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30 November 2023
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #6 - MDPI Spain Summit and ResearchGate

Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
MDPI Spain Summit
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) gives the opening speech at the MDPI Spain Summit.
On Friday 10 November 2023 I was in Barcelona, Spain, to deliver the opening presentation and participate in a panel at MDPI’s Spain Summit, a two-day event, inspired by our salon events in China.
With 16 Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) and 20 Editorial Board Members (EBMs) in attendance, the event, organized by our conference team and Barcelona office, featured presentations on open access (OA), MDPI, and publishing market trends in Spain.
The event provided a great opportunity to engage with stakeholders from various MDPI journals, including Nutrients, Vaccines, Buildings, IJMS, and others. We were able to gather feedback and have open conversations around manuscript quality, the peer-review process, and journal development, as well as accreditation agencies.
The main objective of this Summit was to bring together Editors representing MDPI journals across various disciplines within Spanish universities and research centers, primarily from the Barcelona area. The aim was to facilitate an open and fruitful discussion regarding the development of their journals, the future of OA in Spain, and to provide meaningful interactions and networking opportunities.
Connecting with Editorial Board Members
Stefan Tochev in conversation with Summit participants: "Our EBMs are passionate about the journals they serve."
Interacting with our EBMs in person provides a valuable opportunity to show how important it is to us to connect with them, hear their perspectives on their journals and learn more about their own experience collaborating with MDPI.
From my conversations, it was clear that our EBMs are passionate about the journals they serve. I know the advice they provide may sometimes involve just small tweaks, but these can lead to important improvements. As the saying goes, small hinges swing open big doors.
As at November 2023, MDPI has over 6,300 EBMs affiliated with Spanish institutions, with more than 30 of them serving as EiCs or section EiCs. Furthermore, over 68,000 Spanish scholars have contributed as reviewers in MDPI journals.
Open Access in Spain
In 2023, Spain implemented legislation mandating immediate OA for all publicly funded research, aligning with the EU’s Plan S initiative to expedite the transition to OA. The Spanish government also approved a four-year, €23.8 million annual budget for the first national OA strategy, aiming to make publicly funded research freely accessible upon publication. This strategy aims to strengthen the quality and transparency of research in Spain, and to help promote movement towards a digital, low-carbon economy.
For further details of Spain's OA policy and the history of government mandates, click here.
Spain has already seen a notable decline in subscription-only articles, decreasing by 62% over a 10-year period, while gold OA increased by 42%. Green OA slightly decreased, suggesting a shift towards publishing in gold OA journals rather than traditional subscription-based ones. Here are some statistics from Scopus.
A big thank-you to the various MDPI teams, including our conference team and the Barcelona office, for organizing this very successful event!
MDPI colleagues from various offices gathered to host and support the first MDPI Spain Summit, in Barcelona, Spain.
I think this type of gathering has the potential to become an annual event in various locations. For example, Manchester could be an option, as we have over 30 EiCs and over 3,000 EBMs in the UK, a top market for MDPI that publishes high-quality research.
Impactful Research
769 Editorial Board Members of MDPI Journals Recognized as Highly Cited Researchers in 2023
Congratulations to our 769 Editorial Board Members from 40 countries/territories who have been awarded Highly Cited Researcher status for 2023 by Clarivate. This recognition is based on their outstanding scientific research contributions and significant influence in various fields, as evidenced by Web of Science data.
Click here to view the full list of 769 Editorial Board Members.
Clarivate's Highly Cited ResearchersTM list identifies individuals with exceptional impact in scientific and social science domains over the past decade. Their papers rank in the top 1% of citations in 21 fields analysed in ‘Essential Science Indicators,’ showcasing their substantial influence.
This year, 7,125 Highly Cited Researcher 2023 designations were issued to 6,849 individuals from 67 countries, representing just 1 in 1,000 researchers worldwide.
These researchers demonstrate exceptional influence, representing a small fraction of contributors pushing the boundaries of knowledge, contributing to global well-being, sustainability, and security.
Congratulations to these scholars for their remarkable achievement: we are honoured to have them on board with our journals!
Inside MDPI
Corporate Marketing and Communications Strategy Session
Members of MDPI’s Corporate Marketing & Communications team.
For the past few years, I have led the Corporate Marketing & Communications department in our annual strategy session.
This typically involves 2–3 days of focused sessions covering key topics including budgeting, hiring targets, campaign reviews, and planning for the upcoming year, department strategy, and structure.
We are constantly exploring ways to optimize the Corporate Marketing & Communications department to support MDPI’s primary objectives and better convey the MDPI story while serving the scholarly community.
The strategy session also serves as a team-building activity, during which the team voted on bowling!
Strategy Session
In this strategy session, we looked at how to align our teams in order to better streamline our content with our campaigns, build a dedicated marketing team to strategically support our core MDPI products, expand our communications teams and functionalities to focus on company-critical campaigns and press releases, align our new brand design system with our marketing initiatives, set up a community and engagement team to support various teams with their outreach and communication efforts, and increase our use of data in the evaluation of campaign performance.
To grow in these areas, we will be hiring for various positions, including those of Public Relations Manager, Communications Manager, Internal Communications Manager, Campaign Manager, Marketing Associate, and Editorial Engagement Manager.
I am grateful for the way our Corporate Marketing & Communications department has grown and gelled over the years, and I look forward to supporting the department teams and their ideas for the future.
Coming Together for Science
ResearchGate and MDPI Partner to Boost the Visibility of Open Access Content through Journal Home
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) and Sören Hofmayer (Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, ResearchGate) meet in Berlin, Germany to take their ongoing discussion further.
When I assumed the role of CEO at MDPI, my primary focus was to initiate the building of essential partnerships and collaborations within our industry. After all, I am a firm believer in achieving our goals by helping others achieve theirs and focusing on co-opetition wherever there is an opportunity. I first touched on the notion of co-opetition in MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #3, particularly when discussing collaborations with Elsevier.
In light of this, Sören Hofmayer (Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at ResearchGate) and I connected recently to continue a discussion that had been ongoing for months. I was quickly brought up to speed and felt there was an opportunity for MDPI journals to pilot the Journal Home service that ResearchGate had launched. This would provide a new way for MDPI to engage with authors and readers and amplify the visibility of our journals.
While I receive many offers and opportunities for discussions with vendors, I am a firm believer that timing is everything, and in this case, the time for us is now. Sören and I met in person during my recent visit to Berlin and decided to proceed with piloting ten MDPI journals with the Journal Home service.
The press release below provides further details.
Press Release: Berlin (Germany) and Basel (Switzerland), 15 November 2023
ResearchGate, the professional network for researchers, and MDPI, the largest open access publisher in the world and a pioneer in open access publishing, today announced a partnership that will see ten of MDPI’s open access journals benefit from an enhanced presence on ResearchGate through its innovative Journal Home offering.
This new partnership will expand the reach and visibility of MDPI’s participating flagship journals with ResearchGate’s highly relevant community of more than 25 million researchers globally.
Around 210,000 version-of-record articles from these 10 titles will be readily available on ResearchGate, including the full archive material and all new articles as they are published. These journals also benefit from enhanced brand visibility, with dedicated journal profiles, prominent representation on all associated article pages and all relevant touchpoints across the ResearchGate network – keeping the journals top-of-mind with their reader and author audiences. All articles covered by the new partnership will automatically be added to the authors’ publication records in ResearchGate. This not only reduces MDPI authors’ needs for direct management but also offers them valuable insights into the impact of their work, including data about readership and citations.
Closing Thoughts
November is Men’s Health Awareness Month
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) listening to music as he writes at a coffee shop in Basel, Switzerland.
November is dedicated to raising awareness of various men’s health issues. I have been fortunate to have positive male role models in my life, and I strive to share my experiences with others.
I used to take part in Movember, growing my moustache throughout November to raise awareness and funds and to help “change the face of men’s health.” With male family and friends impacted by physical and mental health issues, I have recently become more interested in men’s overall well-being.
Men often face stigma involving the perceived need always to be strong and have things figured out. Recently, I’ve had meaningful conversations with male friends and colleagues about issues we rarely discuss, and it was a positive experience.
Various factors impact men’s health and well-being, all too easily leading to risky health behaviours including a lack of health awareness, poor health education, and negative, culturally induced, behaviour patterns in our work and personal lives. I hope we can break down these barriers in our work environment.
Healthy men help build healthy families and a healthy society
Men are less likely than women to seek help with their physical and mental health struggles. This is a reminder to prioritize your overall well-being. I hope that as men, we will continue to open up to one another, becoming vulnerable in order to share what we are going through. By sharing and by supporting each other, we can learn and grow together. You are not alone, and when you fall, you can still get up and stand tall.
From one broski to another, you are loved and appreciated. I hope this mindset carries into December and beyond.
Mindfulness
Our content team recently released a handful of articles on mindfulness, a practice that I believe provides a good opportunity for stress release and self-reflection:
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
21 November 2023
769 Editorial Board Members of MDPI Journals Achieve Highly Cited Researcher Recognition in 2023

We extend our sincere congratulations to the 769 Editorial Board Members of our journals – from 40 different countries/territories – who have been recognized as Highly Cited Researchers for the year 2023 by Clarivate. They are being recognized for their high-quality scientific research achievements and outstanding contributions to their professional fields, as indicated by Web of Science data.
Clarivate's annual list of Highly Cited ResearchersTM identifies the most highly cited scientists for the past decade who stand out for their significant and broad influence in various scientific and social science domains. Their impactful papers are among the top 1 per cent in the citation distribution of one or more of 21 fields analyzed in the "Essential Science Indicators", distinguishing them as hugely influential among their peers.
This year, 7,125 Highly Cited Researcher 2023 designations were issued to 6,849 individuals from 67 countries, representing just 1 in 1,000 researchers worldwide.
This means that these researchers have demonstrated an incredible level of significant and broad influence in their chosen field or fields over the last decade. They represent a small fraction of the researcher population whose contributions disproportionately push the boundaries of knowledge, enhancing global well-being, sustainability, and security.
Congratulations to the scholars for their noteworthy achievement – we are honored to have them on board with our journals!
Abate, Antonio |
Jaiswal, Amit K. |
Shen, Zexiang |
1 November 2023
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #5 - OA Week, UK, and Strategy

Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Open Access Week 2023 – the Global Drive to Open Continues
As the world's largest open-access (OA) publisher, we believe that unrestricted access to research findings is the cornerstone of transparency, efficiency, and quality control across scientific disciplines. At MDPI, we provide free, immediate access to scientific papers, empowering scientists to examine, validate, replicate, and build upon existing results. This minimizes redundancy, optimizes resources, and fosters innovative approaches.
International OA Week, held from 23 to 29 October 2023, provided a unique opportunity to link the global movement toward open sharing and open science with the progress of policy changes at the local level. Our mission, during OA Week and all the year round, is to offer educational resources highlighting the benefits of open-access publishing. The MDPI Blog is a valuable resource for information on open access and open science.
Core principles of OA publishing
Accessibility, transparency, and collaboration are core principles of OA publishing. OA aims to break down barriers that have traditionally restricted research access, ensuring that knowledge is available to all, regardless of financial situation or institutional affiliations. Our commitment to diverse pathways for OA publishing worldwide includes discounts for researchers. You can learn more about how MDPI supports scientific communities here.
One of the key strengths of OA publishing is its ability to facilitate interdisciplinary research. By removing paywalls and promoting knowledge-sharing across disciplines, OA encourages collaboration and innovation. Researchers from various fields can access and build upon each others’ work, fostering a holistic approach to addressing complex global challenges.
OA holds the potential to democratize knowledge, advance science, and drive positive societal change.
Policy driving change
Governments, institutions, and funding agencies have recognized the transformative potential of OA and have implemented policies to promote it. These policies often require publicly funded research to be made openly accessible, accelerating the growth of OA repositories and journals. Check out our spotlights on OA policies in the US, EU and China.
OA publishing is continuously evolving, with community-driven models and technologies shaping its future. Initiatives such as “Plan S” and “cOAlition S” promote OA publishing from the perspective of national funders, requiring grantees to publish their research openly. A new policy announced by the US administration last year mandates that, with effect from January 2026, all US federally funded research should be freely and immediately available after publication.
Additionally, preprint servers such as MDPI's Preprints.org, which allow researchers to share their findings before formal peer review, have gained popularity, enhancing the speed at which new knowledge is disseminated. The rise of blockchain technology is also being explored to ensure transparency and authenticity in scholarly publishing.
For more than two decades, OA publishing has been revolutionizing academic publishing by promoting accessibility, transparency, and collaboration. Its support for interdisciplinary research, evolving policies, and innovative practices all contribute to its growing influence in the global research community. As OA continues to expand, it holds the potential to democratize knowledge, advance science, and drive positive societal change.
MDPI is proud to lead the transition to open access.
Read more:
Impactful Research
Spotlight on Smart Cities
Smart cities will serve as a cornerstone for future human development. Their implementation will help us tackle many of the significant challenges we are facing – climate change, ageing populations, waste management, public safety, travel, and so on. Recognising the importance of this multifaceted field, MDPI launched the inaugural issue of Smart Cities in 2018 to provide an advanced forum for research into smart technology and society. Here we take a look at how this journal has developed, and its impact in this exciting field.
As at 30 October, 2023, Smart Cities has published 421 papers and has an Impact Factor of 6.4. It also has a CiteScore of 8.5, and more than one quarter of its published papers – 124 – have been cited 10 times or more.
Highly cited papers in Smart Cities
Below are several highly cited papers recently published in Smart Cities. Citation metrics are current as at 31 October 2023.
1. “Introducing the “15-Minute City”: Sustainability, Resilience and Place Identity in Future Post-Pandemic Cities”
Authors: Carlos Moreno, Zaheer Allam, Didier Chabaud, Catherine Gall and Florent Pratlong
Smart Cities 2021, 4(1), 93-111; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4010006
Citations: Crossref (338), Scopus (366), Web of Science (270), Google Scholar (710)
The paper discusses the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 on cities, including increasing inequalities and rising unemployment. It introduces the concept of the "15-Minute City," a form of "chrono-urbanism," as a response to the challenges posed by the pandemic.
2. “A Review on Electric Vehicles: Technologies and Challenges”
Authors: Julio A. Sanguesa, Vicente Torres-Sanz, Piedad Garrido, Francisco J. Martinez and Johann M. Marquez-Barja
Smart Cities 2021, 4(1), 372-404; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4010022
Citations: Crossref (359), Scopus (363), Web of Science (268), Google Scholar (558)
This paper provides an overview of the progress in Electric Vehicles (EVs), focusing on battery technology, charging methods, and emerging research challenges. It also analyzes the global EV market and its future outlook.
3. “IoT in Smart Cities: A Survey of Technologies, Practices and Challenges”
Authors: Abbas Shah Syed, Daniel Sierra-Sosa, Anup Kumar and Adel Elmaghraby
Smart Cities 2021, 4(2), 429-475; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4020024
Citations: Crossref (121), Scopus (151), Web of Science (91), Google Scholar (215)
This paper gives an overview of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the context of Smart Cities, discussing the fundamental components, technologies, architectures, networking technologies, and artificial algorithms that underpin IoT-based Smart City systems.
4. “Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Smart Grid: A Survey”
Authors: Olufemi A. Omitaomu and Haoran Niu
Smart Cities 2021, 4(2), 548-568; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4020029
Citations: Crossref (76), Scopus (94), Web of Science (57), Google Scholar (120)
This survey paper reviews the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in the context of the smart grid. It covers various applications of AI in load forecasting, power grid stability assessment, fault detection, and security issues in the smart grid and power systems.
5. “The Metaverse as a Virtual Form of Smart Cities: Opportunities and Challenges for Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability in Urban Futures”
Authors: Zaheer Allam, Ayyoob Sharifi, Simon Elias Bibri, David Sydney Jones and John Krogstie
Smart Cities 2022, 5(3), 771-801; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities5030040
Citations: Crossref (72), Scopus (75), Web of Science (43), Google Scholar (176)
This paper discusses the concept of the Metaverse, a virtual world introduced by Meta (formerly Facebook), and its potential impact on urban life. It explores how emerging technologies such as AI, Big Data, IoT, and Digital Twins could reshape urban design and services in the context of the Metaverse.
Testimonial
“It was indeed a great and pleasant experience with MDPI regarding our recent publication. The submission process was very straightforward and less time-consuming than the norm. The review process was very fast compared to many other open access journals, which is praiseworthy. The support from the Editorial Office during the revision process was highly useful as well. We look forward to publishing with MDPI in the future, and I will most definitely recommend MDPI to my colleagues and collaborators.” – Dr. Luís Rosa, University of Minho
Article in Smart Cities: Mobile Networks and Internet of Things Infrastructures to Characterize Smart Human Mobility
Inside MDPI
MDPI Manchester office, UK Visit
Allie Shi (Editorial Director, MDPI), Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Jamie Anderson (Manchester Office Manager, MDPI), Michael O’Sullivan (Senior Scientific Officer, MDPI), Hushneara Akhtar, and Becky Castellon (IOAP Team Lead, MDPI), dining out in Manchester, UK.
In October, I visited MDPI’s new office in Manchester. During the visit, I connected with our English Editing (EE) managers, Scientific Officer, members of the Editorial team, the Marketing team, and IOAP Team Lead.
Our Manchester office focuses primarily on EE services and provides local support for the UK market. Additionally, we regularly visit Editorial Board members and participate in local conferences.
I would like to thank Jamie Anderson, Manchester Office Manager, and her team, for their deep commitment to our Manchester staff and to MDPI’s impact on the UK market.
The UK by numbers
The UK is a hub for the world’s top universities, making it a key market for MDPI and the publishing world in general. It is home to two of the top-five-ranked universities globally, 11 in the top 100, and 15 in the top 200.
As a result, the UK plays a key role in MDPI’s global market. As at October 2023, it ranks as the seventh-largest contributor to the total number of papers published by MDPI. We have 3,500 Editorial Board members affiliated with UK institutions, including 34 serving as Editors-in-Chief (EiCs). Our commitment to collaboration with institutions is evident in the UK, where we have successfully established some 60 Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) agreements with esteemed institutions, such as the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, the University of Edinburgh, and more.
According to InCites Dataset + ESCI for the period 2018–2022, as at October 2023, nearly 65% of UK papers are now published as OA. Just over 10% of total OA publications are by UK authors. UK papers are known for their high quality, with an average of 11 citations per paper. Furthermore, 2.16% of UK papers are in the top 1% of cited papers, and 14.61% are in the top 10% of cited papers, showcasing their impact.
We are currently hiring EEs in various locations worldwide.
English Editing at MDPI
Our English Editing (EE) department consists of two main branches, Quality Control and Learning and Development, reflecting our priorities. We are continuously enhancing the quality of our English Editing services and have raised the relevant standards, which now extend to company-wide communications. English editors participate in international interviews, conduct English assessments, and provide colleagues with presentations on ways to improve their use of written and spoken English.
While expanding, the EE department has proactively refocused its efforts on the quality of our work and how the English Editing department can benefit the company more broadly. We currently have approximately 140 full-time English Editors based across five offices worldwide, supplemented by over 700 freelance English editors.
Our Manchester office serves as the hub for the EE Department, with EE Managers situated there, except for Kurtis Jackson, who serves as the Head of EE and is located in our Basel office. Manchester EEs play a critical role in establishing and developing EE teams in our other offices, overseeing management and recruitment. The EE department plays a vital role in MDPI’s operations, as it is the department that touches every published paper. If this work interests you, I encourage you to explore our available EE positions, whether you are seeking full-time or freelance opportunities.
Testimonials
“MDPI provides an excellent service compared to any other previously used services. It delivers fast and high-quality results but at an affordable price.” – Ardha Apriyanto, University of Potsdam
“In my role as a professor, I consider that MDPI Author Services offer an excellent quality in the editing of Western academic writing while maintaining the required standards of clarity, precision and rigor. Additionally, delivery times are fast compared to other available services.” – Jesus Insuasti, University of Nariño
Read more:
Coming Together for Science
STM and Frankfurt Book Fair
Attending STM
MDPI has been a proud sponsor of the STM Conference for several years. The STM Conference is a dynamic event featuring interactive sessions, expert panellists, idea-sharing, and ample networking opportunities. On 16 October, the event kicked off with arrival drinks, sponsored by MDPI, followed by a welcoming dinner, providing a great chance to connect and network with industry professionals. The following day was filled with speakers, sessions, and further opportunities to connect. STM exemplifies the collaborative spirit of the scientific community, with session topics including achieving open, visible, and impactful research at scale; maintaining research integrity in a rapidly changing world; and exploring the impact of ever-evolving technology in the scholarly community.
Meeting with Web of Science
On a personal note, one of the highlights of STM was a candid and productive conversation with Nandita Quaderi, Editor-in-Chief and SVP at Web of Science. During our discussion, we talked about MDPI, Web of Science, the IJERPH delisting, and ways of moving forward. This open conversation aimed at fostering better collaboration for the future.
“We discussed ways to improve our communication and collaboration.”
I appreciated our frank discussion and felt that Nandita wholeheartedly supports open access. She also expressed her appreciation for the monthly CEO Letter, which she sees as a way to add personality to the MDPI brand and provide insight into the great work we do at MDPI. While we highlighted the positives, we also discussed ways to improve our communication and collaboration moving forward. This meeting alone made the trip worthwhile, and I hope Nandita doesn’t mind my sharing that she found our chat to be “the most honest and constructive discussion” she’s had with someone from MDPI in recent years.
75th Frankfurt Book Fair
Jelena Milojevic (Book Editor, MDPI), Jovana Dubajic (Book Editor, MDPI), Evan Escamilla (Project Manager, MDPI), Laura Wagner (Head of Books, MDPI), and Jenny Knowles (Commissioning Editor, MDPI), at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
For the 75th time, the Frankfurter Buchmesse opened its doors in October to celebrate exciting stories and their authors. If you haven’t yet had the chance to visit the Frankfurt Book Fair, I highly recommend it. It’s the largest book fair in the world, attracting thousands of visitors from around the globe. This is the place to gain valuable industry insights from top-class publishing professionals, connect with publishers directly, and learn about the latest trends in publishing.
MDPI Books
Our Books team was also present at the Frankfurt Book Fair, networking and learning from various panels. Did you know that our MDPI Books department publishes OA Books?
The book publishing program includes monographs, book series, edited books and reprints of special issues and topical collections, among other book types.
If you have a book proposal you would like to discuss, please feel free to contact our Books team to understand the benefits and methods of publishing your next book with the OA model.
Closing Thoughts
MDPI Strategy Meeting
As the newly appointed CEO, this is my first year leading the MDPI Senior Management Strategy session. I saw it as an opportunity to explore what MDPI has the potential to become in the next five years. Guided by the vision of its founder and President, Dr. Shu-kun Lin, the company has accomplished remarkable feats over the past 27 years and currently holds the position as the world’s third-largest academic publisher, following Springer Nature and Elsevier.
Our primary objective is to build upon the milestones of the past decades and consolidate MDPI’s position as well-established publishing brand. The two-day meeting emphasized the importance of communicating MDPI’s values more actively via its brand and adopting a straightforward yet impactful approach to managing MDPI as a mature academic publisher.
“Our primary objective is to consolidate MDPI’s position as well-established publishing brand”
As the world’s number one open-access publisher, MDPI has long been a game-changer in the scholarly community, serving millions of authors. The challenge in being a trailblazer is the need to continuously improve and at the same time explore the next blue-ocean strategy, while also maintaining the smooth operation of the business. Our collection model, featuring guest-curated thematic topics in the form of Special Issues, has disrupted the industry. Other publishers closely study us and attempt to replicate our models. The future of this collection model is something we are actively addressing – while, of course, looking ahead to what comes next!
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
19 October 2023
Open Access Week 2023 – the Global Drive to Open Continues

MDPI has been a strong proponent of the open access publishing model right from the beginning. As one of the pioneering fully open access publishers, we firmly believe that unrestricted access to research findings forms the foundation for better transparency, efficiency, and quality control across all scientific disciplines.
In December 2022, we reached a significant milestone by surpassing one million articles published. That is one million articles freely available to all, to circulate and build upon!
Offering free and immediate access to scientific papers empowers scientists to examine, validate, replicate, and expand upon existing results. This not only helps prevent redundancy and optimizes how resources are used but also paves the way for innovative new approaches.
The International Open Access Week takes place from 23 to 29 October 2023, providing a unique opportunity to connect the global movement towards open sharing and open science with the progress of policy transformations at the local level.
Our goal, during Open Access Week as well as throughout the year, is to offer resources for educating people about the benefits of open access publishing. The MDPI Blog offers a wealth of information around open access and open science.
Promoting the values of accessibility, transparency, and collaboration
Open access publishing embodies the fundamental values of democratizing knowledge and fostering global accessibility. It aims to break down barriers that have traditionally limited access to scholarly work, ensuring that knowledge is available to all, regardless of their financial or institutional affiliations.
Discounts are part of our commitment to ensuring there are diverse pathways to Open Access publishing for researchers worldwide. MDPI supports scientific communities in several different ways.
One of the key strengths of open access publishing lies in its ability to facilitate interdisciplinary research. By removing paywalls and promoting the sharing of knowledge across disciplines, OA encourages collaboration and innovation. Researchers from diverse fields can access and build upon each other's work, fostering a holistic approach to addressing complex global challenges.
Funders' policies are getting aligned with open science
Governments, institutions, and funding agencies have recognized the transformative potential of open access and have implemented policies to promote it. These policies often mandate that publicly funded research should be made openly accessible. Such initiatives have accelerated the growth of open access repositories and journals, reinforcing the commitment to open access principles. Check our spotlights on OA policies in the US, EU and China.
Open access publishing is continually evolving, with innovative and community-driven models and technologies shaping its future. Initiatives like "Plan S" and "cOAlition S" promote the adoption of OA publishing from the national funders’ perspective by requiring grantees to publish their research openly. A new policy announced by the US administration last year requires that, as of January 2026, all US federally funded research be made freely and immediately available after publication.
Additionally, preprint servers such as MDPI's Preprints.org, which allow researchers to share their findings before formal peer review, have gained popularity, enhancing the speed at which new knowledge is disseminated. The rise of blockchain technology is also being explored to ensure transparency and authenticity in scholarly publishing.
For more than twenty years, open access scholarly publishing has been revolutionizing academia by promoting the values of accessibility, transparency, and collaboration. Its support for interdisciplinary research, evolving policies, and innovative practices all contribute to its growing influence in the global research community. As open access continues to expand, it holds the potential to democratize knowledge, advance science, and drive positive societal change.
MDPI is proud to be a leader in the transition to open access.
2 October 2023
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #4 - MDPI Presence in China

Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Open Access in China
It is Saturday, 23 September, and I have just returned from an unforgettable 12-day trip to China, visiting our main offices in Beijing and Wuhan. In the wake of a packed and very enjoyable agenda of internal and external meetings, I would like to use this edition of the CEO Letter to showcase how MDPI supports the scholarly community in China.
Coincidentally, Jack McKenna, Communications Associate from MDPI’s corporate content team, has just released a blog article discussing China’s open access (OA) policy. It is a timely read, providing a concise overview of the development of the OA movement in China and reflecting on its future. I shall draw some content from Jack’s piece and use this edition of the CEO Letter to highlight the various ways in which MDPI is involved in this market. And it would be remiss of me not to include some pictures and highlights from my travels!
Open Access Policy in China
As per Jack’s post, in 2020, China became the world’s leading producer of research articles. Today, China is experiencing a “substantial growth rate in OA [Open Access] publication”. This growth is supported by the State’s commitment to research & development and its policy “requiring the promotion of open science”.
Over the past two decades, there have been gradual developments in China’s OA framework, with repositories and platforms being developed in a consistent manner. Currently, key institutions across China – including the National Science Library, the National Science and Technology Library, and the Natural Science Foundation of China – support OA. The State aims to establish consistent policies across government agencies – a framework for a more encompassing embrace of OA across institutions.
In China, the number of subscription-only articles decreased by nearly 30% over the 10-year period of 2011–2021, while gold OA increased by 22%. Between 2017 and 2020 alone, China published 800,921 academic papers in an OA format.
In 2023, as the leading publisher of academic research, China is pursuing “self-reliance”. Therefore, the State will be establishing consistent policies across government agencies, including those related to OA. Additionally, it will want to ensure that Chinese people can access the research that is supported by Chinese funding and produced by Chinese academics. For this reason, “Open Access is a matter of priority in China”.
MDPI Offices in China
While the history of MDPI begins in Basel, Switzerland, the story of MDPI’s founder is very much rooted in China. Dr. Shu-kun Lin, Founder and President of MDPI, graduated with a BSc from Wuhan University in 1982. He also studied physical chemistry at the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (1982–1986; MSc in 1985), and at the University of Louisville, USA (1987–1989). Dr. Lin completed his doctorate in organic chemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH-Zürich) in 1992.
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) at MDPI’s Wuhan office.
In 2002, MDPI’s Basel headquarters moved to Matthäusstrasse 11, 4052 Basel, and Dr. Lin opened an editorial office in Qingdao, China, which launched the journal Marine Drugs in the following year. Below is a list of MDPI’s current offices in China and their respective dates of inauguration:
- 2008: Beijing (Tongzhou, Haidian)
- 2013: Wuhan (Hankou, Guanggu)
- 2019: Tianjin
- 2021: Dalian
- 2021: Nanjing
Our Strength is in Our People
With over 6,000 MDPI staff, across 20 offices in 11 countries, MDPI is able to offer authors responsive and efficient round-the-clock support, enabling a rapid publication process.
In my experience, stakeholders are genuinely surprised when they realize the extent of our global operations. My response is to reiterate that our people are our strength. This is why we have fast and efficient processes and top-notch responsiveness. Our global presence ensures that your manuscript is constantly attended to, rather than sitting on someone’s desk. We prioritize our authors’ needs and act quickly to move things through the various stages of publication. MDPI is built on speed, convenience, and competence, which I believe are core pillars for success in any industry. We continually strive to improve our systems and processes on the basis of these core strengths. We literally have over 6,000 staff worldwide dedicated to serving your needs. It’s not magic: it’s people; it’s real.
Impactful Research
MDPI Awards
To support the academic community, and especially young researchers, and also to enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals offer various awards in specific fields. We serve the scientific community by funding research to facilitate the development of sustainable global solutions through our annual World Sustainability Award and Emerging Sustainability Leader Award.
In 2022, MDPI made awards totalling over US$1 million in recognition and support of researchers worldwide.
Across our journal catalogue, we have granted over 2,000 awards to recognize and support researchers from all disciplines. Since 2016, these awards have served as a source of recognition, acknowledging the impact of research by heightening the influence of talented individuals. The award types mainly include the Young Investigator Award, the Best PhD Thesis Award, the Best Paper Award, and the Outstanding Reviewer Award.
To learn more about MDPI Awards and to find out which are currently available, please click here.
MDPI Awards to Scholars from China
Since 2021, there have been 23 Best Paper Awards granted to authors affiliated with Chinese institutions, identifying their papers as having high-quality scientific impact. A total of 45 Chinese scholars have received awards such as the Young Investigator Award, the Best PhD Thesis Award, the Outstanding Reviewer Award, and the Tu Youyou Award, among others. Prizes for these awards include MDPI grants for paid publications, totalling over CHF 70,000 for scholars affiliated with Chinese institutions.
MDPI’s Tu Youyou Award
Prof. Tu Youyou (left), Dr. Shu-Kun Lin (President, MDPI).
In 2015, Professor Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria.” In order to commemorate Professor Tu’s contributions to human health and to promote the passion and spirit conveyed by her experiences, MDPI in 2016 established the ‘Tu Youyou Award’, which runs biennially to recognize outstanding scholars dedicated to the research of natural products and medicinal chemistry.
The 2022 Tu Youyou Award was granted to Prof. Dr. Xiaoguang Lei of Peking University. Click here to access the interview with the winner.
2015 Nobel Prize for Medicine Awarded to Professor Youyou Tu
Professor Tu’s work was celebrated in a Special Issue from Molecules on the occasion of her 80th birthday. The Special Issue: 'Artemisinin (Qinghaosu): Commemorative Issue in Honor of Professor Youyou Tu on the Occasion of her 80th Anniversary” was created five years before she won the Nobel Prize, highlighting the visibility MDPI provides researchers and their work.
Highly Cited Articles by Chinese Scholars Published in MDPI
Click here to access the most cited MDPI papers published by scholars affiliated with Chinese institutions. This list presents the most influential research from the more than 287,000 MDPI papers published by Chinese scholars. With over 9 million total citations, I encourage you to maximize your visibility and impact by publishing with MDPI, the number one most cited open access publisher.
Read more:
- Tu Youyou Award
- World Sustainability Awards
- Available Awards
Inside MDPI
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) with the Beijing Marketing team.
Marketing Department in China
During my visit to our offices in Beijing and Wuhan, I had the opportunity to meet with, and to present to, our local marketing teams. These teams are responsible for various journal-related and corporate promotional activities, including newsletters, conferences, seminars, author training, journal awards, content creation, digital marketing, and social media.
I was pleased by the ambition and curiosity of our marketing colleagues. They showed a strong desire to collaborate and acquire knowledge and tactics to effectively market and promote MDPI-journal-related activities. I presented some of the principles and objectives that we apply in the Corporate Marketing and Communications department, and used the opportunity to strengthen our collaborative communications across offices.
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) with the Wuhan Marketing team.
Coming Together for Science
Collaborations, Scholarships and Meetings
MDPI maintains partnerships with nearly 190 learned societies and over 800 institutions and consortia, helping to facilitate the transition to OA publishing. Our commitment to working with institutions is evident in China, where we have successfully established over 35 Institutional Open Access Programs (IOAP) with esteemed institutions such as the Tsinghua University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Our institutional partnerships, waiver programs, and article processing cost discounts create diverse pathways to OA publishing for researchers worldwide.
Scholarships in China
Since 2021, several MDPI journals (Sensors, Photonics, Coatings, Materials, Energies, and Journal of Fungi) have funded full scholarships for four Master’s and five Ph.D. projects in China. These scholarships align with Tianjin University, Wuhan University of Technology, Central South University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the China University of Petroleum (Beijing).
Meeting with the Society of Chinese University Journals (CUJS)
Prof. Tieming Zhang (President of CUJS, centre) and MDPI colleagues at CUJS office.
I am pleased to have participated in some highly productive meetings during my visit to China, including one with the Society of Chinese University Journals (CUJS). The meeting involved Prof. Tieming Zhang (President of CUJS), Assoc. Prof. Xin Zhang (Vice President and Secretary General), and Dr. Fei Gao (Executive Member of CUJS). Alongside my colleagues Dr. Guoshi Liu, Dr. Giulia Stefenelli, and Anita Sun, I represented MDPI and held an open discussion to address any questions regarding OA and MDPI.
We discussed several methods for collaboration, including a workshop on the future of peer review, MDPI sponsoring a funding grant for early-career researchers, and transitioning journals from diamond to gold OA. I am thankful for the opportunity to have met our colleagues at CUJS in person and feel very confident about our future collaborations in support of OA publishing in China.
MDPI hosts free academic seminars, author training sessions, and academic conferences as part of its commitment to enrich and support the scholarly community. CUJS often stages academic events (e.g., conferences, editor training, and editor competitions), and I believe there are great opportunities for CUJS and MDPI to collaborate accordingly.
Meeting with National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NSLC)
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Chair of Scientific Officers, MDPI), Anita Sun (PR Manager, MDPI) and Dr. Guoshi Liu (Managing Director, MDPI) at the National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
We also visited the NSLC Director, Xiwen Liu, and colleagues Ying Jin, Zhesi Shen, and Sichao Tong. Following our introductions, we gave a presentation on the history and editorial process at MDPI, discussing specific details related to MDPI’s business and data. We highlighted the status of our IOAP collaborations in China and the makeup of our author base, specifically in China, and drew attention to the fact that MDPI has published research by authors from every country in the world. We then discussed the design indicators, calculation methods and implementation purposes of the ‘Early Warning Journal List’ and how we can have open communication to provide any data regarding MDPI journals. I am pleased to report that we reached a consensus on future communications, and am grateful to NSLC for hosting us in their offices.
In-person meetings with stakeholders provide an invaluable opportunity to communicate what MDPI is about and the various ways in which we serve the scholarly community. While digital marketing and online communication are essential, they are no replacement for the understanding and trust that come about through in-person interactions.
The Numbers
As at September 2023, China holds the largest position in MDPI’s global market, ranking as the largest contributor to the total number of papers published by MDPI.
At this point in time, there were more than 847,000 China mainland scholars who have published with MDPI, 51 of whom are Section-Editors-in-Chief (SEiC) of MDPI journals, with seven serving as Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) for journals such as Air, Big Data and Cognitive Computing, Blockchains, Future, Nanoenergy Advances, and Targets.
Our growth and presence in China are a true testament to the service we provide to the scholarly community, and to the relationships we foster through collaborative activities. We look forward to continuing to support the growth of the scholarly community in China, providing a valuable and trusted experience with MDPI.
Closing Thoughts
Final Reflections on our MDPI Offices in Beijing and Wuhan
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Dr. Constanze Schelhorn (Indexing Manager, MDPI), Jiale Shang (Admin, Tongzhou, MDPI) at Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing.
I spent approximately two weeks visiting some of our offices in China, and the first word that comes to mind when describing my experience is ‘hospitality.’ My colleagues and I were met with enthusiasm and delight at the airport by the Tongzhou Admin team (thank you, Jiale Shang, and thank you, Eric Wang, for keeping us organized on this trip!) and were taken care of with great attention. From hotels to transportation, dinners, and meetings, our stay was catered for perfectly.
Perhaps this is where MDPI’s focus on customers and service originates. At our core, we are a service company that provides a publishing platform for its authors. It’s therefore no surprise that authors consistently rate their experience with MDPI very highly.
95% of submitting authors rate their overall experience with the MDPI publication process as Excellent or Good (Springer Nature report 90%).
91% of submitting authors rate their overall experience with the MDPI peer review process as Excellent or Good.
Speed/Efficiency and Editorial Relationship are two key reasons underlying this high satisfaction score. ‘Editorial Relationship’ can be further explored, but in the past month, the most commonly noted aspects were the professionalism, kindness, availability, communicativeness, and personalized assistance provided by our editorial staff throughout the process. These attributes are at the core of our work across all our offices and continents.
Hospitality and Service
Just as our Chinese colleagues strove to keep us engaged by showing us the city sights (thank you, Thea Pan, and Jason Wu from the Wuhan Marketing team!) and sharing a variety of wonderful meals, our editorial staff are committed to serving our authors throughout their publishing journey. Our aim is to place the author at the centre of everything we do, eager to welcome our ‘guests’ and provide them with a pleasant publishing experience.
I asked my colleague Francis Wu (Senior Publisher, Wuhan office) where this hospitality originates. He responded that it is part of Chinese culture. I reflected long and deep on this answer. China is a vast country, and when visitors arrive, hosts want to ensure they feel welcomed and taken care of in order to maximize their time and visit. I can’t think of a better analogy for how I would want our authors to feel when they visit MDPI for their publishing needs. A company culture that prioritizes service, something that goes beyond products and productivity, and focuses on the overall experience. Over 6,000 people, across all MDPI offices, are ready, willing and able to go the extra mile for their colleagues and their customers. This is something I am truly proud of.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
6 September 2023
Recap of Awards Granted to Scholars in 2022

MDPI is committed to supporting the academic community, nurturing talent and advancing science. Awards are an important part of the research landscape and play a vital role in helping academics gain recognition, especially young researchers as they embark on new research avenues.
In 2022, our journals presented a total number of 394 Awards, including Travel Awards, Young Investigator Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, Best Paper Awards, and Outstanding Reviewer Awards, with several winners announced for some of the awards. The total prize sum amounted to just under 580,000 Swiss francs (CHF), or approximately 650,000 US dollars. Overall, more than 720 scholars were awarded.
The majority of the awards were dedicated to young researchers in relatively early stages of their careers. This encompassed 66 of the afore-mentioned Travel Awards, 60 Young Investigator Awards, supporting research projects and conference attendance, as well as 51 Best PhD Thesis Awards. Additionally, 113 Best Paper Awards were given by our journals. The selection committees were entrusted with identifying the most impactful and novel research and review articles published in their journal within a given year.
MDPI will continue its support and recognition for the academic community moving forward, sponsoring new awards across disciplines. To learn more about all the awardees and their research projects in your field of study, please visit the following pages:
To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.
30 August 2023
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #3 - Sustainability and Co-opetition

Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Our Commitment to Sustainability
As a pioneer in academic open access publishing since 1996, MDPI has always been dedicated to facilitating scientific exchange across all disciplines. Our approach to open science is guided by principles such as Open Access (OA), Timeliness and Efficiency, Simplicity, High-Quality Service, Flexibility, and a commitment to Sustainability. This commitment involves preserving published papers for the long term and supporting the future of science through partnerships, sponsorships, and awards.
In this edition of the CEO Letter, I will delve into MDPI’s various sustainability initiatives. As a leader in OA publishing, we are able to provide the public with a significant amount of environment-related content at no cost.
MDPI and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
In 2020, the SDG Publishers Compact was launched to accelerate implementation of the SDGs by promoting content that informs, develops, and inspires action. MDPI joined this initiative in 2021 and subsequently launched the MDPI SDG Hub in 2022, offering free access to recent research within the scope of each of the 17 SDGs. We also support authors from underrepresented communities by waiving publication charges for selected SDG-related papers. Detailed sustainability practices and supported publications are available in the report under each Goal page.
“More than 80% of MDPI articles and reviews published in 2022 relate to the Sustainable Development Goals.” [source: InCites, Accessed on 21.08.2023]
As at August 2023, MDPI boasts 14 journals dedicated to sustainability-related topics. Our first journal in this area, Sustainability, has published over 29,000 articles on the SDGs, accumulating over 240,000 citations (source: InCites, as at 1 January 2023). These journals serve as vital platforms for researchers to share insights and address environmental challenges. In addition:
MDPI journals specializing in sustainability-related topics:
- 2009: Sustainability
- 2012: Resources
- 2013: Climate
- 2014: Environments
- 2016: Recycling
- 2019: Clean Technologies
- 2020: Sustainable Chemistry
- 2021: Wind, Biomass, Conservation, Pollutants, Solar
- 2022: Waste, Microplastics
Read more:
Impactful Research
Highly Cited Articles in Sustainability
In 2022, content published in Sustainability and indexed in Journal Citation Reports (JCR) received nearly 190,000 citations. This highlights the fact that Sustainability publishes highly cited research articles related to environmental sciences and SDG-related topics such as climate action.
We are pleased to share that Sustainability received a 2022 CiteScore of 5.8, marking a 16% increase from the 2021 metric. Specifically, the CiteScore positions Sustainability as follows: Q1 (27 out of 163) in the “Environmental Science (miscellaneous)” category, and Q1 (101 out of 779) in the “Geography Planning and Development” category. For additional journal statistics, please visit here.
“Sustainability received a 2022 CiteScore of 5.8”
While MDPI journals such as Climate and Atmosphere have a distinct focus on atmosphere pollution and its impact on climate processes, journals like Sustainability, Environments, Water, Remote Sensing, and IJERPH publish content related to climate change. These journals have published over 32,300 articles related to SDG 13: Climate Action.
Highly Cited Papers in Sustainability
Below are several highly cited papers published in Sustainability over the past three years. Citation metrics are current as at 15 August 2023.
1. “A Global Assessment: Can Renewable Energy Replace Fossil Fuels by 2050?”Authors: Jerry L. Holechek, Hatim M. E. Geli, Mohammed N. Sawalhah, and Raul Valdez
Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4792; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084792
Citations: Crossref (97), Scopus (91), Web of Science (82), Google Scholar (125)
This paper addresses one of the most significant challenges of climate change – achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2050. The meta-analysis suggests that while difficult, this transition is possible through the concerted application of pathways, lifestyle changes, and global cooperation.
2. “Anxiety and the Ecological Crisis: An Analysis of Eco-Anxiety and Climate Anxiety”Author: Panu Pihkala
Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 7836; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12197836
Citations: Crossref (144), Scopus (121), Web of Science (159), Google Scholar (382)
This paper has received substantial media attention, including coverage by The Guardian, BBC, Vice, and CNBC. An interview with Dr. Panu Pihkala, a leading interdisciplinary researcher on the topic, can be found on MDPI’s podcast: Insight Faster, Episode 1.
3. “Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Its Mitigation Strategies: A Review”Authors: Gurdeep Singh Malhi, Manpreet Kaur, and Prashant Kaushik
Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1318; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031318
Citations: Crossref (207), Scopus (221), Web of Science (186), Google Scholar (355)
This paper reviews literature on climate change, addressing its causes, future projections, impact on agriculture, including plant physiology, growth, productivity, pest infestation, and the economic implications of mitigation strategies.
4. “Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Ecosystem Services, Sustainable Development Goals, and Need to Focus on Circular Economy and Policy Interventions”Authors: Rakesh Kumar, Anurag Verma, Arkajyoti Shome, Rama Sinha, Srishti Sinha, Prakash Kumar Jha, Ritesh Kumar, Pawan Kumar, Shubham, Shreyas Das, Prabhakar Sharma, and P. V. Vara Prasad
Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9963; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179963
Citations: Crossref (134), Scopus (136), Web of Science (113), Google Scholar (184)
This review aims to assess the adverse effects of plastic pollution on ecosystems, link the management of plastic with the SDGs, and propose policy measures using transdisciplinary approaches. Empowering communities to reduce plastic use is crucial. Addressing global plastic pollution is a priority.
Sustainability is an international, cross-disciplinary, open access journal that explores environmental, cultural, economic, and social sustainability of human beings. It provides a forward-looking platform for research on sustainability and sustainable development, and is published semi-monthly online by MDPI. Sustainability is affiliated with The Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) and The International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB).
Read more:
- Testimonials: See what our editors and authors say about Sustainability.
Inside MDPI
President of Ireland Authors Editorial in MDPI Journal Sustainability
It’s a very special occasion when the president of a country takes the initiative to write an editorial for a journal. Michael D. Higgins, President of the Republic of Ireland, has contributed his insights to a forthcoming Special Issue in Sustainability:
This Special Issue, focusing on “making sustainable development happen” at grassroots levels, allows for perspectives from, and on, the major world faiths, exploring how challenges have been conceptualised and addressed, in addition to case studies of faith-based sustainability initiatives in practice.
The experience of faith institutions and communities in translating theological and moral commitments to sustainable development into action is now a topic we must examine with urgency; one on which I am so glad this Special Issue focuses.
As President of Ireland, I very much support this Special Issue of Sustainability. It is my great hope that the contents of the papers contained herein will assist in making sustainable development happen at grassroots levels across the world so that we can cooperate together, people of faith and of none, to ensure a just, inclusive and sustainable future for all on our fragile planet.
Read the completed editorial here:
Special Issue “Faith and Sustainable Development: Exploring Practice, Progress and Challenges among Faith Communities and Institutions”: Foreword by the President of Ireland
Author: Michael D. Higgins
Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9683; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129683
Coming Together for Science
The World Sustainability Forum 2023
The World Sustainability Forum (WSF) is a biennial MDPI event focused on sustainability. WSF 2023 marks the tenth anniversary of the conference series, taking place on 14 September. For the first time, the event will be hosted as a 24-hour conference across three locations – Singapore, Basel in Switzerland, and Toronto in Canada – alongside virtual streaming.
This unique format allows us to span three time zones, providing live coverage of critical sustainability-related topics throughout the day:
- The Singapore Hub, chaired by Professor Horn Mun Cheah and Associate Professor Renee Tan, will explore “Sustainability for Social and Community Impact”.
- The Basel Hub, chaired by Prof. Dr. Anet Režek Jambrak and Dr. Lela Mélon, will delve into “Sustainability in the industry, and at university and corporate settings”.
- The Toronto Hub, led by Dr. Umberto Berardi, will discuss “The Sustainable Built Environment”.
MDPI Sustainability Foundation: Recognizing Excellence in Sustainability Research
The MDPI Sustainability Foundation supports researchers through two sustainability-focused awards:
- The World Sustainability Award, amounting to USD 100,000, is given to senior researchers.
- The Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, valued at USD 20,000, sponsored by the journal Sustainability, is presented to early-career researchers.
The winners of the Sustainability Foundation will be formally awarded during the WSF2023 on 14 September. Interviews with the award winners and finalists are available below.
2023 World Sustainability Award Winners
Interviews with 2023 Emerging Sustainability Leader Award Finalists
- Dr. Bahareh Kamranzad
- Dr. Youjin Kim
- Dr. Julia Lohmann
As a hybrid event, WSF23 provides scholars with the option to attend in person at one of the conference sites or, for a more sustainable approach, virtually. All sessions will be recorded and archived for future access. Registration is open until 3 September 2023, with in-person and virtual tickets available here.
Read more:
Closing Thoughts
“Co-opetition”: Collaboration Plus Healthy Competition – A Visit to Elsevier
I firmly believe in fostering collaboration and at the same time promoting healthy competition within the academic publishing industry. The market offers ample room for publishers and related companies to provide valuable services and products that enrich the academic community. While MDPI is recognized for its efficient and streamlined processes –thanks to our over 6,000 colleagues, in-house tools, and initiatives that support the author journey – our ethos has always involved learning from and collaborating with other organizations.
MDPI’s Interaction with Elsevier
In January 2023, I had a brief conversation with Judy Verses, President of Global Academic and Government Markets at Elsevier, following her participation in a panel discussion at the Academic Publishers Europe event in Berlin. One of the highlights for me was Judy’s insight into the impact of research, particularly her emphasis on the role of collaboration, including policy and showing the impact of research to influence on funding decisions.
“Such collaborations drive forward-looking strategies to elevate our support for the scholarly community”
Judy and I resumed our discussion in August, when I visited Elsevier's office to review current projects, such as our recent agreement with Science Direct and the continued indexing of MDPI journals in Scopus (indexing database owned by Elsevier). We also explored possible opportunities for the future, including a potential collaboration to expand MDPI’s Scilit data infrastructure. This endeavour aims to aggregate and provide access to scholarly metadata encompassing journal articles, conference papers, books, preprints, and more. While these discussions are ongoing, the underlying principle remains that such collaborations drive forward-looking strategies to elevate our services and support for the scholarly community.
It was great that Judy and I acknowledged the merits of 'co-opetition,' a concept based of the belief that fostering cooperation alongside healthy competition can lead to shared advancements for both individual companies and the industry at large.
‘Fully OA’ Organizations Dedicated to Open Access
MDPI proudly aligns with the ‘Fully OA’ group, a collaborative initiative comprising nine organizations dedicated to Open Access. Our monthly meetings, including an OASPA representative, serve as platforms to share non-confidential information, resources, and projects. These gatherings also facilitate discussions on topics relevant to fully OA organizations. Occasionally, joint actions spring from these interactions, such as collaborative blog posts on pertinent subjects and joint statements, such as a recent response to the House Appropriations Committee.
This display of cooperation among competing entities forms a strategic alliance focused on nurturing the best interests of the OA publishing model.
As I wrap up this third edition of the CEO Letter, I encourage you to seize opportunities for collaboration and contribute to advancing our shared academic culture. As the African proverb has it, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
24 August 2023
Meet Us at the ASHG Annual Meeting 2023, 1–5 November 2023, Washington D.C., USA

MDPI will attend the ASHG Annual Meeting 2023, held in Washington, D.C., USA, from 1 to 5 November 2023.
The ASHG Annual Meeting is the largest human genetics and genomics meeting and exposition in the world. Held in the fall, it provides a forum for the presentation and discussion of cutting-edge science in all areas of human genetics. Highlights include invited symposia; abstract-driven plenary, platform, and poster sessions; education/trainee workshops; and career opportunities and networking events.
The following MDPI journals will be represented:
- Genes;
- JPM;
- Biomolecules;
- Medicina;
- Diagnostics;
- Cancers;
- Biomedicines;
- Humans;
- Applied Biosciences;
- DNA;
- IJMS;
- Brain Sciences;
- Cardiogenetics;
- Vaccines;
- Life;
- Epigenomes;
- BioTech;
- Biology;
- CIMB;
- Biomedinformatics.
If you plan on attending this conference, please stop by our booth and speak with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.
For more information about the conference, please visit https://www.ashg.org/meetings/.
14 August 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Young Investigator Awards in Biology and Life Sciences—Winners Announced

MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising junior researchers, acknowledge their contributions, and enhance communication among scientists. We are proud to present the winners for the year 2022 in biology and life sciences. The winners were selected by the journals’ Award Evaluation Committee.
We warmly congratulate the awarded young investigators for their outstanding contributions. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.
- Thomas Hartinger, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
- Leontina Lipan, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Spain
- Daniel Stec, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
- Dibyadeep Datta, Yale Medical School, USA
- Giacomo Valle, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
- Morgan H. James, Rutgers University, USA
- Xiaonan Lu, McGill University, Canada
- Alfredo Iacoangeli, King's College London, UK
- Elisa De Franco, University of Exeter, UK
- Riccardo Pecori, German Cancer Research Center, Germany
- Vanessa Silva, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal
- Massimiliano Renna, University of Bari Aldo Moro at Bari, Italy
- Adam G. Dolezal, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States
- Carla Rodrigues, Institut Pasteur, France
- Lorena Rodriguez-Rubio, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Kevin Solomon, University of Delaware, USA
- Colleen Deane, University of Southampton, UK
- Paz Otero Fuertes, University of Vigo, Spain
- Marta Giovanetti, National Reference Laboratory of Flavivirus in the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil
- Carrie M. Long, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), USA
- Carina Joe, University of Oxford, UK
About MDPI Awards:
In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.
To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.
14 August 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Travel Awards in Biology and Life Sciences—Winners Announced

We are proud to recognize the winners of MDPI’s 2022 Travel Awards in biology and life sciences for their outstanding presentations.
MDPI journals regularly offer travel awards to encourage junior scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in specific fields, which helps to increase their influence.
The winners mentioned below were carefully selected by the journal editors based on an outline of their research and the work to be presented at an academic conference.
We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of the 2022 Travel Awards and wish them the greatest success in their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.
- Liloia Donato, University of Turin, Italy
- Roberta Bettoni, University of Milano Bicocca, Italy
- Vanessa Silva, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal
- Carlo Matera, University of Milan, Italy
- Elisabetta Coppi, University of Florence, Italy
- Ilaria Tonazzini, Nanoscience Institute—National Research Council (CNR) @ NEST in Pisa, Italy
- Pere Catala, University Eye Clinic Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands
- Angela Blasimann, University of Antwerp, Belgium
- Angelo Sabag, Western Sydney University, Australia
About MDPI Awards:
In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.
To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.
14 August 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Outstanding Reviewer Awards in Biology and Life Sciences—Winners Announced

In order to acknowledge our reviewers, who demonstrate diligence, professionalism, and timeliness when generously dedicating their time to reviewing manuscripts, MDPI journals regularly offer outstanding reviewer awards to scholars who participate in the peer review process.
We are proud to recognize the winners for the year 2022 in biology and life sciences for their outstanding contributions, among extensive competition, by presenting them with an Outstanding Reviewer Award.
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the winners on their achievements. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.
- Ewa Ropelewska, The National Institute of Horticultural Research, Poland
- Marek Rašovský, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia
- Prakash Jha, Kansas State University, USA
- Vasileios Greveniotis, Institute of Industrial and Forage Crops, Greece
- Alberto Collareta, University of Pisa, Italy
- Francisco Curate, University of Coimbra, Portugal
- Gianpiero Greco, University of Study of Bari, Italy
- Luca Poli, University of Study of Bari, Italy
- Shaohua Chen, South China Agricultural University, China
- Chong Chen, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
- Marco Sapienza, University of Catania, Italy
- Sabina Barrios-Fernández, University of Extremadura, Spain
- Corrado Battisti, Torre Flavia LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) Station, Italy
- Daniel Stec, Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
- Emilia Grzędzicka, Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
- Igor Zelnik, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Eva S. Liu, 1Harvard Medical School, USA 2Brigham and Women’s Hospital, USA
- Aleksandra Szydlowska, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS), Poland
- Mohamed Ali Abdel-Rahman, Al-Azhar University, Egypt
- Andrew G. Jeffs, University of Auckland, New Zealand
- Mohamed Samy-Kamal, Universitat d'Alacant, Spain
- Baskaran Stephen Inbaraj, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan
- Marzena Włodarczyk-Stasiak, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
- Minaxi Sharma, Haute Ecole Provinciale de Hainaut-Condorcet, Belgium
- Viviani Ruffo de Oliveira, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil
- Federico Manuel Giorgi, University of Bologna, Italy
- Jan Bocianowski, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland
- Magdalena Mroczek, Center for Cardiovascular Genetics and Gene Diagnostics, Switzerland
- Keigi Fujiwara, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
- Tomasz W. Kaminski, University of Pittsburgh, USA
- Takujiro Homma, Yamagata University, Japan
- William Bryan Terzaghi, Wilkes University, United States
- Zong-jie Cui, Beijing Normal University, China
- Abraão Almeida Santos, University of Florida, USA
- Agata Kaczmarek, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
- Miguel A. García-Martínez, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
- Andrei S. Rodin, Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, USA
- Kazuhiko Kotani, Jichi Medical University, Japan
- Jianing Mi, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
- Nguyen Phuoc Long, Inje University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
- Xian Luo, University of Alberta, Canada
- Guillaume Fiches, Ohio State University, USA
- Jianxuan Wu, Gilead Sciences, USA
- Tomasz M. Karpiński, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poland
- Alicia Ayerdi Gotor, Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle, France
- Andrea Mastinu, University of Brescia, Italy
- Edyta Paczos-Grzeda, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
- Narayan Bhusal, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
- Mohsen Hesami, University of Guelph, Canada
- Christian Müller, University of Greifswald, Germany
- Margarita Fernández-Tejedor, IRTA, Spain
- Christian Napoli, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Italy
- Federico Marchesi, University of Parma, Italy
- Roger E. Thomas, University of Calgary, Canada
- Fun-In Wang, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
- Valeria Grieco, University of Milan, Italy
About MDPI Awards:
In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.
To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.
14 August 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Best PhD Thesis Awards in Biology and Life Sciences—Winners Announced

MDPI’s Best PhD Thesis Awards are presented to recognize the young scholars who are judged to have completed the most outstanding PhD thesis in their field of research and to encourage them to continue their outstanding work and further contributions to their field.
We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of the 2022 Best PhD Thesis Awards and wish them success in their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.
- “CYP2D in the Brain Alters Response to Drugs and Neurotoxins”
by Marlaina R. Stocco, University of California, USA - “Neural Encoding of Prior Experience in Sensorimotor Behavior”
by Nicolas Meirhaeghe, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, France
- “Perinatal Stem Cell: Epigenetic, Biological and Differentiative Characteristics”
by Giulia Gaggi, University "G.D'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Italy
- “Uncovering the Genetic Variation Involved in Asthma Exacerbations through Multiple Genomic Approaches”
by Esther Herrera Luis, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
- “Development of Novel Tools for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance in Complex Microbial Communities and Their Application to Improving Our Stewardship of Antimicrobials in Livestock”
by Ashenafi Feyisa Beyi, Iowa State University, United States
About MDPI Awards:
In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.
To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.
14 August 2023
MDPI’s Best Paper Awards in Biology and Life Sciences—Winners Announced in 2022

