Two chemists at the University have been included in a world ranking of top chemists which measures their research inputs.
Professor Barry Potter, Head of Medicinal Chemistry in the Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, and Professor Paul Raithby, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and an EPSRC Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Chemistry, have been included in the H-index ranking of Living Chemists.
The H-index was devised by physicist Jorge Hirsch in 2005 to measure research impact. A scientist’s Hirsch or H-index is the highest number of papers they have published which have each amassed at least that number of citations. For example, top of the list is the noted Harvard chemist George Whitesides with an H-index of 147, meaning that he has published 147 papers which have each received at least 147 citations.
Professor Potter is one of only five UK chemists listed in the biological chemistry category, having a Hirsch index of 51. He works primarily on the application of chemistry to biological questions, including the development of new families of anti-cancer drugs.
Professor Raithby attained the rank of 15th in the world for the structural inorganic chemistry category with a Hirsch index of 52. An inorganic chemist specialising in structural chemistry, Professor Raithby uses X-ray crystallographic methods to establish the molecular and crystal structures of solid materials, aiding the development of new materials and catalysts.
Professor Raithby said: “It is very pleasing to see our work recognised in this way and it very much reflects the enthusiasm and dedication from all the members of my research team and from our many national and international collaborators during the last three decades.”
Professor Potter said: “I’m certainly delighted to have made membership of this interesting and rather exclusive club, but this reflects primarily the published output and hard work of a large number of very talented and dedicated postgraduates, postdoctoral fellows and research collaborators over many years.
“There is an increasing tendency at present to rely upon metrics such as this one to inform all kinds of decisions in academia, including funding and academic progression.
“While they can indeed be viewed as either useful or just a bit of fun, and this one in particular seems to have captured the imagination of the chemistry community, they very rarely reflect the whole story and great caution should always be exercised in applying them to anything in isolation.”
Professors Potter and Raithby have also both had their achievements recognised recently with the award of Royal Society of Chemistry medals and prizes for Chemical Biology & Cancer Research (Professor Potter) and Structural Chemistry (Professor Raithby).