Four researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute are among Research.com’s latest ranking of the “1,000 best scientists in the world” for 2025/26.
They are:
- Michael Karin, PhD
- Erkki Ruoslahti, MD, PhD
- David Brenner, MD
- Randal J. Kaufman, PhD
Research.com is an academic and higher education platform that produces data-driven rankings and guides. The latest listing of best scientists is primarily based on data derived from OpenAlex, an open-source catalog of the global research system with more than 480 million entries, and CrossRef, a not-for-profit digital registry of published scientific literature.
Additionally, researchers’ H-index is taken into account, which is a measure of the productivity and citation impact of their published work, an indicator of its importance and broader influence. H-index scores vary substantially by academic and scientific discipline. In biomedical research, an H-index of 40 or higher is deemed notable.
More on the four
Michael Karin, PhD, is among the world’s leading authorities on inflammation as a driver of disease, particularly cancer. He joined Sanford Burnham Prebys as director of the Center for Metabolic and Liver Diseases in 2025. Research.com identified Karin as ranking 23rd in the world among best scientists and 17th among U.S. researchers. His H-index was 279, with 348,118 citations in 834 publications.
Erkki Ruoslahti, PhD, joined Sanford Burnham Prebys in 1979 and served as president from 1989-2002. He is perhaps best known for co-discovering integrins—proteins that act as vital structural and chemical middlemen, connecting the inside of a cell to the surrounding extracellular matrix. He continues to conduct active studies. Research.com ranked Ruoslahti 341st in the world and 222nd in the U.S, with a 194 H-index, 153,152 citations in 704 publications.
David Brenner, MD, is president and CEO of Sanford Burnham Prebys and a leader in the field of gastroenterology research, specifically liver fibrosis (scarring). Research.com listed Brenner 872nd in the world and 505th in the U.S., with a 168 H-index, with 86,042 citations in 658 publications.
Randal J. Kaufman, PhD, is a professor in the Center for Metabolic and Liver Diseases. His research focuses on the fundamental mechanisms that regulate protein folding, why proteins misfold and the biological consequences. Research.com ranked Kaufman 890th in the world and 517th in the United States, with a 167 H-index on 119,194 citations in 566 publications.
For the full listing and explanations of methodology, visit Research.com.