Eight research scientists that are either professors at the University of Iceland or work in close connection with the university are among the 4,000 most influential research scientists in the world; according to a new list published by Clarivate Analytics. The number of Icelandic scientists has increased by two since last year, and by five when taking into consideration scientists affiliated with Icelandic research laboratories and companies.
This is the fifth year that Clarivate publishes a list of the most influential research scientists in the world. The list ranks the top 1% by citations for each field of study and publication year in international science journals. The list is based on data from the database Web of Science. The criteria are citations during a certain annual period. The list includes over 4,000 research scientists in 21 fields of study and includes 17 Nobel Laureates.
The number of Icelandic research scientists and their international colleagues, on the list, is growing; indicating an increasing strength of the Icelandic scientific community. The research scientists on the list are 13 years this versus 9 last year.
These research scientists are:
| Research scientist | institute/company | position at the University of Iceland |
|---|---|---|
| Albert Vernon Smith | University of Michigan/HÍ | research professor |
| Augustine Kong | DeCode Genetics | |
| Bernharð Örn Pálsson | USCSD/HÍ | visiting lecturer |
| Daníel F. Guðbjartsson | DeCode Genetics | |
| Guðmar Þorleifsson | DeCode Genetics | |
| Hreinn Stefánsson | Decode Genetics | |
| Jón Atli Benediktsson | University of Iceland | professor |
| Kári Stefánsson | DeCode Genetics/UI | professor |
| Thor Aspelund | University of Iceland | professor |
| Unnur Þorsteinsdóttir | DeCode Genetics/UI | research professor |
| Valgerður Steinþórsdóttir | DeCode Genetics | |
| Vilmundur Guðnason | Icelandic Hearth Association/UI | prófessor |
| Þorsteinn Loftsson | University of Iceland | prófessor |
Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland and professor in electrical and computer engineering, is new on the list on behalf of the University of Iceland. So is Thor Aspelund, professor in statistics at the Centre of Public Health Sciences. Furthermore, Vilmundur Guðnason, director of the Icelandic Heart Association and professor at the University of Iceland's Faculty of Medicine is among the most influential scientists in two fields of study; or clinical medicine on the one hand and molecular biology on the other. This is very rare.
The list from Clarivate over the most influential research scientists in the world can be found on their website.