KARACHI: Thirty-seven researchers associated with Aga Khan University (AKU), including 19 alumni, have been named in the 2026 edition of the world's top 2% scientists database, marking an increase in the university's representation in an international assessment of scientific citation impact.
The latest recognition brings together researchers working across Pakistan and Kenya, whose contributions span maternal and child health, cardiology, surgery, psychiatry, infectious diseases, pharmacology and other fields central to improving healthcare.
According to the university's announcement, the number of recognised researchers has risen from 28 in the previous listing to 37 this year, an increase of nine researchers, or approximately 32 per cent.
The 2026 database, developed by Stanford University researcher John P. A. Ioannidis and published through the Elsevier Data Repository, was released on October 7. It evaluates the citation influence of scientists using information drawn from Scopus, one of the world's largest databases of peer-reviewed research literature.
Among AKU's most prominent names are internationally recognised maternal and child health researcher Dr Zulfiqar A. Bhutta and the university's Vice Provost, Research, Dr Salim S. Virani, both of whom have achieved positions among the world's top 1,000 researchers in the single-year impact category.
Their inclusion places renewed attention on AKU's research contributions and the growing international visibility of scientific work addressing healthcare challenges in Pakistan, East Africa and beyond.
Zulfiqar Bhutta ranks 251st worldwide; Salim Virani enters top 1,000
Dr Zulfiqar A. Bhutta leads AKU's representation in the latest rankings, securing 251st position globally for single-year research impact and 421st for career-long impact.
A globally recognised figure in maternal, newborn and child health, Dr Bhutta's research has contributed to international evidence on nutrition, child survival, infectious diseases and interventions aimed at improving health outcomes in vulnerable populations.
His position in the latest assessment reflects the extensive citation reach of research addressing some of the most persistent public health challenges facing low- and middle-income countries.
Dr Salim Shahbuddin Virani, AKU's Vice Provost, Research, ranks 798th worldwide for single-year citation impact, placing him among the top 1,000 researchers globally in that category.
He also holds 8,667th position in the career-long ranking, reflecting his accumulated contributions to the scientific literature.
A leading cardiovascular researcher, Dr Virani's work is associated with preventive cardiology, cardiovascular risk assessment and research informing clinical care and healthcare policy.
Their placements are notable because both have achieved high positions in a database covering researchers across numerous scientific disciplines rather than within a single medical specialty.
AKU strengthens its presence in both ranking categories
The university's latest recognition extends beyond its two highest-ranked researchers.
According to AKU, 29 researchers appear in the single-year impact rankings, which assess citations received during the latest completed calendar year.
A further 20 researchers appear in the career-long rankings, which examine the accumulated citation influence of scientific work over a researcher's career.
Some researchers feature in both categories, meaning the two figures should not be combined to calculate the total number of individuals recognised.
The university reports that its representation has increased in both assessment categories compared with the previous year.
The latest results also highlight the breadth of AKU's research activity, with recognised academics based in Pakistan and Kenya contributing to fields ranging from clinical medicine and epidemiology to mental health, surgery and population health.
For an institution with an academic and healthcare presence across different regions, the recognition offers a measure of how its research is being cited and used within the international scientific literature.
Research impact must translate into better healthcare, says AKU
Dr Salim Virani, Vice Provost, Research at AKU, said the recognition reflects the expanding international reach of the university's scientific work and its researchers' contributions to major healthcare challenges.
“This recognition reflects the growing global influence of AKU's research and our researchers' contributions to addressing critical challenges in health and other fields," he said.
He emphasised that the significance of research should not be judged by publications and citations alone.
“Research impact goes beyond publications and citations. When evidence informs clinical guidelines, strengthens public health policies, and improves people's lives, it creates meaningful change.”
Dr Virani said the rankings reinforced AKU's commitment to research that responds to local needs while contributing to international scientific knowledge.
His remarks underline an important distinction in assessing academic achievement: citation rankings can indicate the influence of published research, but the ultimate value of medical investigation also depends on whether findings improve clinical decisions, healthcare delivery and population health.
What is the world's top 2% scientists database?
The widely cited Stanford–Elsevier database is formally titled Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators.
The 2026 update was published in the Elsevier Data Repository on October 7 and uses a Scopus snapshot dated August 1, 2026.
