A conversation with policy and global health researcher Salma Abdalla
Abdalla’s work explores how social, economic, and political systems shape health, and why public health must learn to embrace complexity
May 30, 2026
WashU Public Health faculty named to 2025 Highly Cited Researchers list
Brownson, Galea, Jiao, Powell among the most influential in their fields
WashU Public Health Dean Sandro Galea and faculty members Ross Brownson, Feng Jiao and Byron Powell were named to the Highly Cited Researchers List 2025 in recognition of their exceptional contributions to their fields. (Credit: Getty/Emily Sabens May)
WashU Public Health Dean Sandro Galea and faculty members Ross Brownson, Feng Jiao and Byron Powell were named to the Institute for Scientific Analysis’ Highly Cited Researchers 2025 list. The honor is given to scientists and social scientists who have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their fields of research, and whose exceptional and communitywide contributions shape the future of science, technology and academia globally.
Membership on the list is based on quantitative and qualitative metrics including authorship of papers that rank among the 1% most cited and the judgment of experts. This year, the institute recognized 6,868 Highly Cited Researchers from around the world, representing less than one out of every 1,000 working scientists and social scientists. Among them:
Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, the Margaret C. Ryan Dean of the School of Public Health, the Eugene S. and Constance Kahn Distinguished Professor in Public Health, and the vice provost for interdisciplinary initiatives at WashU. A prolific writer, author and speaker, Galea’s scholarship lives at the intersection of social and psychiatric epidemiology, with a focus on the behavioral health consequences of trauma.
Ross Brownson, PhD, the Steven H. and Susan U. Lipstein Distinguished Professor at WashU Public Health. An expert in chronic disease prevention and implementation science, Brownson is a global leader in the field of evidence-based public health. He directs the WashU Prevention Research Center, which develops innovative approaches to chronic disease prevention through implementation research.
Feng Jiao, PhD, the Lauren and Lee Fixel Distinguished Professor in the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering at McKelvey Engineering, and a member of the WashU Public Health secondary faculty. Jiao leads innovative research on electrocatalysis and carbon dioxide utilization. His research group is spearheading breakthroughs in sustainability — developing cutting-edge technology to address global issues in energy storage, chemical manufacturing, and food production.
Byron Powell, PhD, an associate professor and the associate dean for research at the Brown School, and a member of the WashU Public Health secondary faculty. His work focuses on improving the quality of health services by strengthening organizational and system capacity to implement evidence-based practices.
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