Three Pitt Public Health faculty members ranked among the top female scientists.
Data analytics company Research.com has ranked three School of Public Health faculty members among the top 1,000 female scientists for 2023 based on their productivity, publication history and number of citations as calculated from bibliometric sources, known as the h-index.
They are Jane Cauley, DrPH, Distinguished Professor and interim chair of epidemiology; Anne Newman, MD, MPH, Distinguished Professor and former chair of epidemiology; and Sally Wenzel, MD, Rachel Carson Professor in Environmental Health and professor and chair of environmental and occupational health.
One of several scholarship metrics used in science, the h-index is calculated by counting the number of publications for which an author has been cited by other authors at least that same number of times. The index, therefore, is a numerical indication of both the magnitude and significance of each author’s body of work.
Cauley is noted for her investigations into the physical and psychological changes that take place during and after the menopausal transition, including differences in estrogen and cholesterol levels, bone density and risks of hip fractures. Her record (1,127 papers, nearly 137,000 citations and an h-index of 179) put her at No. 20 in the United States on Research.com’s list. Worldwide, she is listed at No. 29.
Newman, a recognized population health scientist, came in at No. 22 in the U.S. and 31 worldwide, with more than 1,100 papers, more than 141,000 citations and an h-index of 177.
“So many more women today are becoming scientists,” she said. “I hope that our recognition encourages them in their careers.”
Newman stepped down as chair of the Department of Epidemiology in 2022. She is currently UPMC Professor in Geroscience within Pitt’s School of Medicine and clinical director of the joint Pitt-UPMC Aging Institute.
Wenzel earned a Research.com U.S. ranking of 204 and worldwide ranking of 324. Her 587 papers have been cited more than 66,000 times and her h-index is 120. Wenzel is known for her investigations regarding asthma and severe asthma in particular. She was also noted as a highly cited researcher for 2023 by data analytics company Clarivate.
“We are delighted at this recognition of Drs. Cauley, Newman and Wenzel, whose important research accomplishments inspire current and emerging public health leaders alike,” said Maureen Lichtveld, MD, MPH, Pitt Public Health dean and Jonas Salk Professor in Population Health.
-Michele Baum