The purpose of our Best Paper Awards is to promote and recognize the most impactful contributions published within MDPI journals.
The editors of each journal carefully selected reviews and research papers through a rigorous judging process based on criteria such as scientific merit, overall impact, and the quality of presentation.
We are honored to present the winners for the year 2022 in biology and life sciences, who were selected amongst extensive competition, and congratulate the authors for their outstanding scientific publications. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.
- “From Smart Farming towards Agriculture 5.0: A Review on Crop Data Management”
by Verónica Saiz-Rubio and Francisco Rovira-Más
Agronomy 2020, 10(2), 207; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10020207
- “Comparison of Biochemical, Anatomical, Morphological, and Physiological Responses to Salinity Stress in Wheat and Barley Genotypes Deferring in Salinity Tolerance”
by Muhammad Zeeshan, Meiqin Lu, Shafaque Sehar, Paul Holford and Feibo Wu
Agronomy 2020, 10(1), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10010127
- “The Use of a Plant-Based Biostimulant Improves Plant Performances and Fruit Quality in Tomato Plants Grown at Elevated Temperatures”
by Silvana Francesca Carmen Arena, Bruno Hay Mele, Carlo Schettini, Patrizia Ambrosino, Amalia Barone and Maria Manuela Rigano
Agronomy 2020, 10(3), https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10030363
- “The Management of Agricultural Waste Biomass in the Framework of Circular Economy and Bioeconomy: An Opportunity for Greenhouse Agriculture in Southeast Spain”
by Mónica Duque-Acevedo, Luis J. Belmonte-Ureña, José A. Plaza-Úbeda and Francisco Camacho-Ferre
Agronomy 2020, 10(4), 489; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10040489
- “Apoptotic Bodies: Particular Extracellular Vesicles Involved in Intercellular Communication”
by Michela Battistelli and Elisabetta Falcieri
Biology 2020, 9(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9010021
- “Vegetation and Environmental Changes on Non-Reclaimed Spoil Heaps in Southern Poland”
by Oimahmad Rahmonov, Robert Krzysztofik, Dorota Środek and Justyna Smolarek-Lach
Biology 2020, 9(7), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9070164
- “Formyl Peptide Receptor 1 Signaling in Acute Inflammation and Neural Differentiation Induced by Traumatic Brain Injury”
by Roberta Fusco, Enrico Gugliandolo, Rosalba Siracusa, Maria Scuto, Marika Cordaro, Ramona D’Amico, Maurizio Evangelista, Angelo Peli, Alessio Filippo Peritore, Daniela Impellizzeri et al.
Biology 2020, 9(9), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9090238
- “Cholesterol and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk: A Meta-Meta-Analysis”
by Olalla Sáiz-Vazquez, Alicia Puente-Martínez, Silvia Ubillos-Landa, Joaquín Pacheco-Bonrostro and Javier Santabárbara
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(6), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10060386
- “Psychosocial and Behavioral Impact of COVID-19 in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Online Parent Survey”
by Marco Colizzi, Elena Sironi, Federico Antonini, Marco Luigi Ciceri, Chiara Bovo and Leonardo Zoccante
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(6), 341; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10060341
- “More Than a Functional Group: Diversity within the Legume–Rhizobia Mutualism and Its Relationship with Ecosystem Function”
by Benton N. Taylor, Ellen L. Simms and Kimberly J. Komatsu
Diversity 2020, 12(2), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12020050
- “A Common Approach to the Conservation of Threatened Island Vascular Plants: First Results in the Mediterranean Basin”
by Giuseppe Fenu, Gianluigi Bacchetta, Charalambos S. Christodoulou, Donatella Cogoni, Christini Fournaraki, Giusso del Galdo Gian Pietro, Panagiota Gotsiou, Angelos Kyratzis, Carole Piazza, Magdalena Vicens et al.
Diversity 2020, 12(4), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12040157
- “Plant Diversity Patterns and Conservation Implications under Climate-Change Scenarios in the Mediterranean: The Case of Crete (Aegean, Greece)”
by Konstantinos Kougioumoutzis, Ioannis P. Kokkoris, Maria Panitsa, Panayiotis Trigas, Arne Strid and Panayotis Dimopoulos
Diversity 2020, 12(7), 270; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12070270
- “Conserving the Diversity of Ecological Interactions: The Role of Two Threatened Macaw Species as Legitimate Dispersers of ‘Megafaunal’ Fruits”
by José L. Tella, Fernando Hiraldo, Erica Pacífico, José A. Díaz-Luque, Francisco V. Dénes, Fernanda M. Fontoura, Neiva Guedes and Guillermo Blanco
Diversity 2020, 12(2), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12020045
- “Genomics in Bacterial Taxonomy: Impact on the Genus Pseudomonas”
by Jorge Lalucat, Magdalena Mulet, Margarita Gomila and Elena García-Valdés
Genes 2020, 11(2), 139; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11020139
- “Histone Deacetylases (HDACs): Evolution, Specificity, Role in Transcriptional Complexes, and Pharmacological Actionability”
by Giorgio Milazzo, Daniele Mercatelli, Giulia Di Muzio, Luca Triboli, Piergiuseppe De Rosa, Giovanni Perini and Federico M. Giorgi
Genes 2020, 11(5), 556; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11050556
- “COVID-19 and Genetic Variants of Protein Involved in the SARS-CoV-2 Entry into the Host Cells”
by Andrea Latini, Emanuele Agolini, Antonio Novelli, Paola Borgiani, Rosalinda Giannini, Paolo Gravina, Andrea Smarrazzo, Mario Dauri, Massimo Andreoni, Paola Rogliani et al.
Genes 2020, 11(9), 1010; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11091010
- “Clustered DNA Double-Strand Breaks: Biological Effects and Relevance to Cancer Radiotherapy”
by Jac A. Nickoloff, Neelam Sharma and Lynn Taylor
Genes 2020, 11(1), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11010099
- “Inhibition of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Ameliorates Renal Fibrosis by Mitigating DPP-4 Level and Restoring Antifibrotic MicroRNAs”
by Swayam Prakash Srivastava, Julie E. Goodwin, Keizo Kanasaki and Daisuke Koya
Genes 2020, 11(2), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11020211
- “Regulation of Ergosterol Biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae”
by Tania Jordá and Sergi Puig
Genes 2020, 11(7), 795; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11070795
- “Laccase Properties, Physiological Functions, and Evolution”
by Grzegorz Janusz, Anna Pawlik, Urszula Świderska-Burek, Jolanta Polak, Justyna Sulej, Anna Jarosz-Wilkołazka and Andrzej Paszczyński
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(3), 966; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21030966
- “Lysosomal Exocytosis, Exosome Release and Secretory Autophagy: The Autophagic- and Endo-Lysosomal Systems Go Extracellular”
by Sandra Buratta, Brunella Tancini, Krizia Sagini, Federica Delo, Elisabetta Chiaradia, Lorena Urbanelli and Carla Emiliani
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(7), 2576; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21072576
- “Recent Advances in Lipopolysaccharide Recognition Systems”
by Lalita Mazgaeen and Prajwal Gurung
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(2), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21020379
- “Redox Interactions of Vitamin C and Iron: Inhibition of the Pro-Oxidant Activity by Deferiprone”
by Viktor A. Timoshnikov, Tatyana V. Kobzeva, Nikolay E. Polyakov and George J. Kontoghiorghes
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(11), 3967; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21113967
- “Modulation of Pro-Oxidant and Pro-Inflammatory Activities of M1 Macrophages by the Natural Dipeptide Carnosine”
by Claudia G. Fresta, Annamaria Fidilio, Giacomo Lazzarino, Nicolò Musso, Margherita Grasso, Sara Merlo, Angela M. Amorini, Claudio Bucolo, Barbara Tavazzi, Giuseppe Lazzarino et al.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(3), 776; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21030776
- “SAAMBE-3D: Predicting Effect of Mutations on Protein–Protein Interactions”
by Swagata Pahari, Gen Li, Adithya Krishna Murthy, Siqi Liang, Robert Fragoza, Haiyuan Yu and Emil Alexov
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(7), 2563; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21072563
- “Diversity and Global Distribution of Viruses of the Western Honey Bee, Apis mellifera”
by Alexis Beaurepaire, Niels Piot, Vincent Doublet, Karina Antunez, Ewan Campbell, Panuwan Chantawannakul, Nor Chejanovsky, Anna Gajda, Matthew Heerman and Delphine Panziera
Insects 2020, 11(4), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11040239
- “Soil Health and Arthropods: From Complex System to Worthwhile Investigation”
by Cristina Menta and Sara Remelli
Insects 2020, 11(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11010054
- “Influence of Temperature on Age-Stage, Two-Sex Life Tables for a Minnesota-Acclimated Population of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys)”
by Byju N. Govindan and William D. Hutchison
Insects 2020, 11(2), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11020108
- “Characterization of Resistance in Gram-Negative Urinary Isolates Using Existing and Novel Indicators of Clinical Relevance: A 10-Year Data Analysis”
by Márió Gajdács, Zoltán Bátori, Marianna Ábrók, Andrea Lázár and Katalin Burián
Life 2020, 10(2), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/life10020016
- “Neuroprotection or Neurotoxicity of Illicit Drugs on Parkinson’s Disease”
by Carla Ferreira, Catarina Almeida, Sandra Tenreiro and Alexandre Quintas
Life 2020, 10(6), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/life10060086
- “Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors Targeting Metabolism and Tumor Microenvironment”
by Andrea Angeli, Fabrizio Carta, Alessio Nocentini, Jean-Yves Winum, Raivis Zalubovskis, Atilla Akdemir, Valentina Onnis, Wagdy M. Eldehna, Clemente Capasso, Giuseppina De Simone et al.
Metabolites 2020, 10(10), 412; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo10100412
- “MetaboAnalystR 3.0: Toward an Optimized Workflow for Global Metabolomics”
by Zhiqiang Pang, Jasmine Chong, Shuzhao Li and Jianguo Xia
Metabolites 2020, 10(5), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo10050186
- “Tryptophan Metabolism, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress in Patients with Neurovascular Disease”
by Martin Hajsl, Alzbeta Hlavackova, Karolina Broulikova, Martin Sramek, Martin Maly, Jan E. Dyr and Jiri Suttnar
Metabolites 2020, 10(5), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo10050208
- “Production and Purification of Artificial Circular RNA Sponges for Application in Molecular Biology and Medicine”
by Janina Breuer and Oliver Rossbach
Methods Protoc. 2020, 3(2), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/mps3020042
- “Effectiveness of Chemical Compounds Used against African Swine Fever Virus in Commercial Available Disinfectants”
by Małgorzata Juszkiewicz, Marek Walczak, Natalia Mazur-Panasiuk and Grzegorz Woźniakowski
Pathogens 2020, 9(11), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9110878
- “Betanodavirus and VER Disease: A 30-year Research Review”
by Isabel Bandín and Sandra Souto
Pathogens 2020, 9(2), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9020106
- “The Bradyzoite: A Key Developmental Stage for the Persistence and Pathogenesis of Toxoplasmosis”
by Aude Cerutti, Nicolas Blanchard and Sébastien Besteiro
Pathogens 2020, 9(3), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9030234
- “Understanding Flavivirus Capsid Protein Functions: The Tip of the Iceberg”
by Stephanea Sotcheff and Andrew Routh
Pathogens 2020, 9(1), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9010042
- “Photosynthetic Metabolism under Stressful Growth Conditions as a Bases for Crop Breeding and Yield Improvement”
by Fermín Morales, María Ancín, Dorra Fakhet, Jon González-Torralba, Angie L. Gámez, Amaia Seminario, David Soba, Sinda Ben Mariem, Miguel Garriga and Iker Aranjuelo
Plants 2020, 9(1), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9010088
- “Plant Roots Release Small Extracellular Vesicles with Antifungal Activity”
by Monica De Palma, Alfredo Ambrosone, Antonietta Leone, Pasquale Del Gaudio, Michelina Ruocco, Lilla Turiák, Ramesh Bokka, Immacolata Fiume, Marina Tucci and Gabriella Pocsfalvi
Plants 2020, 9(12), 1777; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121777
- “Feeding Behavior and Virus-transmission Ability of Insect Vectors Exposed to Systemic Insecticides”
by Elisa Garzo, Aránzazu Moreno, María Plaza and Alberto Fereres
Plants 2020, 9(7), 895; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9070895
- “Transcriptome Analyses and Antioxidant Activity Profiling Reveal the Role of a Lignin-Derived Biostimulant Seed Treatment in Enhancing Heat Stress Tolerance in Soybean”
by Cristina Campobenedetto, Giuseppe Mannino, Chiara Agliassa, Alberto Acquadro, Valeria Contartese, Christian Garabello and Cinzia Margherita Bertea
Plants 2020, 9(10), 1308; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9101308
- “Aflatoxin Biosynthesis and Genetic Regulation: A Review”
by Isaura Caceres, Anthony Al Khoury, Rhoda El Khoury, Sophie Lorber, Isabelle P. Oswald, André El Khoury, Ali Atoui, Olivier Puel and Jean-Denis Bailly
Toxins 2020, 12(3), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12030150
- “Diet Breadth Mediates the Prey Specificity of Venom Potency in Snakes”
by Keith Lyons, Michel M. Dugon and Kevin Healy
Toxins 2020, 12(2), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12020074
- “Rapid Quantification of SARS-CoV-2-Neutralizing Antibodies Using Propagation-Defective Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Pseudotypes”
by Ferdinand Zettl, Toni Luise Meister, Tanja Vollmer, Bastian Fischer, Jörg Steinmann, Adalbert Krawczyk, Philip V’kovski, Daniel Todt, Eike Steinmann, Stephanie Pfaender et al.
Vaccines 2020, 8(3), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8030386
- “Influences on Attitudes Regarding Potential COVID-19 Vaccination in the United States”
by Kendall Pogue, Jamie L. Jensen, Carter K. Stancil, Daniel G. Ferguson, Savannah J. Hughes, Emily J. Mello, Ryan Burgess, Bradford K. Berges, Abraham Quaye and Brian D. Poole
Vaccines 2020, 8(4), 582; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8040582
- “Recent Progress on the Versatility of Virus-Like Particles”
by Ciying Qian, Xinlin Liu, Qin Xu, Zhiping Wang, Jie Chen, Tingting Li, Qingbing Zheng, Hai Yu, Ying Gu, Shaowei Li et al.
Vaccines 2020, 8(1), 139; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8010139
- “COVID-19: Mechanisms of Vaccination and Immunity”
by Daniel E. Speiser and Martin F. Bachmann
Vaccines 2020, 8(3), 404; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8030404
- “Manure as a Potential Hotspot for Antibiotic Resistance Dissemination by Horizontal Gene Transfer Events”
by Tiago Lima, Sara Domingues and Gabriela Jorge Da Silva
Vet. Sci. 2020, 7(3), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci7030110
- “Seasonality of Nosema ceranae Infections and Their Relationship with Honey Bee Populations, Food Stores, and Survivorship in a North American Region”
by Berna Emsen, Alvaro De la Mora, Brian Lacey, Les Eccles, Paul G. Kelly, Carlos A. Medina-Flores, Tatiana Petukhova, Nuria Morfin and Ernesto Guzman-Novoa
Vet. Sci. 2020, 7(3), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci7030131
About MDPI Awards:
In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.
To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.
27 July 2023
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #2 - Open Peer-Review and IJERPH

Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Open Peer Review Reports
Continuing the topic of openness from my inaugural monthly CEO letter, in these Opening Thoughts, I highlight the growth and importance of open peer-review reports at MDPI. Open peer reports align with the principles of open science, making the publishing process more transparent and facilitating rigorous peer review.
MDPI journals operate an open peer-review option by default, allowing authors to publish review reports and author responses (often referred to as open reports) together with the published paper. Publishing the reviewer reports and author responses together with the article provides greater transparency and trust for readers, as this allows them to track the editorial decision-making process. Open peer-review also encourages reviewers and editors to provide high-quality comments, as these will be made public if the article is accepted for publication.
Start and Growth of Open Peer Review at MDPI
The MDPI journal Life was a pioneer in offering this opportunity to its authors in 2014. The first MDPI article with peer-review reports openly published was a review by the Nobel Laureate Werner Arber, in which the review reports were published as supplementary material. By 2018, open peer-review was available across all MDPI journals. As such, MDPI authors have embraced the open peer-review model, providing a steady increase in the number of MDPI articles. As of 2023, approximately one-third (34.0%) of MDPI articles were published with open review reports.
As at July 2023, the percentage of MDPI articles published with open peer review has increased to 36.2% of the total papers published in 2023 so far, indicating ongoing growth in adoption.
Open peer review continues to play a critical role in the assessment of the peer-review process in Life. For further insights, please see the recent editorial by Dr. Pabulo Henrique Rampelotto, the former Editor-in-Chief of Life, who spearheaded the implementation of the open peer-review process.
Benefits of Open Peer Review
The benefits of open peer review include increased transparency, trust and constructive feedback. To promote open communication further and increase the robustness of the peer-review process, we encourage reviewers to sign their reports so that their name appears on the review report (this process is referred to as open identity). The default option is for reviewers to remain anonymous; however, by signing the reports, reviewers receive direct credit for their contribution to the peer-review process and show their commitment towards open science.
As the leading open access publisher, MDPI remains committed to promoting open peer-review and encourages authors to choose this approach. Our goal is to provide a rigorous and transparent peer-review process that benefits the scientific community, and we believe that open peer-review is a vital step in fostering openness and collaboration in scientific communication.
Impactful Research
MDPI Papers Cited in the News – IJERPH edition
Every month, our corporate marketing team compiles data from Altmetrics to create a list of MDPI papers that have been cited in the news. This list continues to grow as renowned news outlets regularly reference research published by MDPI in their articles.
During 2022, a total of 111,965 MDPI research papers were mentioned in prominent news outlets such as National Geographic, The Washington Post, Forbes, The Guardian, the BBC, CNN, Time, and Harvard Business Review.
Highly Cited Journal Publications
IJERPH, known for publishing impactful research, received the most news mentions among all MDPI journals in 2022, based on Altmetrics data:
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: 3509 mentions
- Nutrients: 2698 mentions
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences: 1701 mentions
- Journal of Clinical Medicine: 1131 mentions
- Viruses: 1111 mentions
These numbers show the recognition and impact of the articles published in IJERPH. For a more detailed view of the journal’s most cited and viewed papers, you can visit here. In total, IJERPH has garnered over 28,000 mentions in prominent news outlets, and as at July 2023, an impressive count of over 17,000 papers cited 10 times or more. These figures highlight the impactful contribution of IJERPH publications to the scientific community.
Example of Recent Mentions
During May and June 2023, a noteworthy selection of articles from IJERPH was cited in news articles, including:
The Washington Post: “Bringing nature inside can improve your health. Here’s how to do it.”
IJERPH paper: “Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments”
Harvard Business Review: “How to Take Better Breaks at Work, According to Research”
IJERPH paper: “Canine-Assisted Therapy Improves Well-Being in Nurses”
National Geographic: “Lyme disease is spreading fast—but a vaccine may be on the way”
IJERPH paper: “Range Expansion of Tick Disease Vectors in North America: Implications for Spread of Tick-Borne Disease”
Inside MDPI
MDPI Develops an Artificial Intelligence Tool to Enhance the Peer-Review Process
At MDPI, we believe that rigorous peer-review is the corner-stone of high-quality academic publishing. We are grateful to the scholars who generously dedicate their time to peer-review articles submitted to MDPI journals. Their contributions are invaluable to the advancement of science.
Peer-review is a critical part of the publication process, ensuring that MDPI upholds the highest quality standards for the papers we publish. Every manuscript submitted to our journals undergoes a comprehensive peer-review process conducted by subject-matter experts.
To further enhance our peer-review process, our Data Analytics team has developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool designed to support the selection of reviewers. This proprietary tool utilizes Natural Language Processing (NLP), a specially designed AI language model, to extract information from the title and abstract of submitted papers. It then searches our database for similar manuscripts and suggests potential reviewers based on this analysis. Integrated with MDPI's submission system (SuSy), the AI tool cross-references the suggested candidates with our reviewer database to verify their invitation status and availability.
The goal of this tool is to provide better targeted peer-review invitations, reducing the number of emails sent for each paper and increasing the efficiency of our editorial staff.
In the near future, our Data Analytics team plans to deploy similar AI projects to improve other critical aspects of our services, offering an enhanced experience to our authors and readers.
Click here to learn about MDPI’s review process, including procedures, responsibilities, and benefits.
Read more:
Coming Together for Science
The Future of IJERPH
On 5 July 2023, Prof. Dr. Paul B. Tchounwou, the founding Editor-in-Chief of IJERPH, along with five Section Editors in Chief (Prof. Dr. Germán Vicente-Rodríguez, Prof. Dr. Karl Goodkin, Prof. Dr. William A. Toscano, Prof. Dr. Jimmy T. Efird, and Prof. Dr. William Douglas Evans), gathered in Basel to discuss the future of the journal. The meeting provided an opportunity to address the recent decision by The Web of Science to delist IJERPH due to the journal failing the Content Relevance criterion, and propose best strategies that will ensure high scientific rigor as well as a clear scope and aim of IJERPH, going forward.
While the delisting is disappointing for IJERPH, as well as for our authors, academic editors, and the entire scientific community supporting our journal, we see it as an opportunity to reflect and prepare for the future direction of the journal.
Since its launch in 2004, IJERPH’s vision and mission have evolved to be more complete and comprehensive in engaging scientific communities. In light of this, we will refresh the journal’s aims and scope, ensuring they align with the organic expansion of IJERPH. Additionally, we will restructure the journal sections into broader categories, encouraging collaborative research and transdisciplinary approaches for authors. This is designed to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among diverse fields, contributing to a holistic understanding of health promotion and disease prevention. We are confident that these next steps will enhance the scientific strength and societal impact of our journal.
Journal Achievements
In addition to the productive discussions, we took the time to celebrate some of the remarkable achievements of IJERPH, which I highlight below:
- Founded by Prof. Dr. Paul B. Tchounwou in 2004
- Indexed in PubMed in 2008
- Received its first Impact Factor in 2012
- Published its 5000th paper in 2017
- Over 60,000 papers published as at June 30, 2023
- 131,628,173 paper views in 2018–2022
- Over 28,000 mentions in prominent news outlets
- 17,000 papers cited 10 times or more as at June 30, 2023
- No.1 journal in the 2022 Google Scholar Metrics in the category of Public Health
- Awarded several editions of Young Investigator Awards, Travel Awards, and Outstanding Reviewer Awards since 2018.
These achievements showcase the journal’s significant contributions to the field and its impact on global health. We are proud of the exceptional work accomplished by the IJERPH team and look forward to building upon this success in the years to come.
Closing Thoughts
MDPI’s Impact in Spain
During the past month, I had the opportunity to visit our new office building in Barcelona, where I met with our local colleagues to discuss the ways we serve the scholarly community, particularly in Spain. The multi-functional office plays a vital role in supporting various business needs, including editorial, design, conference management, data analytics, journal relationship management, publishing partnerships, and collaborations with societies.
Spain holds a significant position in MDPI’s global market, ranking as the fourth-largest contributor to the total number of papers published by MDPI as at July 2023, ranking next to Italy, the USA, and China, with Germany completing the top five.
The Numbers
Out of the 1,680,000 total MDPI articles published as at 25 July, almost 80,000 articles are contributed by Spanish authors, representing nearly 40,000 unique authors affiliated with Spanish institutions. Remarkably, over 6,300 of these authors hold editorial board member (EBM) positions within MDPI journals, with 30 of them serving as Editors-in-Chief (EiCs).
Our commitment to working with institutions is very evident in Spain, where we have successfully established over 40 Institutional Open Access Programs (IOAP) with esteemed institutions such as the University of Barcelona, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Pompeu Fabra University, the University of Navarre, and Complutense University of Madrid.
Over the past five years, we have successfully organized eight in-person conferences in Barcelona, attracting over 1,150 registrations, with two forthcoming events scheduled for 2024. Barcelona's excellent connectivity to international airports makes it easily accessible to participants from around the world. Its welcoming atmosphere provides us with the perfect environment for knowledge-sharing, networking, and contributing to the local economy.
Our growth and presence in Spain are a true testament to the incredible service we provide to the scholarly community and the relationships we foster through responsive and collaborative communication. We look forward to continuing to support Spanish scholars, providing them a valuable and trusted experience with MDPI, the leader in open access publishing.
Testimonials
I close this letter as I did in the first edition, by sharing testimonials from our stakeholders. Here are a few IJERPH testimonials from a Spanish guest editor and an author:
Guest Editor
“I want to thank the kindness, attention and professionalism of the MDPI team throughout the editorial process of the Special Issue. I believe that it is a very professional and quality editorial process.”
- Professor Víctor Arufe-Giráldez, University of A Coruña
Special Issue in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Physical Activity in Childhood and Adolescence
Special Issue in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Physical Education: Present and Future
__
Author
“I want to thank the rigor of the revisions made to the manuscripts to improve their quality, the support to the authors for the editor assignment system they have and the follow-up they carry out, for the speed in answering and in carrying out the entire process of the revision, and for doing all this at an affordable price.”
- Dr. María Paz García-Caro, University of Granada
Article in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Factors Associated with Suicide Attempts and Suicides in the General Population of Andalusia (Spain)
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
11 July 2023
MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in June 2023
With the first issue released in June 2023, five new MDPI journals disseminating multi-disciplinary science are due to launch, which will cover the subjects of medicine & pharmacology, biology and physical sciences.
The newly launched journals will be overseen by professional Editorial Board Members and Editors to ensure an accurate and rapid publication, rigorous peer review and broad visibility.
Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.
Journal | Founding Editor-in-Chief | Journal topics (selected) |
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Prof. Dr. Jun Ma, Peking University, China| Editorial | view inaugural issue | growth and development; diet and nutrients; school health promotion policies and practices; child health and care; adolescent health and wellbeing | view journal scope | submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Bernd Rehm, Griffith University, Australia | Editorial | view inaugural issue | DNA and gene synthesis; synthetic transcription factors; protein engineering; viral engineering; metabolic engineering | view journal scope | submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Varsha Gandhi, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue | lymphatics; cancers associated with lymphocytes and lymphoblasts; lymphatic tissues; lymphoma; lymphoid leukemia | view journal scope | submit an article |
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Dr. Bradley Turner, University of Melbourne, Australia | Editorial | view inaugural issue | multiple sclerosis; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; primary lateral sclerosis; atherosclerosis; systemic sclerosis | view journal scope | submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Clemens Burda, Case Western Reserve University, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue | Gamma ray, X-ray, and UV–Vis spectroscopies; NIR/mid-infrared/Raman spectroscopy; microwave and THz spectroscopy; high-resolution gas-phase atomic, molecular, and cluster spectroscopy; MS, NMR, and EPR spectroscopy | view journal scope | submit an article |
We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to submit an application to the New Journal Committee ([email protected]) if you would like to create more new journals.
3 July 2023
MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter #1 - Open Access and Impactful Research

Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
The Future is Open, and MDPI is Leading the Way
I strongly believe in a future that embraces openness, where open source, open information, and open access (OA) take center stage. This belief that led me to join MDPI in 2020, and I am honored to have recently been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In this capacity, and operating in close liaison with Dr. Lin and MDPI’s senior management, I shall work to build on Dr. Lin’s achievements of the past quarter-century. In this role, I will focus on communication initiatives to promote MDPI's remarkable work and continue to build our company as a trusted leader in OA publishing. For over two decades, MDPI has been at the forefront of reshaping the academic publishing landscape, with OA surpassing subscription-based publishing in 2020. This trajectory is deeply rooted in our history and reflects our unwavering commitment and vision for an open future.
1 Million Published Articles
2023 began with a remarkable achievement for MDPI, as we became the first OA publisher to reach the milestone of 1 million published articles. This represents 2.7 million unique authors who have trusted us with their work, or about a third of all researchers worldwide. As the world's most cited OA publisher, we are proud in sharing these significant milestones.
Our mission remains unchanged: to make science open and accessible to all. We understand the importance of knowledge access, empowering researchers to stay at the forefront of a rapidly changing world. Our diverse range of journals covers a wide spectrum of disciplines, offering cutting-edge insights, trusted tools, and crucial knowledge to address global challenges.
Liberating Science
As the world’s leading OA publisher, MDPI is actively liberating science. We are committed to eliminating the frustrations researchers and the general public face when accessing information, ensuring it is not locked behind paywalls. We firmly believe that everyone has a right to information, and our commitment to open access publishing drives our work.
In this inaugural edition of Insights: The CEO's Letter, I draw inspiration from the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access. Its stated mission reminds us that true impact is achieved when knowledge is widely and readily available to society:
"Our mission of disseminating knowledge is only half complete if the information is not made widely and readily available to society”
Impactful Research
MDPI Publishes Impactful Research: Recognized by Leading Indexing Databases
MDPI journals are indexed in every single top database in the world.
As of June 2023, we have 214 journals indexed within Web of Science, 223 indexed within Scopus, 87 indexed within PubMed and PMC, and 17 indexed within MEDLINE, and these numbers increase every month. We constantly strive to expand the coverage of our journals within leading multi-disciplinary and scope-specific databases, resulting in an incredibly broad range of journals that are indexed within a variety of databases. MDPI has active relationships with approximately 65 well-known databases around the world, and we continue to expand our portfolio every year so that your work can be found, cited, and referenced with ease.
Continued Growth of MDPI Journals
The 2022 Scopus and Web of Science journal citation metrics were officially released in June, and I am pleased to report that 31 MDPI journals received their first CiteScore, taking the total number of journals with a CiteScore to 216. The number of MDPI journals receiving an Impact Factor (IF) also continues to grow with 111 receiving their first, by being covered in the ESCI, bringing our total number of journals with an IF to 208 of which 41 journals received an IF above 4.0. Looking at 2022 CiteScores in the Scopus database, 80% of MDPI journals have a score that ranks them in Q1 or Q2 in at least one subject category.
Publishing impactful science would not be possible without all of our authors, editors and reviewers. Thank you for your contribution and continued support! Together we share the latest scientific insights faster and ensure that your work is accessible to all.
Read more
Inside MDPI
Preprints.org: Clarivate adds the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science
At MDPI, we are dedicated to driving the advancement of science. Through our initiative, Preprints.org, researchers can publish their work and gain valuable feedback from the broader research community, ensuring rapid progress in their respective fields. This is particularly crucial during times of health and climate challenges, where timely dissemination of findings is essential.
Increased Visibility for Preprints
I am pleased to share that Clarivate recognizes the significance of preprints and has taken a crucial step to enhance their visibility. Clarivate has added the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science, encompassing preprints published not only on Preprints.org but also on other reputable repositories.
Looking ahead, the future of preprints appears promising, bolstered by the recent indexing announcement from the Web of Science. As a result, preprints will receive increased visibility, serving as a valuable resource for staying informed about the latest research developments.
Read more
What are Preprints?
The Pros and Cons of Preprints
Preprints and COVID-19
Preprints—The Future of Open Access Publishing?
Coming Together for Science
The First International Conference on Antioxidants: Sources, Methods, Health Benefits and Industrial Applications
In this edition of ‘Coming Together for Science,’ I am pleased to highlight the First International Conference on Antioxidants organized by our conference team in the beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain. The conference attracted over 130 attendees, who engaged in 42 talks, and 89 poster presentations spread across several sessions.
Working Together
Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Alessandra Napolitano (Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Naples, Italy) and Prof. Dr. Rosa M. Lamuela Raventos (Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy, University of Barcelona, Spain) as chairs, and supported by the committee members, 10 invited keynote speakers, poster presenters, and all the attendees, this dedicated group of academics came together to discuss the natural sources, methodologies, health benefits, and industrial applications of antioxidants.
Especially noteworthy is the positive feedback received from attendees, with 94% rating the overall organization of the conference as good or excellent. I particularly love the picture above, capturing the gathering of some of the participants. You can browse through more photos in the event gallery located here.
Managing Events With Sciforum
If you are considering hosting your own academic event, I highly recommend checking out Sciforum, MDPI's event management platform. Sciforum simplifies the entire process, making it easy to host your own event by allowing you to focus on what really matters: Science!
Read more
Closing Thoughts
Stefan Tochev, Dr. Shu-Kun Lin, Dr. Eric O. Freed, Peter Roth, Wynne Wang, Allison Yang
Viruses and Editorial Quality: Acknowledging the Dedication of our Viruses Journal Team
During a June meeting with Dr. Eric O. Freed, the founding and current Editor-in-Chief of our journal Viruses, I was reminded of the exceptional dedication of our editorial board. Meeting with Eric is a pleasure, as he has a strong commitment and clear vision for the journal. Over the course of two days, we gained a deep understanding of the journal’s expectations and focus on strategic growth, editorial board representation, and engagement.
I am pleased to share that Viruses holds a CiteScore of 7.1 (an increase of 7.57% versus the 2021 metric) and an Impact Factor of 4.7. You can view the journal statistics here. Viruses publishes highly cited papers, and is indexed in renowned databases such as Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), PubMed, and others, and maintains affiliations with prestigious societies. Moreover, the Viruses team has recently announced an exciting upcoming event titled ‘Viruses 2024 – A World of Viruses,’ scheduled to take place in Barcelona, Spain, from 14–16 February 2024.
Testimonials
If you notice my enthusiasm regarding our editorial service, it’s because the surveys and testimonials we receive speak volumes about the experiences of our authors, reviewers, and guest editors who collaborate with MDPI. The purpose of these letters is to highlight the exceptional work that we do and the experiences we create for the scholars – thus, let me end with this testimonial from an author:
“It was a great pleasure to publish in Viruses Special Issue [Emerging Viruses in Aquaculture]. The submission process was easy. Guest editors were very helpful and provided all the guidance and support as needed. The handling of the manuscript by the Editorial Team was very fast, efficient, and professional. The reviewer’s comments were insightful, and the publication processes were remarkably rapid.”
– Ms. Magdalena Stachnik, Państwowy Instytut Weterynaryjny | PIWet
Article in Viruses: Emerging Viral Pathogens in Sturgeon Aquaculture in Poland: Focus on Herpesviruses and Mimivirus Detection
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
28 June 2023
2022 Impact Factors for MDPI Journals
The 2022 citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and we’re pleased to announce the following results for MDPI journals:
We are thrilled to announce that 90% of our ranked MDPI journals, specifically 86 out of 96 (captured in the table below), are performing above average in Q1 or Q2. This year, Clarivate has expanded its Impact Factor (IF) awards to include journals in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) and the Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), providing greater transparency for the full set of journals indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection. As a result, 111 of MDPI journals have received their first IF in 2023, with 37 journals surpassing an IF of 3.0. In total, 208 MDPI journals have been honored with an IF.
Clarivate explains that by "expanding the coverage but holding to highly selective standards, the [Impact Factor] is now a reliable indicator of trustworthiness, as well as a measure of scholarly impact, at the journal level."
Please visit our blog post where we discuss the release of the latest citation metrics with our Indexing Manager, Dr. Constanze Schelhorn, to find out what's different this time around and how to make use of different metrics available.
Journal | Impact Factor | Rank Quartile | Category |
Vaccines | 7.8 | Q1 | Immunology |
Medicine, Research & Experimental | |||
Antioxidants | 7.0 | Q1 | Food Science & Technology |
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | |||
Chemistry, Medicinal | |||
Cells | 6.0 | Q2 | Cell Biology |
Nutrients | 5.9 | Q1 | Nutrition & Dietetics |
International Journal of Molecular Sciences | 5.6 | Q1 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
Q2 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | ||
Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research | 5.6 | Q2 | Business |
Biomolecules | 5.5 | Q1 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
Biosensors | 5.4 | Q1 | Chemistry, Analytical |
Instruments & Instrumentation | |||
Q2 | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | ||
Fractal and Fractional | 5.4 | Q1 | Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications |
Marine Drugs | 5.4 | Q1 | Chemistry, Medicinal |
Pharmacology & Pharmacy | |||
Pharmaceutics | 5.4 | Q1 | Pharmacology & Pharmacy |
Nanomaterials | 5.3 | Q1 | Physics, Applied |
Q2 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | ||
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | |||
Cancers | 5.2 | Q2 | Oncology |
Foods | 5.2 | Q1 | Food Science & Technology |
Polymers | 5.0 | Q1 | Polymer Science |
Remote Sensing | 5.0 | Q1 | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary |
Q2 | Remote Sensing | ||
Imaging Science & Photographic Technology | |||
Environmental Sciences | |||
Antibiotics | 4.8 | Q1 | Pharmacology & Pharmacy |
Q2 | Infectious Diseases | ||
Drones | 4.8 | Q2 | Remote Sensing |
Journal of Functional Biomaterials | 4.8 | Q2 | Engineering, Biomedical |
Materials Science, Biomaterials | |||
Biomedicines | 4.7 | Q1 | Pharmacology & Pharmacy |
Q2 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | ||
Medicine, Research & Experimental | |||
Journal of Fungi | 4.7 | Q2 | Mycology |
Microbiology | |||
Viruses | 4.7 | Q2 | Virology |
Bioengineering | 4.6 | Q2 | Engineering, Biomedical |
Gels | 4.6 | Q1 | Polymer Science |
Molecules | 4.6 | Q2 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary |
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | |||
Pharmaceuticals | 4.6 | Q2 | Pharmacology & Pharmacy |
Chemistry, Medicinal | |||
Toxics | 4.6 | Q1 | Toxicology |
Q2 | Environmental Sciences | ||
Biomimetics | 4.5 | Q1 | Engineering, Multidisciplinary |
Q2 | Materials Science, Biomaterials | ||
Microorganisms | 4.5 | Q2 | Microbiology |
Plants | 4.5 | Q1 | Plant Sciences |
Biology | 4.2 | Q2 | Biology |
Chemosensors | 4.2 | Q2 | Instruments & Instrumentation |
Chemistry, Analytical | |||
Electrochemistry | |||
Membranes | 4.2 | Q2 | Engineering, Chemical |
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
Chemistry, Physical | |||
Polymer Science | |||
Toxins | 4.2 | Q1 | Toxicology |
Q2 | Food Science & Technology | ||
Metabolites | 4.2 | Q2 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
Batteries | 4.0 | Q2 | Electrochemistry |
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
Q3 | Energy & Fuels | ||
Catalysts | 3.9 | Q2 | Chemistry, Physical |
Journal of Clinical Medicine | 3.9 | Q2 | Medicine, General & Internal |
Land | 3.9 | Q2 | Environmental Studies |
Sensors | 3.9 | Q2 | Instruments & Instrumentation |
Chemistry, Analytical | |||
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic | |||
Sustainability | 3.9 | Q2 | Environmental Sciences (SCIE) |
Environmental Studies (SSCI) | |||
Q3 | Green & Sustainable Science & Technology (SCIE) | ||
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology (SSCI) | |||
Buildings | 3.8 | Q2 | Construction & Building Technology |
Engineering, Civil | |||
Agronomy | 3.7 | Q1 | Agronomy |
Q2 | Plant Sciences | ||
Fermentation | 3.7 | Q2 | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology |
Pathogens | 3.7 | Q2 | Microbiology |
Agriculture | 3.6 | Q1 | Agronomy |
Diagnostics | 3.6 | Q2 | Medicine, General & Internal |
Genes | 3.5 | Q2 | Genetics & Heredity |
Journal of Intelligence | 3.5 | Q2 | Psychology, Multidisciplinary |
Lubricants | 3.5 | Q2 | Engineering, Mechanical |
Processes | 3.5 | Q2 | Engineering, Chemical |
Coatings | 3.4 | Q2 | Materials Science, Coatings & Films |
Physics, Applied | |||
Q3 | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | ||
ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information | 3.4 | Q2 | Geography, Physical |
Q3 | Computer Science, Information Systems | ||
Remote Sensing | |||
Materials | 3.4 | Q2 | Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering |
Physics, Applied | |||
Physics, Condensed Matter | |||
Q3 | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | ||
Chemistry, Physical | |||
Micromachines | 3.4 | Q2 | Instruments & Instrumentation |
Physics, Applied | |||
Chemistry, Analytical | |||
Q3 | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | ||
Water | 3.4 | Q2 | Water Resources |
Environmental Sciences | |||
Brain Sciences | 3.3 | Q3 | Neurosciences |
Energies | 3.2 | Q3 | Energy & Fuels |
Fire | 3.2 | Q1 | Forestry |
Q2 | Ecology | ||
Life | 3.2 | Q2 | Biology |
Current Issues in Molecular Biology | 3.1 | Q3 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
Horticulturae | 3.1 | Q1 | Horticulture |
Animals | 3.0 | Q1 | Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science |
Veterinary Sciences | |||
Insects | 3.0 | Q1 | Entomology |
Atmosphere | 2.9 | Q3 | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
Environmental Sciences | |||
Electronics | 2.9 | Q2 | Engineering, Electrical & Electronic |
Physics, Applied | |||
Q3 | Computer Science, Information Systems | ||
Forests | 2.9 | Q1 | Forestry |
Inorganics | 2.9 | Q2 | Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear |
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering | 2.9 | Q1 | Engineering, Marine |
Q2 | Oceanography | ||
Engineering, Ocean | |||
Metals | 2.9 | Q2 | Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering |
Q3 | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | ||
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease | 2.9 | Q2 | Tropical Medicine |
Parasitology | |||
Q3 | Infectious Diseases | ||
Universe | 2.9 | Q2 | Astronomy & Astrophysics |
Physics, Particles & Fields | |||
Healthcare | 2.8 | Q2 | Health Policy & Services (SSCI) |
Q3 | Health Care Sciences & Services (SCIE) | ||
Applied Sciences | 2.7 | Q2 | Engineering, Multidisciplinary |
Physics, Applied | |||
Q3 | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | ||
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
Crystals | 2.7 | Q2 | Crystallography |
Q3 | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | ||
Entropy | 2.7 | Q2 | Physics, Multidisciplinary |
Magnetochemistry | 2.7 | Q2 | Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear |
Q3 | Chemistry, Physical | ||
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | |||
Symmetry | 2.7 | Q2 | Multidisciplinary Sciences |
Actuators | 2.6 | Q2 | Instruments & Instrumentation |
Engineering, Mechanical | |||
Aerospace | 2.6 | Q1 | Engineering, Aerospace |
Behavioral Sciences | 2.6 | Q2 | Psychology, Multidisciplinary |
Current Oncology | 2.6 | Q3 | Oncology |
Machines | 2.6 | Q2 | Engineering, Mechanical |
Q3 | Engineering, Electrical & Electronic | ||
Medicina | 2.6 | Q3 | Medicine, General & Internal |
Separations | 2.6 | Q3 | Chemistry, Analytical |
Minerals | 2.5 | Q2 | Mining & Mineral Processing |
Mineralogy | |||
Geochemistry & Geophysics | |||
Children | 2.4 | Q2 | Pediatrics |
Diversity | 2.4 | Q2 | Biodiversity Conservation |
Q3 | Ecology | ||
Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease | 2.4 | Q3 | Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems |
Mathematics | 2.4 | Q1 | Mathematics |
Photonics | 2.4 | Q3 | Optics |
Veterinary Sciences | 2.4 | Q1 | Veterinary Sciences |
Fishes | 2.3 | Q2 | Marine & Freshwater Biology |
Fisheries | |||
Axioms | 2.0 | Q2 | Mathematics, Applied |
Systems | 1.9 | Q2 | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary |
Tomography | 1.9 | Q3 | Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging |
Note: The Journal of Personalized Medicine's Impact Factor was omitted in the original release and will be assigned separately. Please find the data on the journal webpage in due course.
Source: 2022 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports TM (Clarivate, 2023)
13 March 2023
MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in December 2022
As a leading open access publisher, MDPI provides scholars with a high-quality and rich academic exchange platform by continuously expanding into new and exciting research areas.
In December 2022, MDPI launched five new journals, covering multiple subjects such as life sciences, biology, medicine and pharmacology, social sciences and humanities. These new journals are being edited by established scholars across the world.
Journal |
Founding Editor-in-Chief |
Journal Topics (Selected) |
Prof. Dr. Fabio Gresta, University of Messina, Italy| Editorial | view inaugural issue |
grass/forage/turf production; grassland management; pasture monitoring; grazing and livestock; grass agro-ecosystems| view journal scope | submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Christos G. Athanassiou, University of Thessaly, Greece| Editorial | view inaugural issue |
pesticides; fungicides; herbicides; fertilizers; soil conditioners| view journal scope | submit an article |
|
Prof. Dr. Stephen H. Safe, Texas A&M University, USA| Editorial | view inaugural issue |
receptor structure; receptor function; receptor signaling; receptor expression and regulation; receptor interactions with drugs| view journal scope | submit an article |
|
Dr. Jean Jacques Vanden Eynde, University of Mons-UMONS, Belgium| Editorial | view inaugural issue |
drug discovery; medicinal chemistry; preclinical and clinical research; marketed drugs; intellectual property and regulatory affairs| view journal scope | submit an article |
|
Prof. Dr. Heather Kanuka, University of Alberta, Canada| Editorial | view inaugural issue |
higher education; tertiary education; policy and practice in higher education; educational leadership in higher education; educational administration and management in higher education| view journal scope | submit an article |
If you are interested in creating more open access journals with us to publish cutting-edge research, please send your journal proposal application to [email protected].
7 March 2023
Displaying Co-Authors’ Email Addresses on the Webpage of Published Papers
MDPI is pleased to announce that we now display the co-authors’ email addresses in addition to the corresponding author’s email address on the webpage of published papers, protected by Captcha. For more information about this change, please visit the journal’s instructions for authors page.
We believe this change will facilitate academic discussions and advance our cause of open science and research. The corresponding authors are responsible for communicating with their co-authors and indicating in our system (https://susy.mdpi.com/) if co-authors would prefer for their email addresses not to be displayed.
16 February 2023
Increasing Visibility for Preprints.org – Clarivate adds the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science

