UCL academics named in annual global list of influential researchers

UCL researchers were present in 10 of the 17 academic fields listed, namely: Clinical Medicine; Cross-Field; Environment & Ecology; Immunology; Molecular Biology & Genetics; Neuroscience & Behaviour; Pharmacology & Toxicology; Psychiatry & Psychology; Social Sciences; and Space Science. 

17 researchers have been recognised in the ‘Cross-Field’ category, reflecting UCL’s engagement with cross-disciplinary activity.

Professor David Price, UCL Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement), said: “To be included in this list is a great achievement, and highlights the global influence of UCL’s brilliant researchers - as well as the dedication of our professional staff who play a role in this success.

 “The broad citation impact across 10 academics fields, including a large number of ‘cross-field’ researchers, clearly reflects our university’s excellence in cross-disciplinary investigation and discovery.”

The list identifies around 6,600 researchers from across the globe who have demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field(s) through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade.

The names are drawn from the publications that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and publication year in the Web of Science citation index, with the list also used to identify the research institutions and countries where the citation elite are based.

With 492 researchers on the list (or 7.5% of the total), the UK comes in third globally after the US and China, who have 2,622 (39.7%) and 935 (14.2%) respectively. With a population 1/5 the size of the United States and 1/20 the size of Mainland China, the UK has a particularly high number of researchers at the very top of their fields in terms of citation impact.

Joel Haspel, SVP Strategy, Science at Clarivate said: “This year’s data reflect a decade’s worth of research publications from the global scientific community. As well as documenting the ‘Eureka!’ moments, our data tell the story of late nights spent filling in grant applications, poring over results in the lab, the unsung work of peer reviewing contemporaries’ manuscripts, and the many small failures that ultimately lead to bigger successes and accelerating innovation.”

David Pendlebury Senior Citation Analyst at the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate said: “It is increasingly important for nations and institutions to recognize and support the exceptional researchers who are driving the expansion of the world’s knowledge. This list identifies and celebrates exceptional individual researchers at UCL who are having a significant impact on the research community as evidenced by the rate at which their work is being cited by their peers. The research they have contributed is fuelling the innovation, sustainability, health and security that is key for our society’s future.”

Listed UCL researchers:

Clinical Medicine: Professor James Moon, Professor Charles Swanton, Professor David Wheeler

Cross-Field:  Professor David Batty, Professor Matthew Botvinick, Professor Geoffrey Burnstock, Dr Rachel Cooper, Professor Mark Hamer, Professor Derek Hausenloy, Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Dr Jing Meng, Dr Zhifu Mi, Dr Dimitri Mikhailidis, Professor Dame Linda Partridge, Professor Anthony Schapira, Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, Professor Bart De Strooper, Professor James Thomas, Professor Robert West, Professor Derek Yellon, 

Environment & Ecology: Professor Tim Blackburn, Dabo Guan, Professor Dame Georgina Mace

Immunology: Professor Sir Alimuddin Zumla 

Molecular Biology & Genetics: Professor Charles Swanton 

Neuroscience & Behaviour: Professor David Attwell, Professor Frederik Barkhof, Professor Timothy Behrens, Professor Matteo Carandini, Professor Helen Cross, Professor Karl Friston, Professor Nick Fox, Professor John Hardy, Professor Kenneth Harris, Professor Angela Vincent

Pharmacology & Toxicology: Professor Abdul Basit, Dr Asma Buanz, Professor Simon Gaisford, Dr Alvaro Goyanes

Psychiatry & Psychology: Professor Anthony David, Professor Glyn Lewis, Professor Chris Brewin, Professor William Mandy, Professor Marinus van IJzendoorn

Psychiatry & Psychology and Social Sciences: Professor Susan Michie

Social Sciences: Professor Mika Kivimaki, Professor Andrew Steptoe, Professor Ian R White

Space Science: Professor Richard Ellis

Links

• Highly Cited Researchers 2021
• UCL Research, Innovation & Global Engagement

Image

• Image Credit: Clarivate Web of Science