University of Massachusetts Amherst: Susan Hankinson Named No. 28 Female Scientist in the World by Research.com

Susan E. Hankinson, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences at UMass Amherst, has been named No. 28 in Research.com’s 2022 ranking of Top 1000 Female Scientists in the World. Hankinson is also listed as No. 19 in the United States.

Hankinson’s area of research focuses on endogenous hormones in the etiology of breast cancer in women, including determining the lifestyle and genetic factors that influence hormone levels. This focus reflects a broad interest in the application of biomarkers in epidemiologic research. She joined UMass Amherst in 2011 and earned the title of Distinguished Professor in 2012.

Position in the rankings are based on a scientist’s general H-index and includes leading female scientists from all major areas of science. It was based on a meticulous examination of 166,880 scientists on Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic Graph. The H-index threshold for approving a scholar to be considered for a global ranking was set differently for each scientific discipline but was in most cases equal to 30 or 40.

Research.com’s website gives insight into the intent of the ranking, “We are painfully aware that academic research is still a predominantly male profession, and we believe that female scientists deserve an equal chance to be represented and praised for their achievements. Our aim is to inspire female scholars, women considering an academic career, as well as decision-makers worldwide with the example of successful women in the scientific community. We hope that it will contribute to providing more opportunities and equal chances for women in science.”