Researchers rely on published findings as the foundation for supporting the development of innovative new ideas. The number of times that published findings are cited can be reflective of the impact or influence of the original academic work. In a 2021 report published in PLoS Biology, more than 250 researchers at Baylor College of Medicine were named in the top 2% of scientists most frequently cited worldwide.
The list of highly cited researchers featured in PLoS Biology were determined using updated metrics initially developed at Stanford University in collaboration with Elsevier, and includes not only medical researchers, but scientists across all disciplines including math, engineering, chemistry and physics. Scopus, the abstract and citation database launched in 2004 by Elsevier, was used to provide standardized information on citation metrics for scientists worldwide to assess career wide impact across multiple disciplines.
So, who are the researchers being cited most at Baylor?
Dr. Joseph Jankovic, professor, Distinguished Chair in Movement Disorders and director of the Parkinson’s Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic at Baylor, is the most cited researcher at BCM. He came in at No. 150 overall. Jankovic is an expert and world-renowned physician-scientist in the field of neurology focused on the cause and treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders.
“I am honored to be among the rank of highly cited researchers,” Jankovic said. “As a mentor to numerous trainees, many of whom have become global leaders in the field of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, I hope to have instilled in them passion for this field of neurology and for sharing their knowledge through writing. I also hope that in the process of inspiring them to publish, I have been a good mentor, not a tormentor.”
Dr. Hashem El-Serag, professor and chair of the Margaret M. and Albert B. Alkek Department of Medicine, and Dr. David Y. Graham, professor of medicine – gastroenterology, ranked second and third among Baylor faculty and were both in the top 300 overall.
“I have been fortunate to work on an important topic with a productive group of collaborators – hepatocellular carcinoma. We focused on this disease that was previously so rare in United States and hence had few studies and publications,” El-Serag said. “That is why a large portion of our published work reported new findings with translational and public health relevance.”
Graham was the most cited doctor when it came to Helicobacter pylori research. He said that it is nice to be recognized; however, a bigger take-away from the rankings can be seen by the inclusion of Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, “which shows that his work is still making an impact on medicine today.”
Dr. Dickinson
That is precisely what Dr. Mary Dickinson, senior vice president and dean of research at Baylor, who also made the rankings, said is the significance of the data.
“The goal of our research at Baylor is to further science, education and healthcare. Sharing information, whether it is through publications or through education and mentoring, or forming collaborations is at the heart of that mission. These rankings are a reflection of the expertise here at Baylor that goes far beyond just the names on the list.”
Researchers on the list represented a broad representation from our departments and centers showing that the expertise is spread throughout the College and its various disciplines. Our President and Executive Dean, Dr. Paul Klotman, was another who made the list. Baylor is an institution committed to research excellence and leadership locally, nationally and worldwide and it shows in our constituency.
To see the full list in the journal click here or view a quick-access BCM faculty citation ranking list.
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