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13 ICMAB researchers in the Stanford ranking of most highly cited scientists
Up to 523 CSIC scientists are in the ranking, 82 of them from centers in Catalonia.
ICMAB researchers in this ranking are working in the fields of sustainable batteries, oxide electronics, electronic and crystallographic structure of materials, flexoelectricity, borane-based materials, molecular materials, nitride-based materials, photovoltaics and thermoelectrics, among others.


The World's Top 2 % Scientists list, with the highly cited scientists worldwide, brings together up to 523 CSIC scientists, 82 of which are from the CSIC centers in Catalonia. From ICMAB, 13(+1) researchers are on the ranking, 3 of them women.
The Stanford ranking is the most prestigious ranking at international level. It brings together the names of the 186,000 most cited researchers from among the more than 8 million scientists considered active worldwide, which represents 2 % of the total. Reserachers are divided into 22 scientific areas and 176 sub-disciplines.
The ranking is established on the basis of the number of citations of the articles in the past years, so the list may include scientists who have retired or who have passed away (but who are still among the most cited). The ranking is based on a composite indicator that takes into account not only the citations received, with and without self-citations, but also the h-index, co-authorship and the position of the author in the author's list. It also provides publication percentiles in scientific fields and subfields.
The ranking is created by experts John Loannidis (Stanford University), Jeroen Baas (Elsevier B.V.), Kevin W. Boyack (SciTech Strategies) and Richard Klavans (SciTech Strategies). To compile it, they analyzed Scopus data on the number of articles published, the number of times each research has been cited and the time that researchers have been active. The ranking was published in the journal Plos Biology.
Two rankings are published: one for the 2020 publications only, and one for the entire carreer of the researcher. The selection takes into account the 100,000 best researchers for their composite indicator or those who are in a percentile equal to or greater than 2 %. ICMAB has 13 researchers in the entire career ranking, and 12 in the 2020 publications ranking.
The ICMAB researchers on the ranking and their positions in the general ranking and in the scientific sub-areas (and areas) are:
- M. Rosa Palacín: 27,302 in the general ranking, and 254/229,150 in Energy (Enabling & Strategic Technologies). She works in the development of Ca and Mg batteries.
- Josep Fontcuberta: 53,201 in the general ranking and 1,356/269,833 in Applied Physics (Physics & Astronomy). He works in the field of functional oxides with emerging properties.
- Enric Canadell: 70,351 in the general ranking and 482/72,062 in Inroganic and Nuclear Chemistry (Chemistry). He studies the electronic structure of materials.
- Massimiliano Stengel: 100,103 in the general ranking and 2,666/269,833 in Applied Physics (Physics & Astronomy). He studies flexoelectricity in materials.
- Riccardo Rurali: 102,727 in the general ranking and 2,762/269,833 in Applied Phyiscs (Physics & Astronomy). He studies thermal transport in materials.
- Clara Viñas: 117,649 in the general ranking and 883/72,062 in Inroganic and Nuclear Chemistry (Chemistry). She works in the synthesis and applications of borane-based (bio)materials.
- Jordi Rius: 118,687 in the general ranking and 896/72,062 in Inroganic and Nuclear Chemistry (Chemistry). He studies the crystallographic structure of materials.
- Xavier Obradors: 122,134 in the general ranking and 935/71,123 in General Physics (Physics & Astronomy). He works in the development of superconducting materials.
- Francesc Teixidor: 122,978 in the general ranking and 966/72,062 in Inroganic and Nuclear Chemistry (Chemistry). He works in the synthesis and applications of borane-based compounds.
- Jaume Veciana: 130,409 in the general ranking and 2,609/144,918 in Organic Chemistry (Chemistry). He works in the synthesis and applications of molecular materials.
- Amparo Fuertes: 136,238 in the general ranking and 1,149/72,062 in Inroganic and Nuclear Chemistry (Chemistry). She works in the field of nitride-based compounds.
- Mariano Campoy-Quiles: 147,815 in the general ranking and 1,693/89,177 in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (Enabling & Strategic Technologies). He works in the development of sustainable materials for photovoltaics and thermoelectrics.
- Alexandre Ponrouch: 172,600 in the general ranking and 3,944/229,150 in Energy (Enabling & Strategic Technologies). He works in the development of Ca and Mg batteries.
Moreover, David Amabilino, who arrived in October 2021 at ICMAB and was previously at the University of Nottingham, also appears in the ranking with his previous affiliation, although some of the data gathered are also from his earlier period at ICMAB.
- David Amabilino: 33,842 in the general ranking, and 663/144,918 in Organic Chemistry (Chemistry). He works in the field of supramolecular chemistry to develop new functional materials.
With this recent incorporation, then, there are 14 ICMABers on the list.
Congratulations to all ICMAB researchers for this achivement!
And always remember what Luke Donald, the professional golfer said: "My objective has always been to get better, no matter where my ranking is". Because rankings are just this, rankings.
More information:
- ICMAB presence in Stanford University-Elsevier Citation Metrics Author Database (ICMAB Llibrary Manuel Cardona, 22 Dec 2021)
- August 2021 data-update for "Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators" (19 Oct 2021)
- Stanford University Names World's Top 2 % Scientists, 2021 (26 Oct 2021)
- Fins a 523 científics del CSIC, 82 d’ells de centres de Catalunya, en el ranquing Standford dels més citats (29 Dec 2021)