It assesses research influence in two separate categories.
The career-long assessment measures cumulative citation impact through the end of 2025, while the single-year assessment evaluates citations received during the 2025 calendar year.
Rather than ranking researchers solely by how many papers they have published, the database uses a composite citation indicator known as the c-score.
The methodology incorporates several measures, including total citations, h-index, co-authorship-adjusted hm-index and the citation impact of publications according to authorship position.
Researchers are classified into 20 broad scientific fields and 174 subfields, allowing their citation performance to be examined within different areas of scholarship.
Scientists qualify for inclusion by ranking among the top 100,000 according to specified composite-score criteria or by meeting the top-two-percent threshold within their scientific subfield.
This explains why researchers with global positions exceeding 100,000 can still qualify for the database.
The dataset is frequently described as the world's top 2% scientists list, but it is a bibliometric research assessment rather than an academic prize conferred individually by Stanford University.
Its creators also caution that citation indicators have limitations and should not be regarded as absolute measures of scientific excellence.
Researchers contributing across medicine and public health
AKU's recognised researchers represent a broad range of specialties whose work is relevant to major healthcare needs in Pakistan and other developing regions.
In maternal, newborn and child health, researchers such as Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta, Dr Jai Kumar Das, Dr Sajid Bashir Soofi, Dr Muhammad Imran Nisar, Dr Farah Naz Qamar and Dr Fyezah Jehan are associated with research addressing child survival, nutrition, infectious diseases and improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Cardiovascular medicine is represented by researchers including Dr Salim Virani and Dr Zainab Samad, whose academic work contributes to understanding cardiovascular disease and its prevention and management.
Other recognised researchers work in emergency medicine, surgery, psychiatry, epidemiology, public health, infectious diseases, pharmacology and healthcare systems research.
The diversity of these areas is significant because many of the health challenges facing Pakistan require evidence from multiple disciplines.
Reducing maternal and child mortality, improving the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases, strengthening infectious disease preparedness and expanding access to effective healthcare all depend on sustained scientific investigation.
Research produced in these areas can contribute to clinical guidelines, health policy, professional training and the identification of interventions that improve patient outcomes.
AKU's inclusion in the latest rankings therefore reflects not only the international citation visibility of individual researchers but also the range of health-related questions being investigated across the university's academic community.
Full list of AKU researchers recognised in 2026
The university has provided separate lists for single-year and career-long citation impact. Researchers appearing in both categories are included under each relevant heading.
The rankings below are global citation-impact positions, not rankings within individual medical specialties.
Single-year research impact — 29 researchers
Dr Zulfiqar A. Bhutta — Pakistan | Global rank: 251
Dr Salim Shahbuddin Virani — Pakistan and Kenya | Global rank: 798
Dr Jai Kumar Das — Pakistan | Global rank: 18,105
Dr Marleen I.L. Temmerman — Kenya | Global rank: 24,522
Dr Adil Hussain Haider — Pakistan | Global rank: 58,149
Dr Anwar ul Hassan Gilani — Pakistan | Global rank: 70,709
Dr Lukoye Atwoli — Kenya | Global rank: 116,762
Dr Rodney Adam — Kenya | Global rank: 118,463
Dr Salimah R. Walani — Pakistan | Global rank: 121,944
Dr Zainab Samad — Pakistan | Global rank: 133,420
Dr Amina A. Abubakar — Kenya | Global rank: 148,598
Dr Romaina Iqbal — Pakistan | Global rank: 181,521
Dr Farah Naz Qamar — Pakistan | Global rank: 185,265
Dr Saleem Islam — Pakistan | Global rank: 221,814
Dr Om Parkash — Pakistan | Global rank: 223,047
Dr Sajid Bashir Soofi — Pakistan | Global rank: 240,294
Dr Sarah Saleem — Pakistan | Global rank: 263,226
Dr Junaid Abdul Razzak — Pakistan | Global rank: 238,215
Dr Muhammad Imran Nisar — Pakistan | Global rank: 305,858
Dr Syeda Sadia Fatima — Pakistan | Global rank: 342,439
Dr Tazeen Saeed Ali — Pakistan | Global rank: 362,126
Dr Zubair Ahmad — Pakistan | Global rank: 371,583
