Top 2% Researchers
TTUHSC El Paso Faculty Among Most Cited Research Authors in the World
Citation database identifies five top Foster School of Medicine researchers
Five Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso faculty, including the president of the university, are among the top 2% — or top 100,000 authors — out of more than 6 million cited in science journals worldwide, according to a peer-reviewed database.
The author citation database was created in 2019 by a team led by John P.A. Ioannidis, M.D., D.Sc., co-director of the METRICS Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford University. The database is updated annually and available on Elsevier BV, an analytics business website.
Author citation metrics have often been used as a way to measure a scientist’s impact in their field. However, citation data is sometimes compromised by excessive “self-citation” or “citation farms,” according to Dr. Ioannidis. His solution was to compile two improved comprehensive databases, reflecting long-term and single-year research authorship.
From left: Dr. Debabrata Mukherjee, Dr. Deborah Clegg, Dr. Richard McCallum and Dr. Richard Lange.
Authors included in the database are those who have published at least five articles on Scopus, a widely-used abstract and citation database launched in 2004. That requirement yielded more than 6 million scientific authors. The database then used six citation metrics to highlight authors who are often cited by others and not themselves.
“They looked for people who really make an intellectual contribution to their scientific fields,” said TTUHSC El Paso Vice President for Research Deborah Clegg, Ph.D., who is one of five TTUHSC El Paso faculty members ranked in the top 2% of the database. “It’s a great honor, to be recognized for our research, scientific contributions and publications,” said Clegg, who is a professor of internal medicine at TTUHSC El Paso’s Foster School of Medicine.
Dr. Attilio Orazi
In addition to Dr. Clegg, TTUHSC El Paso faculty members Attilio Orazi, M.D., Debabrata Mukherjee, M.D., M.S., Richard McCallum, M.D., and President Richard Lange, M.D., M.B.A., are ranked in the top 2% of the database.
“When you’re researching and publishing, you’re not thinking about accolades or recognition, you’re thinking about how this will help others,” Dr. Lange said. “The rankings speak to the first-class scholarship we offer here, and this is only the beginning. I look forward to the future knowing it’s only a matter of time until we have more faculty on this list.”
Richard McCallum, M.D., FRACP, Professor and Founding Chair, Department of Internal Medicine – Division of Gastroenterology
Dr. McCallum is internationally known for his expertise in gastrointestinal motility having published more than 600 journal articles, 150 book chapters and edited 18 textbooks. Research funding from renowned medical organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health, he said has helped sustain his research with “cutting-edge technology with the goal of always trying to advance patient care.”
The high ranking “is a sign of longevity and commitment,” said Dr. McCallum, who is also director of TTUHSC El Paso’s Center for Neurogastroenterology and GI Motility. “You have to be publishing consistently over the years to maintain that expertise. I’ve been fortunate to have been associated with many great collaborators, including colleagues here at TTUHSC El Paso, who helped bring these publications to fruition. You certainly work with a team, but you drive the ship.”
Debabrata Mukherjee, M.D., M.S., Professor and Chair of Internal Medicine, Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine
Dr. Mukherjee has an extensive research history, publishing more than 500 articles, 100 textbook chapters and editing 17 textbooks on cardiovascular diseases. He is also an editor for the journal Angiology, associate editor for Cardiovascular and Hematological Disorders – Drug Targets, regional editor for Current Vascular Pharmacology and is a member of the American College of Cardiology’s joint guidelines committee.
“My hope is that more clinicians will be inspired, knowing that it’s possible to be a practicing clinician who can also conduct valuable research,” Dr. Mukherjee said. “I’d encourage all clinicians to keep asking thoughtful questions and to use clinical research to help get the answers needed to improve patient care.”
Attilio Orazi, M.D., FRCPATH, Professor and Chair of Pathology
In addition to being the Department of Pathology chair, Dr. Orazi has had 360 published contributions on hematopathology, including 285 peer-reviewed medical journal articles and 76 book chapters. He is also the lead editor or co-editor of three textbooks and the author or co-author of three more.
“I’m happy that my work as a pathologist is recognized and that my publications can be of help to pathologists and clinicians alike by providing them with a better, evidence-based characterization of diseases and of their pathogenetic alterations,” said Dr. Orazi. “Scientific contributions made by practicing physicians are truly valuable because they can be quickly and efficiently translated into clinical practice for better patient outcomes.”
Deborah Clegg, Ph.D., VP for Research and Professor of Internal Medicine
Dr. Clegg, the 2019 Gill Award for Transformative Research in Neuroscience recipient, has authored or co-authored over 140 publications in high-impact journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, Cell Metabolism, and Diabetes. Her research on how sex hormones, especially estrogens, impact food intake and body weight helped lead to NIH requirements to include sex as a biological variable in all aspects of research.
“I’ve been passionate about my research, and it’s great to see that my passion has been cited and recognized by others,” said Dr. Clegg. “We have tremendous potential at TTUHSC El Paso, to grow the scholarship and research of our faculty. I hope others see the value of being on the list and strive for it. Perhaps we can double, even triple, the number of TTUHSC El Paso members on that database in the near future.”
Richard Lange, M.D., M.B.A., TTUHSC El Paso President, Dean of the Foster School of Medicine
A cardiologist, Dr. Lange is a former president of the Texas American Heart Association Affiliate and has published more than 400 journal articles and book or web-based chapters dealing with ischemic heart disease, valvular heart disease and congenital heart disease. He has co-authored six books and is a chief editor for Emedicine, associate editor for two journals, and sits on the editorial board of additional journals and the American College of Cardiology Lifelong Learning Program.
“I’m humbled to be among the most cited authors in the country, but it’s an even greater honor to know that more TTUHSC El Paso faculty members share this distinction with me,” Dr. Lange said. “While it’s admirable to be among the most cited authors, it’s more commendable that our faculty has made a difference that has affected patients. Not just our patients, but the patients of those who have cited us.”
About TTUHSC El Paso
TTUHSC El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It is designated as a Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation college students.
Research conducted in TTUHSC El Paso’s four Centers of Emphasis focus on conditions directly impacting Hispanic populations, including diabetes and cancer. University researchers also study disparities, helping to meet health care challenges through prevention programs and community education.