AdventHealth Clinical Leaders Among Top 2% of Scientists Worldwide

June 21, 2021 — Five AdventHealth physicians and the scientific director of the AdventHealth Translational Research Institute are featured in the ranking of the world’s top 2% of scientists in a study by Stanford University.

Published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS Biology, the comprehensive list analyzed research data from the mid-1990s through to 2019, covering millions of scientists in all fields of study, and identified the top scientists by calculating how often their work is cited over the course of their careers.

Top 2% of Global Scientists

The following AdventHealth clinical leaders are featured among the nearly 160,000 listed experts:

• Bret Goodpaster, PhD - #291 in Endocrinology and Metabolism

Goodpaster investigates the pathophysiology of human aging, obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, as well as the biological mechanisms underlying the health benefits of exercise. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers, review articles and book chapters, has served on several editorial boards, and is currently an Associate Editor for Diabetologia. Goodpaster is currently the scientific director of the AdventHealth Translational Research Institute.

• John R.T. Monson, MD - #359 in Surgery

Monson is a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon with expertise in minimally invasive technologies. As an author of over 400 original published papers, four books and more than 250 book chapters, his research encompasses a broad range of cancer-related areas including the development of national standards and co-founding the Commission on Cancer’s National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer. He serves on numerous editorial boards including being Co-Editor of Diseases of Colon and Rectum. In addition to his role as a leading physician with the AdventHealth Medical Group's elite colorectal surgery team, Monson also serves as executive director for the Digestive Health and Surgery Institute at AdventHealth Orlando.

• Richard Pratley, MD - #395 in Endocrinology and Metabolism

Pratley is a board-certified internal medicine physician and internationally recognized diabetes expert with advanced training in gerontology, geriatrics and metabolism. He is a leading authority on new and emerging treatments for diabetes and its comorbidities. Pratley serves as the Samuel Crockett Chair in Diabetes Research, heads the Diabetes Program for the AdventHealth Translational Research Institute, and serves as the medical director of the AdventHealth Diabetes Institute.

• Vipul Patel, MD - #735 in Urology and Nephrology

One of the most experienced urologic robotic surgeons in the world, Patel has personally performed nearly 15,000 robotic prostatectomies and travels around the globe to educate physicians and help start robotic programs internationally. He has authored over 150 scientific articles and has served as an editor on six robotic textbooks – including The Journal of Robotic Surgery and the first-ever robotic urology textbook – and is a contributor on over 20 textbooks. Patel serves as the director of the Global Robotics Institute at AdventHealth Celebration and is the medical director of the AdventHealth Celebration Cancer Institute Urologic Oncology Program.

• Mark Socinski, MD - #1,523 and #3,725 in Oncology and Carcinogenesis

Socinski is a board-certified, fellowship-trained medical oncologist and is an internationally recognized expert in the development of novel chemotherapy agents and treatment strategies for advanced non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Since 2005, his research has focused on incorporating personalized medicine and molecular biomarkers in the treatment of lung cancer, and he has led AdventHealth’s involvement in clinical trials for METex14. Socinski serves as the executive medical director of the AdventHealth Cancer Institute.

• Herbert Newton, MD – #2,503 in Oncology and Carcinogenesis

Newton is a board-certified neuro-oncologist and neurologist with over 30 years of highly specialized experience treating cancer patients, particularly adult patients with tumors of the brain and spinal cord. His research is well published with over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and he has served as editor or co-editor of 10 medical textbooks. Newton is the director of the medical neuro-oncology program at the AdventHealth Cancer Institute.

“Being included among the world’s top scientists speaks to the credibility of these clinical leaders and their research,” said Neil Finkler, MD, chief clinical officer for the AdventHealth Central Florida Division. “I am thrilled to see my fellow colleagues be formally recognized for their scientific contributions to their various specialties and disciplines. This exemplifies the impact of their expertise and research on the medical community, and ultimately, patient care.”

More about the study

Developed by a group of scientists led by John P.A. Ioannidis, a statistician at Stanford University, the study sought to provide a comprehensive database of the most-cited scientists. These citation metrics are incredibly important for scientists and are often used as indicators to determine the relevance and importance of a given research topic. To learn more about how these rankings were calculated, click here.