Dr Syed Asad Ali — Pakistan | Global rank: 396,668
Dr Muhammad Yousuf Ali — Pakistan | Global rank: 407,375
Dr Rehana Rehman — Pakistan | Global rank: 426,337
Dr Zafar Ahmed Fatmi — Pakistan | Global rank: 517,286
Dr Sameen Siddiqi — Pakistan | Global rank: 554,193
Dr Zahra Hoodbhoy — Pakistan | Global rank: 591,494
Dr Fyezah Jehan — Pakistan | Global rank: 762,456
Career-long research impact — 20 researchers
Dr Zulfiqar A. Bhutta — Pakistan | Global rank: 421
Dr Salim Shahbuddin Virani — Pakistan and Kenya | Global rank: 8,667
Dr Marleen I.L. Temmerman — Kenya | Global rank: 28,281
Dr Anwar ul Hassan Gilani — Pakistan | Global rank: 42,640
Dr Adil Hussain Haider — Pakistan | Global rank: 62,280
Dr Rodney Adam — Kenya | Global rank: 62,745
Dr Jai Kumar Das — Pakistan | Rank requires verification against the original dataset
Dr Saleem Islam — Pakistan | Global rank: 152,363
Dr Gijs E.L. Walraven — Pakistan | Global rank: 164,672
Dr Karim Fatehali Damji — Pakistan | Global rank: 168,588
Dr Saeed Sadiq Hamid — Pakistan | Global rank: 181,298
Dr Mansoor N. Saleh — Kenya | Global rank: 182,248
Dr Mohammad Perwaiz Iqbal — Pakistan | Global rank: 352,581
Dr Om Parkash — Pakistan | Global rank: 375,823
Dr Waris Qidwai — Pakistan | Global rank: 419,655
Dr Romaina Iqbal — Pakistan | Global rank: 425,049
Dr Afia Zafar — Pakistan | Global rank: 501,501
Dr Syed Asad Ali — Pakistan | Global rank: 505,797
Dr Javaid Ahmed Khan — Pakistan | Global rank: 513,203
Dr Sajid Bashir Soofi — Pakistan | Global rank: 534,562
The two categories assess different periods of citation impact. Their positions should not be interpreted as movements up or down a single ranking.
Why the latest recognition matters for Pakistan
For Pakistan's medical research community, the increase in AKU's representation offers another indication of the visibility of research produced by scientists working on issues of national and international importance.
Pakistan faces a combination of longstanding public health challenges, including maternal and child mortality, infectious diseases, undernutrition and the growing burden of cardiovascular and other noncommunicable diseases.
Addressing these challenges requires more than clinical services alone. It also demands reliable evidence to inform prevention, treatment, health policy and decisions about where limited healthcare resources can make the greatest difference.
Institutions capable of producing and evaluating such evidence play an important role in strengthening the country's healthcare system.
The presence of AKU researchers working in Pakistan and Kenya further illustrates the value of scientific collaboration across countries facing overlapping health and development challenges.
Their research may contribute to a wider body of knowledge used by clinicians, policymakers and international organisations when assessing healthcare interventions and setting priorities.
However, citation recognition should be distinguished from proof of direct clinical or policy impact. Demonstrating that research improves patient outcomes requires additional evidence concerning the application of scientific findings.
Building on a growing international research profile
AKU's latest results come as the university continues to develop its research programmes, international collaborations and academic infrastructure.
The reported increase from 28 recognised researchers to 37 reflects a larger group of AKU-affiliated scholars meeting the database's citation-impact inclusion criteria.
The presence of 19 alumni among those recognised also highlights the university's academic network beyond its current faculty and research appointments.
For students, early-career researchers and medical professionals, the recognition draws attention to the opportunities created through postgraduate education, research mentorship, interdisciplinary collaboration and sustained scientific work.
It also places emphasis on the need to move beyond publication totals towards research capable of informing medical practice, healthcare policy and improvements in population health.
As Dr Virani observed, the true significance of scientific research emerges when evidence helps improve people's lives.
For AKU, the 2026 rankings represent another milestone in the international recognition of its research community. For Pakistan's healthcare sector, they offer an opportunity to examine how scientific capacity can be strengthened and translated into better health outcomes.
The original 2026 scientist database is available through the Elsevier Data Repository: https://doi.org/10.17632/btchxktzyw.9
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