Imperial scientists named as highly influential biomedical researchers

Professor Peter Barnes was ranked seventh on the list.

Three Imperial scientists have been named on a list of highly influential biomedical researchers based on citations by other academics.

Professors Peter Barnes, Philippe Froguel and David Brooks are among the 400 scientists worldwide with the highest scores according to citation data from 1996 to 2011.

The analysis, compiled by US researchers and published in the European Journal of Clinical Investigation, is intended “to identify a pool of researchers who have had sustained success in highly influential work.”

Using a score that takes into account the position of authors’ names on papers, Professor Peter Barnes of the National Heart and Lung Institute is ranked seventh on the list. He published 829 papers in the period analysed, mostly on asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, collecting 52,532 citations.

Professor Philippe Froguel, from the School of Public Health, published 402 papers on the genetics of body weight and type 2 diabetes, receiving 26,602 citations.

Professor David Brooks, from the Department of Medicine, uses brain imaging to study Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. His 338 papers were cited 20,502 times in the study period.

The authors note: “Although citation counts and related metrics are typically considered as proxy for impact, the nature of that impact is rarely, if ever, specified.” Their list is being used in an ongoing survey in which highly cited researchers are asked about the features of their most cited articles.

Professor Dermot Kelleher, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial, said: “It’s very important to know that our work is having an impact. Citation scores are a sign that other researchers are building on our work to further our understanding of health and disease, expanding the potential for real benefits in clinical practice. Peter, Philippe and David are all exceptionally influential in their fields and I’m delighted to see that recognised in this analysis.”

Reference

Boyack et al. ‘A list of highly influential biomedical researchers 1996–2011’ European Journal of Clinical Investigation DOI: 10.1111/eci.12171