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UVA School of Data Science Dean Phil Bourne Surpasses 100,000 Citations
A milestone achievement highlights the global impact of a career that helped define bioinformatics and biomedical data science.
The University of Virginia School of Data Science is celebrating a major scholarly achievement by its founding dean, Phil Bourne, whose published research has now been cited more than 100,000 times, according to Google Scholar*.
Bourne, who played a pioneering role in the Human Genome Project and is widely recognized as a leader in structural bioinformatics and biomedical data science, has authored 578 papers, books, and chapters in collaboration with more than 1,100 co-authors. This places him among the most cited researchers in UVA’s history.
“The currency of research impact is the number of citations to one’s work,” said Alex Gates, a member of the School’s faculty who studies the science of science. “Dean Bourne’s record demonstrates both the scale of his contributions and his ability to bring collaborators together across disciplines.”
When asked about the milestone, Bourne reflected with characteristic humility. “I am merely setting the bar for all at the School of Data Science to follow and surpass, while, as I did, have enormous fun and satisfaction along the way.”
This achievement underscores Bourne’s lasting influence on the fields of bioinformatics and data science while also reflecting his dedication to cultivating the next generation of scholars and leaders.
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Dean Bourne
Philip E. Bourne is the founding dean of the UVA School of Data Science, the newest and 12th School to be formed in the University’s 200-year history. He is a world-renowned biomedical and data science researcher who has published more than 400 papers and five books, launched four companies, received numerous awards, and been elected as fellow to multiple scientific societies. Bourne is one of the 10 most-cited scholars in the history of UVA, according to Google Scholar. He was the first Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Industrial Alliances at the University of California San Diego and the first Associate Director for Data Science at the National Institutes of Health.
As Dean of the School of Data Science, Bourne is leading an effort to create a new kind of school—a school without walls—guided by common goals: to further discovery, share knowledge, and make a positive impact on society through collaborative, open, and responsible data science research and education. Founded in 2019 through a $120 million gift, the largest in UVA history, the School is positioned to play an integral leadership role in the global digital future. Focusing on interdisciplinary, collaborative research and education, the School joins other departments across UVA, the community, industry, government, and non-profit organizations to use data science to further discovery and come up with specific solutions to societal problems.
Note: Citations are just one of many indicators of scientific impact. While they are imperfect and often subject to bias, they nonetheless reflect many dimensions of influence and visibility in research.
