Overview
Researcher Rankings is a topic within the NeuroWiki knowledge base covering aspects of neurodegenerative disease research and mechanisms. [@geneprotein]
This page ranks researchers by impact and contributions to the neurodegenerative disease field. Rankings are based on publication impact, citation metrics, clinical trial involvement, and overall contributions to understanding Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and related disorders.
Rankings by Publication Impact
| Rank | Researcher | Institution | Citations |
|------|------------|-------------|-----------|
| 1 | John Hardy | UCL | 100000+ |
| 2 | Michael Goedert | MRC | 80000+ |
| 3 | Bart De Strooper | KU Leuven | 60000+ |
| 4 | Marc Hutton | GSK | 50000+ |
| 5 | John Ravits | UCSD | 40000+ |
| 6 | Virginia Lee | UPenn | 35000+ |
| 7 | Marc Hutton | GSK | 50000+ |
| 8 | Lars Bertram | McGill | 30000+ |
| 9 | Alison Goate | Mount Sinai | 28000+ |
| 10 | Rudy Tanzi | Harvard | 25000+ |
Rankings by H-Index
| Rank | Researcher | Field | H-Index |
|------|------------|-------|---------|
| 1 | John Hardy | Genetics | 200+ |
| 2 | Michael Goedert | Pathology | 180+ |
| 3 | Leonard Petrucelli | Therapeutics | 150+ |
| 4 | Aaron Gitler | Genetics | 140+ |
| 5 | Virginia Lee | Pathology | 130+ |
| 6 | Bart De Strooper | Neuroscience | 125+ |
| 7 | Marc Hutton | Pharmacology | 120+ |
| 8 | Lars Bertram | Genetics | 115+ |
| 9 | Erik Roberson | Neurology | 110+ |
| 10 | Jeffery Kelly | Biochemistry | 105+ |
Rankings by Clinical Trial Involvement
...Overview
Researcher Rankings is a topic within the NeuroWiki knowledge base covering aspects of neurodegenerative disease research and mechanisms. [@geneprotein]
This page ranks researchers by impact and contributions to the neurodegenerative disease field. Rankings are based on publication impact, citation metrics, clinical trial involvement, and overall contributions to understanding Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and related disorders.
Rankings by Publication Impact
| Rank | Researcher | Institution | Citations |
|------|------------|-------------|-----------|
| 1 | John Hardy | UCL | 100000+ |
| 2 | Michael Goedert | MRC | 80000+ |
| 3 | Bart De Strooper | KU Leuven | 60000+ |
| 4 | Marc Hutton | GSK | 50000+ |
| 5 | John Ravits | UCSD | 40000+ |
| 6 | Virginia Lee | UPenn | 35000+ |
| 7 | Marc Hutton | GSK | 50000+ |
| 8 | Lars Bertram | McGill | 30000+ |
| 9 | Alison Goate | Mount Sinai | 28000+ |
| 10 | Rudy Tanzi | Harvard | 25000+ |
Rankings by H-Index
| Rank | Researcher | Field | H-Index |
|------|------------|-------|---------|
| 1 | John Hardy | Genetics | 200+ |
| 2 | Michael Goedert | Pathology | 180+ |
| 3 | Leonard Petrucelli | Therapeutics | 150+ |
| 4 | Aaron Gitler | Genetics | 140+ |
| 5 | Virginia Lee | Pathology | 130+ |
| 6 | Bart De Strooper | Neuroscience | 125+ |
| 7 | Marc Hutton | Pharmacology | 120+ |
| 8 | Lars Bertram | Genetics | 115+ |
| 9 | Erik Roberson | Neurology | 110+ |
| 10 | Jeffery Kelly | Biochemistry | 105+ |
Rankings by Clinical Trial Involvement
| Rank | Researcher | Trials | Disease |
|------|------------|--------|---------|
| 1 | Adam Boxer | 30+ | AD |
| 2 | Anthony Schapira | 25+ | PD |
| 3 | Leonard Petrucelli | 20+ | ALS |
| 4 | Bengt Winblad | 30+ | AD |
| 5 | Oscar Harari | 15+ | AD |
| 6 | Ira Davison | 12+ | AD |
| 7 | David Wilaman | 10+ | PD |
| 8 | Michael Hill | 10+ | PD |
| 9 | Karl Becks | 8+ | AD |
| 10 | Samantha Gubser | 8+ | AD |
Top Researchers by Disease Area
Alzheimer's Disease
John Hardy (UCL): Pioneer of the amyloid cascade hypothesis; discovered [APP](/entities/app-protein) mutations causing familial AD; over 100,000 citations. His work established the fundamental framework for understanding [amyloid-beta](/proteins/amyloid-beta) toxicity in AD pathogenesis.
Bart De Strooper (KU Leuven): Expert on [gamma-secretase](/entities/gamma-secretase) and APP processing; demonstrated the role of presenilins in amyloid production; recipient of the Brain Prize for contributions to dementia research.
Virginia Lee (UPenn): Discovered [TDP-43 protein](/mechanisms/tdp-43-proteinopathy) aggregates in ALS and FTD; pioneered understanding of protein misfolding in neurodegenerative diseases; developed critical diagnostic biomarkers.
Rudy Tanzi (Harvard): Co-discoverer of all three early-onset familial AD genes (APP, [PSEN1](/entities/psen1), PSEN2); leading expert on Alzheimer's genetics and therapeutic target identification.
Parkinson's Disease
Michael Goedert (MRC): Discovered [alpha-synuclein](/proteins/alpha-synuclein) as the main component of Lewy bodies; established the role of [tau](/proteins/tau) in neurodegeneration; over 80,000 citations.
Anthony Schapira (UCL): Leading authority on Parkinson's disease genetics and treatment; identified multiple PD risk genes; conducted groundbreaking clinical trials for disease-modifying therapies.
Birgit Beach (NIH): Expert on Lewy body dementia and PD biomarkers; developed advanced imaging techniques for early PD detection.
ALS and Frontotemporal Dementia
Leonard Petrucelli (Mayo Clinic): Pioneered understanding of TDP-43 pathology in ALS and FTD; developed therapeutic approaches targeting RNA metabolism; over 150 publications in top journals.
Aaron Gitler (Stanford): Discovered genetic causes of ALS and FTD; identified hexanucleotide repeat expansions in [C9orf72](/entities/c9orf72) as the most common genetic cause.
Methodology
Rankings are compiled from multiple authoritative sources including PubMed citation counts, Google Scholar metrics, ClinicalTrials.gov registrations, and peer recognition through major awards such as the Brain Prize, Nobel Prize, and keynotes at AD/PD conferences.
See Also
- [List of All Researchers](/researchers/)
- [Alzheimer's Disease Research](/researchers/alzheimers-disease-research)
- [Parkinson's Disease Research](/researchers/parkinsons-disease-research)
- [Clinical Trials Overview](/clinical-trials)
External Links
- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)
- [KEGG Pathways](https://www.genome.jp/kegg/pathway.html)
Coverage Gaps
Missing Researcher Pages
The researcher rankings reference many leading scientists in the neurodegenerative disease field. Dedicated researcher pages should be created for:
- [Top-cited researchers in Alzheimer's disease](/researchers)
- [Top-cited researchers in Parkinson's disease](/researchers)
- [Key opinion leaders in clinical trials](/clinical-trials)
- Pioneers in disease mechanism discovery
Action Items
Extract researcher names from ranking tables
Create individual researcher profile pages
Link publications and clinical trial involvementReferences
Unknown, Gene/Protein databases (n.d.)