UC San Diego: UC San Diego Ranked 8th Globally for Most Influential Researchers
Publishing works and contributing to the world of academic knowledge sharing remains a hallmark of the world’s best research talent. It speaks to influence and prestige among their peers and UC San Diego continues to claim distinction among the top 10 most cited institutions in the world.
The Highly Cited Researchers list identifies and celebrates exceptional researchers 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.
UC San Diego ranks 8th in the world for 2022 and is the highest ranked University of California institution on the list.
“This well-deserved recognition spotlights the depth and breadth of UC San Diego’s widely regarded and influential academic research,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “Our faculty and researchers not only advance crucial knowledge in art, science, medicine and social science, but they also advance humanity by providing critical guidance on ethics, policy, management and leadership. Their prolific and widely cited contributions help set UC San Diego apart as one of the nation’s leading public assets.”
Of the institutions in the United States, UC San Diego ranks 5th. In order the other U.S. institutions are Harvard University, Stanford University, National Institutes of Health, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“Every year recognition for UC San Diego’s talented and robust research community grows in influence and value to our greater community of academic thought leaders and contributions to society-at-large,” said Vice Chancellor for Research Corinne Peek-Asa. “I extend my congratulations to the many members of our research community who made this listing but call special attention to the fact that so many are cited as noteworthy for multiple categories which is a direct result of the collaborative, interdisciplinary community fostered here at UC San Diego.”
The 2022 listing of Most Highly Cited Researchers in the World includes 66 individual distinctions from UC San Diego (up from 51 researchers last year). Created by Clarivate, a company that analyzes scientific and academic research, the listing has identified nearly 7,000 researchers across the globe who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen fields through the publication of highly cited papers during the last decade.
“This well-deserved recognition spotlights the depth and breadth of UC San Diego’s widely regarded and influential academic research.”
Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla
Of researcher listed with UC San Diego affiliations, half the list include noteworthy contributions to multiple disciplines. However, three UC San Diego researchers were identified as highly cited in more than one field. William Sandborn (toxicology and clinical medicine), Daniel McDonald (microbiology and biology/biochemistry), and Rob Knight.
Elite Influencers
Knight was among less than 1 percent of all Highly Cited Researchers worldwide, who appear in three or more fields. This is a select group of just 32 individuals globally.
Knight is the founding Director of the Center for Microbiome Innovation and a professor of pediatrics, bioengineering, computer science and engineering. He runs the Knight Lab at UC San Diego.
Last year Knight had the distinction of being the only person in the world to make the list in four different categories. This year, he had to settle for three: biochemistry, microbiology and the combined category of molecular biology and genetics.
“I can’t complain too much,” he said.
“It is wonderful to be recognized in three separate fields but even more exciting is the fact that eight of my lab members are also on the highly cited list, one of them (Daniel McDonald) in two categories,” Knight said. “This reflects the broad impact that microbiome research has across different areas of science, the key role of collaboration between medicine and engineering on the UC San Diego campus in driving interdisciplinary science forward, and the importance of graduate students, postdocs and research staff in making fundamental contributions to this work.”
Researchers on the 2022 list come from 70 countries and regions, but the vast majority of researchers are concentrated in just five areas. The United States claims nearly 40 percent of Highly Cited Researcher. China is second with 16 percent, then the United Kingdom, 8 percent; Germany and Australia, around 5 percent each.
“Research fuels the race for knowledge and it is important that nations and institutions celebrate the individuals who drive the wheel of innovation,” said David Pendlebury, head of research analysis at Clarivate.
The 2022 HCR list is limited to the years 2011 to 2021. As the eleven-year window of citation evaluation moves along each year, it is normal that many new researchers enter the list, and some (but not all) researchers return for consecutive years. University affiliation is generally determined by their latest citation, but it is common that some researchers on any institution’s list may have moved to another position since the list was generated.
Full list of UC San Diego Highly Cited Researchers
Note: Some individuals are highly-cited in a specific scientific area meaning they have demonstrated significant research influence in that field. Those with a “Cross Field” designation, qualify based on the sum of their highly cited papers and citations in multiple fields but did not pass the threshold for an outright designation in a particular field.