Bhubaneswar: BRIC-Institute of Life Sciences (BRIC-ILS), Bhubaneswar scientists Dr Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo and Dr Amaresh Chandra Panda have again been named among the world’s Top 2% scientists in the 2026 list compiled by Stanford University and published by Elsevier.
Both researchers have appeared in the list every year from 2019 to 2026, marking eight consecutive years of recognition. The 2026 edition includes 6,954 Indian researchers.
Dr Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo’s Global Ranking
Dr Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo works in Clinical Medicine, with Pharmacology & Pharmacy as his sub-field. He ranks 51,868 globally and ranks 302 among 166,116 authors in his sub-field.
- As of the 2025 year-end, Dr Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo has an h-index of 17 and an hm-index of 10.09. He also features in the career-long dataset, where he holds a global rank of 70,468.
Dr Amaresh Chandra Panda’s Ranking
Dr Amaresh Chandra Panda works in Biomedical Research, with Developmental Biology as his sub-field. He ranks 41,810 globally.
- In his sub-field, Dr. Panda ranks 908 among 167,121 authors. His h-index is 11, while his hm-index stands at 5.84 as of the 2025 year-end.
What Is a Citation and Why Does It Matter?
When scientists publish a discovery, it appears in a research paper. Any scientist who later uses that finding, whether to test a new idea, design an experiment or develop a treatment, mentions the original paper in their own work. That mention is known as a citation.
A citation can be viewed as a vote of trust. It indicates that other experts have read the work, found it reliable and considered it valuable enough to build upon. A paper that is cited repeatedly can influence the direction of subsequent research.
Citations also matter beyond the laboratory. Medical research often begins with basic questions about how cells and diseases work.
Each paper that builds on earlier research can contribute to better testing, more targeted treatments or a clearer understanding of disease.
Citations allow researchers to trace the chain from a laboratory finding to its eventual benefit to society. For this reason, they are considered among the important indicators of the value and reach of research.
For Dr Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo, the recognition comes as part of a sustained record of citations and research contributions spanning several years.
How the Top 2% Scientist Rankings Are Calculated
The rankings use a composite score based on standardized citation indicators. These include total citations, the h-index and the hm-index.
The figures reported in the rankings exclude self-citations, referring to citations in which scientists cite their own earlier work. The ranking therefore reflects recognition from the wider research community.
The database is described in “August 2026 data-update for ‘Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators’” by John P.A. Ioannidis, published in the Elsevier Data Repository.
Science advances fastest when research arrives at the right moment. Work that addresses an urgent question, such as an emerging disease, a gap in treatment or a new technique needed by other laboratories, can be picked up quickly.
Other researchers can then test, improve and apply the findings rather than starting from scratch. Timely and relevant studies can help save effort, avoid duplication and accelerate the path from discovery to use.
The sustained citations earned by Dr Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo and Dr. Amaresh Chandra Panda over eight consecutive years indicate that their work has remained relevant, useful and trusted within the research community.
The recognition reflects years of rigorous research and the collaborative efforts of the wider BRIC-ILS community. The institute congratulated both scientists and said it looks forward to further milestones.
Reference: Ioannidis, John P.A. (2026), “August 2026 data-update for ‘Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators’”, Elsevier Data Repository, V9, doi: 10.17632/btchxktzyw.9.
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