Stanford and Elsevier Ranking: Ten UNAB Researchers Recognized Among the Top 2% Most Cited Worldwide

Ten faculty members from Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB) – two more than last year – were included in the 2025 edition of the Top 2% Scientists Ranking, developed by Stanford University (USA) in partnership with Elsevier, owner of the Scopus scientific database. This list identifies the world’s most influential scientists, selected based on their publications and citation impact. It also highlights those who have demonstrated sustained influence over the course of their careers.

According to Carolina Torrealba, Dean of Research and Doctoral Studies at UNAB, this recognition reflects the maturity of the research being conducted at the university.

“Our researchers are contributing to fields as diverse as astrophysics, biology, chemistry, dentistry, and engineering. Their inclusion in this prestigious international ranking is a source of pride and reaffirms UNAB’s commitment to excellence and to producing globally impactful scientific knowledge.”

Top 2% Scientists Ranking: Impact and Career Trajectory

Three UNAB faculty members received a double distinction, being recognized for both their recent scientific impact and their career-long contributions. They are Dante Minniti and Walter Orellana, from the School of Exact Sciences at the Santiago campus, and Rubén Avendaño, from the School of Life Sciences at the Viña del Mar campus.

For Dante Minniti, an astronomer at the UNAB Institute of Astrophysics and the Center for Astrophysics and Associated Technologies (CATA), the recognition is a source of great satisfaction.

“It motivates me to continue researching and making discoveries with our students, without losing sight of long-term challenges – because the future of astronomy in Chile is bright.”

Professor Minniti has led major surveys of our galaxy from Chile, including the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) project and its extension VVVX, and is currently participating in the new VVVX-GalCen survey, now led by Matías Gómez, Director of the UNAB Institute of Astrophysics.

Walter Orellana, Director of the PhD program in Physical Sciences, highlighted the value this ranking gives to publications where researchers play leading roles. “In a way, it gives us visibility among both general and specialized audiences, and it elevates the research being conducted in Chile.”

A well-established scholar, Professor Orellana is currently working on catalysis processes for energy conversion.

“We’re studying metal-organic structures as single-atom catalysts for use in hydrogen fuel cells and metal-air batteries,” he explained.

Rubén Avendaño, a researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences, emphasized that this recognition reflects the sustained efforts of his research team, which focuses on fish health and aquaculture – fields in which they have produced key information for technology development, public policy, and health management strategies.

“We’ve focused on producing meaningful knowledge – useful for both scientific advancement and technological development, while always maintaining high quality.”

His research areas include fish health and aquatic pathogens, alternatives to antimicrobial use, vaccine development, and the identification of new bacterial species in aquatic environments – several of which are highly relevant to both national and international aquaculture.

UNAB Researchers Recognized for Research Impact

In addition, seven other faculty members from various schools were recognized for the impact of their research during the most recent evaluation period.

Among them is Claudio Cabello, Director of the Center for Research in Pandemic Resilience, who expressed pride in the recognition of his work.

“This highlights that here in Chile – and at UNAB in particular – we are producing high-impact science that matters both nationally and internationally,” he said.

Professor Cabello focuses on understanding how viruses of national concern, such as influenza and human metapneumovirus, interact with skeletal muscle and contribute to short- and long-term changes. His research also explores pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies to help key tissues respond more effectively to infections.

Sven Niklander, a faculty member in the PhD in Translational Dentistry program (Viña del Mar campus), emphasized the importance of conducting advanced research outside of the capital. “Except for the work I did during my doctorate in the UK, all of my research has been conducted from Viña del Mar. Doing science in Chile is challenging – and doing it from the regions is even more so, which makes this especially meaningful.”

Professor Niklander is the principal investigator of a Fondecyt Initiation Grant that studies how the accumulation of senescent cells may contribute to oral cancer. He also leads other projects that explore the use of AI to support the diagnosis of oral and salivary gland cancers.

Completing the list of UNAB researchers included in the 2025 Top 2% Scientists Ranking are:

• Rodrigo Ramírez-Campillo, Institute of Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences
• Luca Tarisciotti, Department of Engineering Sciences
• Pablo Cruces, School of Veterinary Medicine
• Jorge Ignacio Martínez-Araya, Department of Chemical Sciences
• Víctor Díaz, School of Dentistry

How the Top 2% Scientists Ranking Is Compiled

This classification identifies the top 2% of researchers worldwide based on standardized citation metrics, covering 22 scientific disciplines and 174 subfields. It uses data from Scopus, one of the leading scientific publication databases, and a composite indicator called the c-score.

The c-score accounts for total citations, co-authorship adjustments, and authorship roles.

The methodology considers both recent productivity – based on Scopus data indexed as of August 1, 2025 – and long-term career impact.

Six key metrics are analyzed to evaluate scholarly impact. These include the total number of citations, the H-index, and the Hm-index, which is adjusted for co-authorship. Additionally, the analysis considers the number of citations received for articles where the individual is the sole author, the first author, and the last author.

With ten faculty members recognized in the 2025 edition of the Top 2% Scientists Ranking – including three honored for their career-long impact – Universidad Andrés Bello reaffirms its commitment to high-impact, high-quality research across diverse fields of knowledge.