Publication candidate — pending trustee adoption. This document is a complete operating proposal, not yet effective policy. It takes effect only when adopted by recorded resolution of the MSK REGEN trustees. It is not legal advice, regulatory accreditation, or a substitute for local clinical, research, employment or institutional governance.
What must be declared
Financial and non-financial interests that could reasonably be seen to influence a decision — including editorial roles, commercial relationships, sponsorship, grants, honoraria, intellectual property and personal connections — must be declared on appointment, at least annually, and whenever a relevant matter arises.
Editorial-role disclosure and recusal
Professor Feza Korkusuz is Editor-in-Chief of Orthopedic Surgery & Trauma (ORTST) and IAMRegen President-Elect / Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board. Professor Paul Lee is a Section Editor of ORTST and IAMRegen President. These overlapping roles are declared openly.
For any IAMRegen-originated submission to ORTST in which either editor is conflicted, that editor is recused; an independent, unconflicted editor controls reviewer selection and the decision, and ORTST retains final editorial authority.
Mitigation and mandatory safeguards
Identified conflicts are managed proportionately — by disclosure, recusal, independent handling, or exclusion from a decision. Specific safeguards apply to ORTST submissions, Centre of Excellence decisions, commercial arrangements and awards.
The public interests register
Senior interests are published in a register maintained by the Conflicts Officer. Breaches are handled under the code of conduct and complaints process.
- ICMJE conflicts-of-interest recommendations
- COPE Core Practices