34 scientists from Catalan centers in ‘Highly Cited Researchers’ ranking

The 2018 ‘Highly Cited Researchers’ ranking includes 34 scientists from Catalan centers, half of whom work at the University of Barcelona or Hospital Clínic-Idibaps.

Published on Tuesday, the report by the Clarivate Analytics firm covers some 4,000 scientists from around the world whose citation records position them in the top 1% for their field and year.

The fields in the list include clinical medicine, neurosciences, agriculture, economy and the environment.  

According to the University of Barcelona, it is one of the “most prestigious” rankings in the academic and scientific international community.

Researchers on leukemia

One of the scientists on the list is Manel Esteller, a world-class researcher of cancer from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL).

Esteller specializes in epigenetics, and also heads the largest leukemia research center in Europe, which is located on the Campus ICO – Germans Trias i Pujol – UAB, in Badalona, north of Barcelona. The center boasts 10,000 sqm and 100 investigators.  

The ‘Highly Cited Researchers’ list also includes Elías Campo, the director of Idibaps, the research center linked to Hospital Clínic, in Barcelona. He has also excelled in leukemia research and his achievements led him to be made a member of the US National Academy of Medicine last month.

Archeologist

Eudald Carbonell, a top figure in the field of archeology, is also in the ranking after spending decades leading the research into the Atapuerca site and also Abric Romaní, both of which are from the Neanderthal period and even earlier.

Ecologist

Some research centers elsewhere also include Catalan researchers, such as Montserrat Vilà, who focuses on the ecology of biological invasions, especially in Mediterranean ecosystems including islands.

She works in the Doñana Biological Station of CSIC, in Seville.