News Releases

UWI Researchers Continue to Appear in the Top 2% of Prestigious Global Ranking

For Release Upon Receipt - November 17, 2025

St. Augustine


St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago, November 17th, 2025 - Researchers from The University of the West Indies (The UWI), St. Augustine Campus have once again ranked among the top 2% of cited researchers in their respective fields, according to an updated version of the annual global ranking of scientists published by academics from Stanford University and Elsevier. 

 This year’s edition of the ranking, which recognises the frequency and impact of research citations, was released in late September 2025. Appearing on this year’s list from The UWI St. Augustine Campus are Dr. Mandreker Bahall, Professor Christopher Oura, Dr. Sephra Rampersad, Professor Hazi Azamathulla, and Dr. Vinod Kumar.

 For the ranking, scientists are classified into 22 scientific fields and 174 subfields based on the standard Science-Metrix classification and must have published at least five papers. Placements are determined by a composite citation score (c-score) which considers various metrics, including total citations, the Hirsch h-index, and authorship positions (single, first, or last author). Researchers ranked within the top 100,000 globally, or representing the top 2% percentile by c-score, are included. 

 The database, which draws on data from Scopus, one of the world’s most reputable academic research databases owned by Elsevier, is updated annually and hosted on the Elsevier Data Repository. As such, there are additions and removals each year to reflect ongoing developments in global research output and impact. Calculations for the 2025 ranking were performed using all Scopus author profiles as of August 1, 2025. 

 Among this year’s honourees, Dr Mandreker Bahall serves as Associate Lecturer at the School of Medicine and The UWI Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business. His clinical background is in internal medicine and cardiology and his scholarly work focuses on patient satisfaction, the quality of life of patients with cardiac disease (with and without depression), access to public health care and equity and systems issues in Trinidad and Tobago’s healthcare environment, such as hospital overcrowding. His publications include studies on medication non-adherence and caregiver burden in chronic disease contexts, reflecting his patient-centred, psychosocial approach to health systems research. 

 Professor Christopher Oura, Professor of Veterinary Virology at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, has had a distinguished international research career spanning the UK, Africa and the Caribbean. With a strong background in immunology and molecular biology, Professor Oura has contributed extensively to the fields of veterinary virology and parasitology. Since joining The UWI in 2012, Professor Oura has led research and teaching in veterinary virology and immunology and was promoted to full Professor in 2014. He currently runs a One Health-based research programme focused on pathogens of regional importance and leads a Caribbean-wide Climate Change and Health Leaders Fellowship Programme. In recognition of his expertise, he was elected to the Biological Standards Commission (BSC) of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) in 2021 and re-elected as Vice President of the Commission in 2024. 

 Dr. Sephra Rampersad is a Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry in the Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry (1997) and a PhD (2004) from The UWI, St. Augustine campus. Her research applies molecular ecology tools to study population genetics and genetic diversity, develops molecular methods for pathogen characterisation and explores biochemical screening of bioactive compounds. Her work on plant diseases and pathogen profiling contributes to agricultural pathology and food security across the Caribbean. Dr. Rampersad was the first individual from the English-speaking Caribbean to receive the TWAS Young Scientist Prize (Latin America & Caribbean) and was named Most Outstanding Researcher (2013/14) in her faculty. 

 Professor Hazi Azamathulla, Professor and Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, holds a BTech in Civil Engineering (Sri Krishna Devaraya University), an MEng in Water Resources Engineering (Devi Ahilya University), and a PhD in Hydraulic Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. His research encompasses water resources engineering, physical hydraulic model studies, hydroinformatics, and the hydrological challenges of climate change. Professor Azamathulla has published widely, serves on editorial boards of major water-engineering journals, and was Associate Editor of the Journal of Hydrology (Elsevier). His contributions support sustainable water management and infrastructure resilience across developing regions. 

 Dr. Vinod Kumar, a Lecturer in Renewable Energy in the Department of Physics of the Faculty of Science & Technology at The UWI St. Augustine, also continues to make impactful scientific contributions. With extensive international research and teaching experience across France, the United States, India, Ethiopia, and South Africa, Dr. Kumar’s work focuses on advanced solar-cell technologies—particularly perovskite, organic, and dye-sensitized solar cells. His research explores light-harvesting optimization and device architecture to enhance solar-cell efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs, contributing to global energy sustainability goals. Dr. Kumar has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications, several books and book chapters, and has received more than 7,800 citations with an h-index of 49. His numerous international accolades include the National Research Foundation (NRF) Y1 rating in South Africa, the Inspire Faculty Award, and the SERC Fast Track Scheme for Young Scientists from India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST).  

 The inclusion of these The UWI St. Augustine researchers in this prestigious global ranking underscores the University’s ongoing commitment to advancing impactful research and innovation that address critical challenges across science, health, technology, and sustainable development, both regionally and globally.  

The ranking is widely recognised across higher education institutions worldwide, and the database containing the citation-impact metrics, based on Scopus data, is hosted on the Elsevier Data Repository, one of the world’s largest and most reputable academic research platforms. Calculations for this year’s ranking were performed using all Scopus author profiles as of August 1, 2025. 

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About The University of the West Indies 

 The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is the Caribbean’s premier higher education institution and one of only two regional universities in the world. With five campuses across the English-speaking Caribbean and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, The UWI continues to be a beacon of academic excellence, research innovation, and societal impact. Consistently ranked among the world’s best by Times Higher Education (THE), The UWI is a global leader in addressing critical challenges, including climate change, sustainability, and development.

 As The UWI St. Augustine Campus celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2025 under the theme Beyond 65: From the Caribbean, For the World, it pays tribute to its Caribbean roots while highlighting its contributions to solving global challenges. This milestone underscores the campus's significant role in producing ground-breaking research and fostering talent that transcends regional boundaries to shape a better world. The UWI St. Augustine’s researchers, academics, and graduates continue to make an international impact, exemplifying the university’s mission to serve the region while influencing the world.

Learn more at www.uwi.edu 

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