Back to News >

The research quality and influence of four Durham University professors has seen them named among the very best in the world.

Geographer Harriet Bulkeley and Cosmologists Carlos Frenk, Adrian Jenkins and Tom Theuns were recognised in the Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers 2020 list from the Web of Science Group.

Professors Frenk, Jenkins and Theuns’ listing puts Durham joint first in the UK, joint third in Europe and joint seventh in the world for the strength of the University’s research in Space Science.

The Clarivate list identifies scientists and social scientists who have published multiple research papers that rank in the top one per cent in their field in the Web of Science citation index.

This demonstrates the significant influence that Durham research has among fellow academics worldwide who have referenced the University’s findings in their own studies.

Professor Bulkeley, in Durham’s Department of Geography, co-ordinates the European NATURVATION project and is a member of the REINVENT project investigating climate solutions and decarbonisation in urban areas and industry.

Professor Frenk, Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics and founder and former Director of the Institute for Computational Cosmology (ICC), is one of the world’s foremost researchers behind the theory of cold dark matter.

Carlos was recently awarded the Paul Dirac Medal and Prize by the Institute of Physics as well as being named “Nobel Class” by Clarivate for his fundamental studies of galaxy formation and evolution, cosmic structure, and dark matter halos.

Professor Jenkins is a leading expert on cosmological simulations and the nature of dark matter, while Professor Theuns is a recognised expert on cosmological simulations of the formation of galaxies and large structures in the universe. Both are also members of the ICC.

Professor Colin Bain, Vice-Provost (Research), at Durham University, said:

“Durham University’s research continues to be among the very best, something that is underlined by the fact that our research is highly cited by fellow researchers around the world.

“To be among the top one per cent of researchers on the planet is fantastic and I congratulate Harriet, Carlos, Adrian and Tom for the extremely high quality of their research work and for this outstanding achievement.”

In total, 6,167 researchers from more than 60 countries and regions have been recognised by Clarivate this year. Analysis was performed by experts at Clarivate’s Institute for Scientific Information.

David Pendlebury, Senior Citation Analyst at the Institute for Scientific Information, said:

“In the race for knowledge, it is human capital that is fundamental and this list identifies and celebrates exceptional individual researchers who are having a great impact on the research community as measured by the rate at which their work is being cited by others.”