• Carlos Garbisu, a specialist in environmental microbiology, and Ramón Juste, an expert in animal health, repeat for the sixth consecutive year in the Ranking ‘World’s Most Influential (Top 2%) Scientists’, and Inma Estévez, a renowned scientist in ethology and animal welfare, does so for the third time

• All three are in the top 1.5% worldwide in their respective fields of knowledge, which is especially commendable considering the limited number of research staff that NEIKER has compared to other entities that appear on the list

Stanford University has recently updated its list of the best researchers in the world based on the citations of their scientific publications in the Scopus portal. Once again this year, the prestigious American university has included Dr. Carlos Garbisu, Scientific Director of NEIKER, Dr. Ramón Juste, researcher at the Department of Animal Health, and Dr. Inma Estévez, researcher at NEIKER’s Department of Animal Production, in this list.

The most cited researchers in the world form part of this list, which is an enormous recognition for those who make it up. In fact, this ranking is currently considered to be the most prestigious scientific reference document at an international level for ascertaining the impact of the work carried out by scientists.

The recognition therefore reflects NEIKER’s scientific excellence, especially meritorious considering the small number of researchers at NEIKER, compared to many other centres also included in the Stanford ranking, and the fact that NEIKER shares its research work with the service and transfer to the Basque primary sector in order to provide added value and improve its competitiveness.

Outstanding professional career

This year, Dr. Garbisu, current Scientific Director of NEIKER, has once again been included in the Top 1% of the aforementioned Stanford ranking, according to the data corresponding to the year 2023.

Dr. Garbisu stands out for his contributions to the knowledge of the microorganisms that inhabit soils, with special emphasis on agricultural soils and contaminated soils. He is currently focused on the theoretical and practical conception of a more sustainable agriculture, especially those aspects related to the functional integrity of soil and its microbial biodiversity, as well as the links between soil health and human health.

‘In the current environmental, social and economic climate, it is essential to maximise the provision of ecosystem services from highly productive, resilient, environmentally friendly and socially responsible agroecosystems,’ explains Garbisu. ‘Within this challenge, I am particularly interested in the interactions between people (farmers, agronomists, scientists, etc.), plants (crops), animals (livestock), microorganisms (microbiota), the environment and nature’, adds the current Scientific Director of NEIKER.

Dr. Ramón Juste, researcher at NEIKER’s Animal Health Department, has developed his scientific activity in the field of animal health. His main scientific contributions focus on the study of mycobacteriosis, having developed the first mathematical model of epidemiological and economic effectiveness of paratuberculosis control and demonstrated the specific and non-specific protection of vaccination.

‘Right now we have a trial pending publication on brown buffalo in South Africa with the University of Pretoria and another on calves with the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries and the University of the Republic of Uruguay that are giving very good results with our inactivated vaccine. All in a highly productive collaboration led together with the Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) and the Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET) of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid,’ Juste explains.

Finally, Dr. Inma Estévez, researcher at NEIKER’s Animal Production Department, top 0.6% in the list, has a degree in Zoology and a PhD in Ethology (animal behaviour) from the University of Cordoba. Throughout her long professional career she has worked as a researcher at Agriculture Canada, at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, at INRA (France) and at the University of Maryland (USA) where she obtained a Full Professor degree. In 2008 she joined NEIKER as a Senior IKERBASQUE Researcher. She has received several awards such as the Junior Faculty Award (University of Maryland), the Hy-Line International Research Award and the Poultry Science Association Research Award in Production Poultry Welfare.

She has led numerous competitive research projects both in the USA and in Europe, always focused on behavioural and welfare aspects of production poultry. Her research work has always been developed from a basic perspective of behavioural ecology, with special emphasis on social dynamics, but easily combining its applications to the production field.