Six Researchers from Universidad Andrés Bello Recognized in the International Research.com Ranking

For the second consecutive year, Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB) obtained significant results in the international Research.com ranking, one of the main research websites in the world. The ranking highlights the best scientists and the best universities worldwide, across multiple fields of knowledge.

In this second version, six academic researchers from UNAB were included in the international ranking, recognized in the fields of Molecular Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, and Animal and Veterinary Science. Additionally, when breaking down the rankings by institutions, the university ranked prominently on a national level within these same disciplines.

«As UNAB, we promote and recognize the research leadership of our academics in various disciplines, and we are pleased that this international ranking gives visibility to the work,» said the UNAB Dean of Research and Doctoral Studies, Carolina Torrealba, adding:

«Ours is a large research community, especially considering the youth of our institution; in a few years, UNAB has managed to build a strong research core, which contributes to the advancement of the generation of global knowledge and is at the service of society.»

This second version of the Research.com ranking was developed by analyzing the data of more than 166,000 scientists from around the world. Among the evaluation criteria considered were the number of citations and publications collected up to December 2022, as well as the D index, which is an adaptation of the Hirsch index, known as the H index. The research platform defines the D index as the H index of the discipline, that is, it only considers publications and citations belonging to the particular discipline being measured.

The following are the results obtained by UNAB academic researchers.

Contributing Science to the World

Among the researchers from Universidad Andrés Bello featured in the Research.com ranking, one individual particularly stands out: Dr. Martín Montecino, Director of the Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICB) at UNAB. Dr. Montecino was the only Chilean scientist to be included in the Molecular Biology category of the ranking. The Biochemist and Doctor in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Massachusetts has a total of 207 publications, 9,997 citations, and a D index of 56.

«It is a great satisfaction that the scientific work developed throughout my career is recognized and valued by colleagues around the world, who consider and cite our contributions in the area,» said Dr. Montecino, adding that it is the area where he focuses a most of his teaching and training function at UNAB.

In addition to directing the ICB, Dr. Montecino is the director of the Biomedicine Doctoral Program at UNAB and a member of the editorial board of various scientific journals, including Biological Research and Eukaryotic Reviews in Gene Expression.

In the field of Physical Sciences, which includes astronomy, Dr. Dante Minniti, Director of the UNAB Institute of Astrophysics, is featured in the ranking. In the measurement broken down by country, the prominent astronomer ranked second among the best Physical Sciences scientists in Chile, with a total of 1,009 publications, 49,427 citations, and a D index of 114.

In the country-specific ranking, the prominent astronomer ranked second among the best Physical Sciences scientists in Chile, with a total of 1,009 publications, 49,427 citations, and a D index of 114.

Expressing gratitude to those who have always supported his work, Dante Minniti emphasized that «this type of ranking is important because it recognizes the scientific research being conducted in the country.»

This specific discipline’s measurement was based on the analysis of more than 51,000 scientist profiles around the world, among which Dr. Minniti occupies the 660th place.

When the ranking is segmented by institutions, Universidad Andrés Bello makes a significant impact in both disciplines. Notably, in the field of Molecular Biology, UNAB is the sole institution from Chile to be included in the ranking.

Meanwhile, in the field of Physical Sciences, UNAB ranks third among the top six national universities, after the Pontificia Universidad Católica (PUC) and Universidad de Chile.

A Leading Woman in Chemistry

In the field of Chemistry, only one woman is included among the best scientists in Chile in the international Research.com ranking. This is Dr. Patricia Pérez, a researcher from the Department of Chemical Sciences and a member of the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program in Molecular Physicochemistry at UNAB.

The Doctor in Chemistry placed fourth, accumulating a total of 139 publications, 10,436 citations, and a D index of 51.

Patricia Pérez described being included in this classification again as an honor and a source of inspiration. Additionally, «being the only woman in this select group of scientists highlights the importance of diversity and female representation in the field of chemistry. This motivates me to work even harder to open doors and break barriers, to show that women can be leaders and have a significant impact on science.»

At the institutional level, UNAB ranks among the top four universities in Chile in Chemistry, occupying fourth place after USACH, PUC, and Universidad de Talca.

Geology and Animal Science

In the field of Earth Sciences, two UNAB academics are included in the ranking, Dr. Francisco Herve, a Doctor in Geology and professor at Universidad de Chile, and a research academic of the Geology program at Universidad Andrés Bello, an institution that awarded him the recognition of honorary professor in 2021.

Dr. Herve secured the fourth position among the top twelve Earth Science scientists in the country, as per the ranking by the Research.com portal. This esteemed geologist has 174 publications, 6,405 citations, and a D index of 40 to his name.

Also featured in the ranking is Dr. Reynaldo Charrier, a renowned academic and researcher in the Geology department of Universidad Andrés Bello. Dr. Charrier is ranked eleventh with a total of 101 publications, 5,024 citations, and a D index of 32.

In the institutional ranking, Universidad Andrés Bello is among the top universities in Chile in the field of Earth Sciences, placed fifth after Universidad de Chile, Universidad de Concepción, Universidad Austral, and Pontificia Universidad Católica.

Lastly, in the field of Animal and Veterinary Science, it is worth noting the work of Javier Millán, a research professor at the University of Zaragoza, Spain, and visiting professor of the Ph.D. program in Conservation Medicine at Universidad Andrés Bello.

Among the 40,000 scientists evaluated in this field, Dr. Millán was the only researcher from Chile to be included in the ranking in this field, with 112 publications, 2,982 citations, and a D index of 28.

In the institutional breakdown, Universidad Andrés Bello is the only national higher education institution to be included in the field of Animal and Veterinary Science. Globally, among all the universities evaluated in this discipline, UNAB occupies the 300th position.