Three Lancaster Environment Centre scientists feature in the Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list for 2018.

The highly cited list, published annually, identifies scientists whose research has had significant global impact within their respective fields of study.

According to Clarivate Analytics, scientists and scholars publish more than 2 million papers in journals each year. Researchers who appear on the most cited list have produced research that has stood out and won peer approval, leading other academics to cite the research in their own work.

Ranking in the top 1% by citations for field and publication year in Web of Science, Highly Cited Researchers are leading the way in solving the world’s biggest challenges. The Lancaster Environment Centre scientists’ research are helping to preserving the world’s coral reefs and working to prevent world hunger.

Professor Stephen Decent Lancaster University Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, said: “Lancaster researchers are leading the way on the global stage, producing high-quality research with impact. We are delighted to see our colleagues recognised in this global highly-cited list.”

The three highly cited researchers are:

Professor Nick Graham is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and a Chair in Marine Ecology based in Lancaster University’s Environment Centre. His research tackles the challenges facing coral reef ecosystems, using large scale ecological and social-ecological approaches to understand and better manage climatic impacts and human use. He has assessed the impacts of climate induced coral bleaching on coral reef fish assemblages, fisheries and ecosystem stability. He has studied the patterns and processes by which degraded coral reefs recover, and how this can be influenced by management. Nick has worked extensively on the ecological ramifications of fishing and increasingly collaborates with social scientists.

Professor Steve Long is a Distinguished Professor of Crop Sciences and has been at Lancaster University since 2016. Steve is a Fellow of the Royal Society and has a dual appointment at Lancaster University and the University of Illinois. His expertise in crop photosynthesis spans from molecular and in silico design to analysis of performance in the field. He uses computational and experimental approaches to improve photosynthetic efficiency, and works to address the effects of climate change on crop yield. Steve is Director of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation international project on Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE). He has been recognised as a highly cited researcher every year since 2005.

Professor Martin Parry is a Professor in plant science and food security. He wants his research to have a real impact on food security by increasing the yield of major crops while also increasing the efficiency of production and food quality. He believes that one way to achieve this is to increase photosynthesis of major crops like wheat. Martin has been made an Honorary Member of the Association of Applied Biologists. He has also been awarded the China National Friendship Award by Vice-Premier Ma Kai.