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Six South Africa-based scientists represent Africa on a list of the world\u2019s currently most influential scientific minds, released on 18 June by the intellectual property and science business of Thomson Reuters.<\/p>\n
The six are Nicola Mulder and William Bond from the University of Cape Town; Stellenbosch University\u2019s David Richardson; Guy Midgley from the South African National Biodiversity Institute; and Rachel Jewkes and Lyn Wadley from the University of the Witwatersrand.<\/p>\n
The researchers on the list wrote the most \u2018highly cited papers\u2019\u2014that is, ranking among the top 1 per cent most cited in their subject field and year\u2014between 2002 and 2012. More than 3,000 scientists made it onto the\u00a0list.
\nAnother four highly cited researchers list \u2018secondary affiliations\u2019 to South African institutions: Matthias Egger (University of Bern, Switzerland, and UCT), Bruce Walker (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, US, and University of KwaZulu-Natal), Yves Van De Peer (Ghent University, Belgium, and University of Pretoria), and Christopher Henshilwood (University of Bergen, Norway, and Wits University).<\/p>\n
However, no researchers on the list are associated with other African countries.\u201cThe global nature of the study highlights the countries, institutions and researchers on the cutting edge of science. It\u2019s our mission at Thomson Reuters to support these individuals as they advance innovation globally,\u201d said Basil Moftah, president of Thomson Reuters IP & Science.\u00a0The South Africa-based researchers excelled in biology, clinical medicine, environmental sciences and social sciences.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe \u2018highly cited\u2019 badge is one result of the research made possible by the centre of excellence programme that has produced a vibrant research hub in South Africa which is enjoying international recognition,\u201d said David Richardson, one of the South Africans on the list.<\/p>\n
In its first 10 years, Richardson\u2019s Centre for Invasion Biology has produced over 800 papers in peer-reviewed journals and trained over 200 students.\u00a0\u201cSouth Africa is a superb natural laboratory for studying the ecology of invasive species, how they affect humans, and how humans perceive the problems,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
By Jackie Opara for Research Professional Africa 30 June 2014<\/p>\n