Citation Rankings
Highly Cited Researchers
University of the Witwatersrand Highly Cited Researchers CitationNatural Sciences / Biological Science Rankings 2025
The Citation Rankings (Highly Cited Researchers) highlight the most cited and influential researchers across a vast range of scientific fields, covering 197 main and sub-disciplines, including the Art and Humanities Citation Rankings and Social Sciences and Humanities Citation Rankings. This service, offered exclusively by AD Scientific Index, aims to provide a balanced perspective by excluding data from CERN and other statistical sources that disproportionately favor certain researchers, particularly in the social sciences and humanities. This unique approach addresses the advantages researchers with multi-author publications and CERN involvement hold over others. Furthermore, citation rankings help uncover rule violations and unethical practices within the research community. For more detailed citation analyses, explore the Scientists Last 6 Years Citation Index, Universities Total Citations Rankings 2025, and Universities Last 6 Years Citations Rankings 2025.
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :1
carbon cycle
savannas
earth observation
biodiversity
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
185,599
74,331
0.400
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :2
laser resonators
laser beam shaping
orbital angular momentum
structured light
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
20,817
15,575
0.748
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :3
Wildlife Ecology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
20,390
6,678
0.328
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :4
Cell death
Apoptosis
Cancer
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
14,311
6,782
0.474
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :5
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
7,945
3,833
0.482
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :6
natural resource use
rural livelihoods
socio-ecological systems
savanna ecology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,670
1,629
0.444
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :7
Bioactivity screening
cancer drug resistance
biomarker discovery
Cholesterol and cancer
Drug Discovery
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,087
1,391
0.451
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :8
Freshwater Biology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,932
1,279
0.662
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :9
Ornithology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,833
787
0.429
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :10
Ornithology
urban ecology
landscape ecology
citizen science
global change
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,584
1,325
0.836
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :11
evolutionary biology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,352
797
0.589
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :12
Aquatic Ecology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,101
503
0.457
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :13
Bioinformatics and molecular modeling
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,058
944
0.892
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :14
Structural Biology of druggable protein of human parasite and bacterial pathogens
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
822
622
0.757
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :15
Visual ecology
Birds
Mammals
Retina
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
630
291
0.462
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :16
Behavioural ecology
Animal Physiology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
551
484
0.878
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :17
developmental biology
vertebrate evolution
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
487
158
0.324
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :18
social-ecological systems
natural resource use
savanna ecology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
376
338
0.899
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :19
Remote Sensing
Spatial Ecology
Community Based Natural Resource Management
Ecosystem Services
GIS
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
336
153
0.455
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :20
Ethnobotany
Rural livelihoods
Socio-Ecological systems
Natural resource use
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
333
297
0.892
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :21
Biology education
science identity
undergraduate teaching
undergraduate learning
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
203
180
0.887
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :22
Sedimentology
stratigraphy
sequence stratigraphy
biostratigraphy
palaeontology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
181
177
0.978
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :23
vertebrate palaeontology
virtual palaeontology
tooth replacement
Therapsida
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
156
136
0.872
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :24
Botany
plant physiology
medicinal plant
seed biology
conservation of plant germplasm
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
124
69
0.556
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :25
Palaeontology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
115
103
0.896
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
956
3
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 1
Robert J Scholes
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
185,599
74,331
0.400
carbon cycle
savannas
earth observation
biodiversity
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
38,346
117
17
Ranking Based On Selection: 2
Andrew Forbes
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
20,817
15,575
0.748
laser resonators
laser beam shaping
orbital angular momentum
structured light
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
39,498
121
19
Ranking Based On Selection: 3
Norman Owen-Smith
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
20,390
6,678
0.328
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
63,530
219
31
Ranking Based On Selection: 4
Marianne Cronje
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
14,311
6,782
0.474
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
127,673
485
65
Ranking Based On Selection: 5
Marion Bamford
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
7,945
3,833
0.482
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
272,136
1,173
143
Ranking Based On Selection: 6
Wayne Twine
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,670
1,629
0.444
natural resource use
rural livelihoods
socio-ecological systems
savanna ecology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
315,234
1,403
164
Ranking Based On Selection: 7
Mandeep Kaur
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,087
1,391
0.451
Bioactivity screening
cancer drug resistance
biomarker discovery
Cholesterol and cancer
Drug Discovery
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
451,657
2,149
233
Ranking Based On Selection: 8
Darragh J. Woodford
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,932
1,279
0.662
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
468,545
2,232
243
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
Craig Symes
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,833
787
0.429
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
517,054
2,513
275
Ranking Based On Selection: 10
Chevonne Reynolds
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,584
1,325
0.836
Ornithology
urban ecology
landscape ecology
citizen science
global change
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
571,176
2,836
296
Ranking Based On Selection: 11
Pierre M Durand
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,352
797
0.589
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
644,007
3,254
330
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
Gavin Snow
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,101
503
0.457
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
657,995
3,331
337
Ranking Based On Selection: 13
Houcemeddine Othman
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,058
944
0.892
Bioinformatics and molecular modeling
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
748,724
3,858
388
Ranking Based On Selection: 14
Ikechukwu Achilonu
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
822
622
0.757
Structural Biology of druggable protein of human parasite and bacterial pathogens
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
839,970
4,428
439
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
João Paulo Coimbra
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
630
291
0.462
Visual ecology
Birds
Mammals
Retina
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
882,947
4,727
457
Ranking Based On Selection: 16
Tanja Mfn Van De Ven
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
551
484
0.878
Behavioural ecology
Animal Physiology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
929,064
5,032
487
Ranking Based On Selection: 17
Natalya Nikitina
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
487
158
0.324
developmental biology
vertebrate evolution
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,033,119
5,905
585
Ranking Based On Selection: 18
Penelope J. Mograbi
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
376
338
0.899
social-ecological systems
natural resource use
savanna ecology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,078,586
6,296
621
Ranking Based On Selection: 19
Jolene T. Fisher
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
336
153
0.455
Remote Sensing
Spatial Ecology
Community Based Natural Resource Management
Ecosystem Services
GIS
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,081,688
6,323
622
Ranking Based On Selection: 20
Nompendulo Khoza
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
333
297
0.892
Ethnobotany
Rural livelihoods
Socio-Ecological systems
Natural resource use
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,288,715
8,138
779
Ranking Based On Selection: 21
Shalini Dukhan
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
203
180
0.887
Biology education
science identity
undergraduate teaching
undergraduate learning
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,337,020
8,571
820
Ranking Based On Selection: 22
Cameron Penn-Clarke
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
181
177
0.978
Sedimentology
stratigraphy
sequence stratigraphy
biostratigraphy
palaeontology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,401,520
9,146
886
Ranking Based On Selection: 23
Luke A. Norton
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
156
136
0.872
vertebrate palaeontology
virtual palaeontology
tooth replacement
Therapsida
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,499,786
10,051
973
Ranking Based On Selection: 24
Rebecca Opeyemi Oyerinde
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
124
69
0.556
Botany
plant physiology
medicinal plant
seed biology
conservation of plant germplasm
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,529,536
10,324
1,005
Ranking Based On Selection: 25
Marc Van Den Brandt
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
115
103
0.896