currently I am serving as director of two IR units: Curry Cabral (IASIOS accredited) and SAMS Hospitals. I finished Medical School in 2004 and did my radiology residency from 2006-2011 with a subspecialization in IR. I finalized my PhD on prostatic artery embolization in 2011. I am a CIRSE and an SIR Fellow and EBIR-ES title holder. My research interests and routine clinical practice include prostatic and uterine artery embolization, men’s and women’s health, hepatobiliary and oncology interventions, and diabetic foot revascularization. I have served as editor and editor-in-chief of F-type questions for the European Board of Interventional Radiology (EBIR). I was a member of the CIRSE Standards of Practice Committee from 2022-2024, the CIRSE 2023-2024 Scientific Programme Committee, the ET 2024 and ET 2025 Scientific Programme Committee and Vice-President of the Portuguese IR Association (APRI) from 2023-2025.
CIRSE Insider: What has been your history with CVIR and what motivated you to apply for the position of editor-in-chief?
Bilhim: I completed the Clinical Scholars Research Training (CSRT) I and II Harvard Medical School –Portugal Program in Translational Research and Information in 2012/2013. I started as a reviewer for JVIR in 2012 and received the editor´s award for top reviewer from 2013-2016. From 2017, I joined the editorial board of JVIR as associate editor. Under Dr. Ziv Haskal’s guidance, I learned how to efficiently handle manuscripts and coordinate with reviewers under time pressure. In 2020, I was invited by Prof. Klaus Hausegger and CIRSE to become section editor for embolization in CVIR. Over the last five years, this has been an amazing opportunity to learn and work closely with Prof. Hausegger, his team, and the CVIR editorial office. I have contributed as reviewer and editor for hundreds of manuscripts.
Besides my work as reviewer and editor for CVIR, I also served as an author many original scientific research papers, standards of practice documents, reviews, editorials, and commentaries published in the journal. To help other authors and reviewers, I have actively participated in multiple onsite and online workshops and webinars devoted to enhancing writing and reviewing skills. I know the importance of a detailed, unbiased, and rigorous review process. During the past five years, I became acquainted with the CVIR editorial office team, editorial board members, and logistics of the journal. Just like it was a natural transition from reviewer towards section editor, I now feel that the time has come to assume the transition towards editor-in-chief for CVIR. Prof.Hausegger was a role model and provided continuous support and motivation to take this next step.
CIRSE Inisder: CVIR is the longest running journal in interventional radiology. What do you think has made it relevant for so long?
Bilhim: Reflecting on the history of interventional radiology, CVIR which established in 1978 as the first of its kind (Abrams HL, Zeitler E. Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 1980;3(1):1. doi: 10.1007/BF02551955.), has been a reliable partner, chronicling the evolution of this dynamic field since its inception. The vision and purpose of CVIR was to provide a focused journal, as written by its founders: “IR studies are published in widely dispersed clinical and radiological journals. CVIR allows for those active in IR to publish rapidly and to be transmitted widely in a specialty journal”. This holds true to this day. CVIR is your global resource – it is where you can read, learn, and publish the most relevant, high-quality, up-to-date scientific achievements in IR. Alongside CVIR Endovascular and CVIR Oncology, CVIR represents the scientific voice of all interventional radiologists.
CIRSE Insider: What are your plans for the journal? What short- and long-term goals do you hope to achieve?
Bilhim: I strongly believe that IR journals can become leading publications in the field of medicine, relevant, widely read and discussed across many scientific domains. With the help of our highly qualified section editors, editorial board members, reviewers, authors, and CVIR editorial office team, I aim to expand the journal´s readership, while providing a natural home for all IRs. Furthermore, it is crucial for us to increase CVIR’s global reach; we plan to achieve this by reinforcing the roles of our regional Editors and connecting with leading IRs from both within and outside Europe.
CVIR will be present not just in written, but also in face-to-face meetings and workshops. We will maintain our strategy of offering scientific writing and reviewing workshops with active participations in all major IR meetings. Additionally, we will keep enhancing our online presence and expand our reach across all social media platforms. You will not need to read the print journal anymore, you can read, listen and watch CVIR contents in your phone or computer, wherever you are, whenever you want! I want to expand the life cycle of papers published in CVIR, enhancing the performance and visibility after publication.
My main goal will be to have CVIR as first line option for all authors and readers of IR-related scientific contents. I aim to ease, facilitate and expedite turnaround times of review process keeping the high-standards and overall quality of scientific research. CVIR will be easily accessible for all authors and readers. With the CIRSE family of journals we intend to provide an option for publication for the vast majority of our submissions.
CIRSE Insider: What submissions do you hope to attract?
Bilhim: Review manuscripts, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, high quality original scientific research and randomized trials should be the publishing priorities of CVIR. I plan to maintain the high-level quality of editorials, commentaries and letters from experts on different subjects published in CVIR. Focus will be given to have more clinical research data and less technical papers. Studies focusing on clinical research questions, with large cohort sizes, with controls and good follow-up data, ideally through randomized protocols will be prioritized.
CIRSE Insider: Do you have any tips and tricks for potential authors?
Bilhim: First tip – go to our website and read the instructions for authors (https://www.cvironline.org/instructions/)!
Second tip – If you have time, participate in our workshops and scientific writing programs that can really help you improving your paper. CVIR is present online and onsite in all major IR meetings over the globe, offering a multitude of workshops and webinars all year round.
Third tip – present your work at CIRSE meetings that can ease your access to the CIRSE journal family.
Fourth tip – never think that your paper is not good enough for CVIR – you will always get timely feedback from experts and publication options that will improve your manuscript and facilitate its publication. We will be easily available and can provide fast response for all potential authors. Try us!
Final tip – never think that your paper is too good for CVIR – CVIR will be the most read, visible and influential scientific voice of IR in Medicine. You will miss out on visibility, citations and impact of your findings if you opt for other Journals, with less visibility and influence in IR and Medicine. Makes no sense to have IR papers in diagnostic radiology or other non-IR journals. This was the reason why CVIR founders started the Journal!