On 9 February 2023, Clarivate, a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics, added the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science platform, streamlining the research process by allowing researchers to locate and link to preprints alongside other trusted content in the database.
The Preprint Citation Index will act as a bridge to connect cutting-edge preprints with peer-reviewed journal articles published within the Web of Science Core Collection. Alerts can be easily set to monitor new research across several repositories and authors will also be able to include preprints on their Web of Science Research Profile to more accurately display their various research outputs.
As of its launch, the Preprint Citation Index will provide nearly two million preprints from various repositories, including MDPI’s own Preprints.org.
MDPI's Preprints Platform – Preprints.org
To advance Open Science and the fast dissemination of research, MDPI offers researchers a free multidisciplinary preprint platform. Preprints.org accepts submissions from all research areas and offers authors high visibility, permanent archiving, article-level Metrics and immediately citable content by assigning a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to all preprints.
During submission to any MDPI journal, authors have the option to share their research as a preprint. After an initial screening, the manuscript is available online in 48 hours or less. Once online, preprints can be downloaded, shared, commented on, and cited, providing authors maximum visibility.
We invite you to join the ranks of the over 100k researchers using Preprints.org and share your research.
For more information, please visit Preprints.org.
14 February 2023
Meet Us at the 11th National Conference on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, 25–27 February 2023, Guangzhou, China

Conference: 11th National Conference on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
Date: 25–27 February 2023
Place: Guangzhou, China
MDPI will be attending the 11th National Conference on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology (CCBSB2023) as the exhibitor. The National Academic Conference on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology has been successfully held for ten sessions since its first session in 1998. It is a national event with the highest academic level and the greatest influence in the field of bioinformatics research in China. The theme of the conference is "The Latest Frontier Research of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology and Their Applications", and the topics cover translational informatics and data sharing security, biomedical data mining and computing, genome informatics, artificial intelligence and life sciences, group bioinformatics and integrated biology, non-coding RNA and RNA informatics, network biology, major disease omics informatics, biological macromolecular structure prediction and simulation, bioinformatics algorithm research, biological data resources, bioinformatics and drugs discovery, computational synthetic biology, agricultural and forestry informatics and other bioinformatics, and other frontier directions.
The following MDPI journals will be represented:
- Genes;
- JPM;
- Cardiogenetics;
- Bioengineering;
- Biomolecules;
- Metabolites;
- Cells;
- Symmetry;
- Biomedicines;
- Computers;
- COVID;
- Epigenomes.
If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit https://ccbsb2022.casconf.cn/.
22 December 2022
Special Issue Mentor Program
We are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative—the MDPI Special Issue Mentor Program.
This program will enable early career researchers (who must hold a Ph.D. in a related field) to experience editing a Special Issue in MDPI journals, under the mentorship of our experienced Editorial Board Members or other experienced scientists. The mentor program will provide an excellent opportunity for early career scientists to gain editorial experience, and to cultivate their ability to edit scientific research.
The mentee’s responsibilities include:
- Proposing a Special Issue title and assisting the mentor in preparing a summary (around 200–400 words) and 3–10 keywords describing the background, importance, and goal of the Issue;
- Writing a brief promotion plan for the Special Issue;
- Preparing a list of scholars who may be interested in the Issue and personally e-mailing invitations on behalf of Guest Editors;
- Writing an editorial for the online Special Issue together with the mentor.
The mentor’s responsibilities include:
- Conducting a final check before the Special Issue is published online;
- Performing editorial control of the Special Issue and quality control of the publications, both of which must be carried out in a timely manner;
- Providing suggestions to younger scholars if they have any doubts or concerns regarding submissions;
- Organizing video calls with young scholars and the Editorial Office regularly to discuss problems and improvement suggestions for the Special Issue;
- Making and submitting decisions regarding submissions with the assistance of mentees.
Certificates and awards:
After the Special Issue closes, the Editorial Office will provide official certificates for all the mentors and early career researchers.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Editorial Office of a journal you choose, and we will discuss the process (i.e., mentor collaboration, Special Issue topic feasibility analysis, etc.) in further detail. The full list of MDPI journals is as follows: https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals.
In addition to the new Special Issue Mentor Program, we will continue to welcome all Special Issue proposals focusing on hot research topics.
22 December 2022
Cardiogenetics | Top 5 Cited Papers in 2021

1. “Analysis of ABC Transporter Gene Expression in Atherosclerosis”
by Stanislav Kotlyarov and Anna Kotlyarova
Cardiogenetics 2021, 11(4), 204-218; https://doi.org/10.3390/cardiogenetics11040021
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2035-8148/11/4/21
2. “The Roles of Platelet-Activating Factor and Magnesium in Pathophysiology of Hypertension, Atherogenesis, Cardiovascular Disease, Stroke and Aging”
by Nilank Shah, Roshni Sethi, Sachin Shah, Komail Jafri, Jonah Duran, Yong Chang, Chirag Soni and Hanna Wollocko
Cardiogenetics 2022, 12(1), 49-62; https://doi.org/10.3390/cardiogenetics12010005
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2035-8148/12/1/5
3. “Mosaic Fabry Disease in a Male Presenting as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy”
by Maria Xu, Christopher Orsborne, James Eden, Andrew Wallace, Heather J. Church, Karen Tylee, Sasalu Deepak, Christopher Cassidy, Peter Woolfson, Christopher Miller, et al.
Cardiogenetics 2021, 11(1), 1-9; https://doi.org/10.3390/cardiogenetics11010001
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2035-8148/11/1/1
4. “Spectrum of Clinical Features and Genetic Profile of Left Ventricular Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy in Children”
by Agata Paszkowska, Alicja Mirecka-Rola, Dorota Piekutowska-Abramczuk, El ̇zbieta Ciara ,Łukasz Mazurkiewicz, Katarzyna Bieganowska and Lidia Ziółkowska
Cardiogenetics 2021, 11(4), 191-203; https://doi.org/10.3390/cardiogenetics11040020
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2035-8148/11/4/20
5. “A Novel Human Biospecimen Repository for Clinical and Molecular Investigation of Thoracic Aortopathy”
by Courtney E. Vujakovich and Benjamin J. Landis
Cardiogenetics 2021, 11(3), 148-163; https://doi.org/10.3390/cardiogenetics11030017
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2035-8148/11/3/17
14 December 2022
"Thanks a Million!" – One Million Articles Published in MDPI Journals
MDPI has just become the first open access (OA) publisher to reach the milestone of one million articles published. That is one million articles freely available to all, to circulate and build upon! We are proud to share this special moment with the global scientific community.
This landmark has been reached thanks to the immeasurable support of more than 600,000 expert reviewers, 66,000 editorial board members and 6700 hard-working colleagues across MDPI’s global offices.
Within more than 25 years of publishing, our journals received 2.1 million manuscripts and generated 4.6 million peer review reports to get to one million papers published.
Reaching the milestone of one million articles published reinforces our mission to remove any existing barriers and to make scientific research accessible to all. Since its inception, MDPI’s goal has been to create reliable processes to make science open. This is a path towards facilitating the dissemination of novel insights in scientific communities.
Regular feedback from authors and reviewers shows that our service is greatly appreciated and needed. At the same time, the feedback helps us identify areas for further improvement.
As it stands, a significant share of published research findings remain closed access. More than half of the content published with the most well-known legacy publishers stays behind a paywall, and that is not including articles published in hybrid OA journals, or made available months or years after publication.
A new policy announced by the US administration in August 2022 requires that, as of January 2026, all US federally funded research be made freely and immediately available after publication. While the new policy does not mandate articles be published under an open access license, it is aligned with the open access movement in removing all barriers to research. Similarly, some of the most advanced research institutions in the world intend to have all funded research articles published in open access by 2025.
MDPI is proud to be the leading agent of the transition to open access.
"Thanks a Million" to all the contributors!
14 December 2022
Recruiting Editorial Board Members for Journals Covered in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science)
We are currently recruiting Editorial Board Members (EBMs) for MDPI journals indexed in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) in Web of Science. In particular, we are looking for experts who are interested in aiding in the development of our journals and safeguarding the scientific quality of the published findings.
Journals currently listed in the ESCI will receive an Impact Factor in June 2023, according to the changes announced by Web of Science (Clarivate). Therefore, this is an excellent time to become an Editorial Board Member for one of these fast-developing journals.
If you are interested in sharing your expertise in one of the journals listed below, please send us an application using this link.
The Editorial Office of the journal will contact you once the application has been approved.
Editorial Board Members are responsible for academic decisions on manuscripts in their field of expertise, will edit Special Issues, and may be invited to review manuscripts. The initial term lasts for two years, after which it can be renewed, and entails the following:
- Prescreening and making decisions on new submissions related to your research interests;
- Setting up at least one Special Issue during your term on a topic related to your research interests (or supervising Special Issues related to your research field);
- Providing input or feedback regarding journal policies;
- Helping to promote the journal among your peers or at conferences;
- Attending Board meetings to suggest journal development strategies;
- Reviewing manuscripts.
Editorial Board Members are entitled to a full waiver on one publication per year in the journal that they serve and need to be experts in their fields.
The list of ESCI journals can be found here: https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals/esci.
Please find the list of ESCI journals, categorized by subject, for which we are recruiting Editorial Board Members below.
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Engineering |
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8 December 2022
MDPI Sustainability Foundation: New Look and Nominations for the 2023 Sustainability Awards Now Open
We are pleased to announce that the website of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation has been revamped! For the past couple of months, our UX UI team and front-end developers have been working hard to launch the website in time for the opening of the Sustainability Awards nominations.
The website is not the only thing that has had a remodeling. Indeed, the format of the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award (ESLA) has been updated. ESLA is now a competition open to individual researchers or start-ups founded by researchers under the age of 35. Nominee applications will go through 2 rounds of selection until the final 3 are decided. The finalists will then be invited to give pitch presentations during the Award Ceremony to win either first place (10,000 USD) or runner-up (2 x 5000 USD).
The World Sustainability Award, on the other hand, remains the same: a total prize money of 100,000 USD is up for grabs by senior individual researchers or groups of researchers from the international research community.
Nominations for both the World Sustainability Award and the Emerging Sustainability Leader award are now open! Check out our new website for more information on how to nominate.
11 November 2022
Editorial Board Members from Cardiogenetics Featured in Stanford’s List of the World’s Top 2% Scientists
Stanford University has recently published an update of the list of the top 2% most widely cited scientists, the World’s Top 2% Scientists. The time node of the statistical data of this list is from 1960 to 2022, and it is divided into two lists: "Lifetime Scientific Influence Ranking" and "2022 Annual Scientific Influence Ranking". The "Lifetime Scientific Influence Ranking" counts the comprehensive influence performance of scientists during their careers, and the "2022 Annual Influence Ranking" focuses on highlighting the academic influence of scientists in the previous year. This ranking, considered the most prestigious worldwide, is based on the bibliometric information contained in the Scopus database and includes more than 200,000 researchers from the more than 10 million scientists considered to be active worldwide, with 22 scientific fields and 176 subfields taken into account.
We are pleased to share that 11 Editorial Board Members from MDPI’s journal Cardiogenetics (ISSN: 2035-8148) were featured in Stanford University’s list of the World’s Top 2% Scientists in 2022.
Name | Affiliation |
Prof. Dr. Antonio Pelliccia | Institute of Sport Medicine and Science, Italy |
Dr. Claudio Rapezzi | University of Bologna, Italy |
Prof. Dr. Demosthenes G. Katritsis | Comprehensive Cardiology Care at Hygeia Hospital, Greece |
Prof. Dr. Eloisa Arbustini | Centre for Inherited Cardiovascular Diseases and Molecular Genetic Laboratory, Italy |
Dr. Iacopo Olivotto | Careggi University Hospital, Italy |
Prof. Dr. Jeffrey A. Towbin | University of Tennessee, USA |
Dr. Lia Crotti | IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Italy |
Dr. Marco Tartaglia | IRCCS Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Italy |
Prof. Dr. Maria Cristina Digilio | Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital, Italy |
Prof. Dr. Nicole Soranzo | Wellcome Genome Campus, UK |
Dr. Philippe Charron | Sorbonne Universite, France |
The latest Stanford rankings reflect the significant influence and research excellence of the scientists, who are committed to furthering their knowledge for the benefit of the world.
We would like to congratulate our Editorial Board Members on their excellent achievement and thank them for their immense contribution to the scientific progression and development of Cardiogenetics.
28 September 2022
Peer Review Week 2022 – Research Integrity: Creating and Supporting Trust in Research

Peer Review Week began 19 September 2022 under the theme of “Research Integrity: Creating and Supporting Trust in Research”. Through various blog articles, podcast, and webinar, we discussed this crucial subject throughout the week, celebrating the essential role peer review plays in maintaining research quality.
To begin, we held a Webinar on the topic. Professor Peter W. Choate and Dr. Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi joined Dr. Ioana Craciun, one of MDPI’s scientific officers, for an in-depth discussion.
We invite you to view the event recording:
During the week, the MDPI Blog in a series articles highlighted how good Peer Review safeguards research integrity. The following topics were covered:
- Peer Review Week 2022
- Research Integrity
- What We’ve Learned About Peer Review Reports
- 4 Steps to the Perfect Peer Review Report
- How to Write the Perfect Peer Review Report: An Interview
- Inviting Great Peer Reviewers
In a new edition of Insight Faster, an MDPI podcast, we were delighted to talk to the co-chairs of the Peer Review Week committee, Jayashree Rajagopalan (Senior Manager of Global Community Engagement for CACTUS) and Danielle Padula (Head of Marketing and Community Development at Scholastica) to get their take on this year’s event and its related topics.
You can find the Podcast here.
We hope you enjoy the contents!
7 September 2022
Meet Us at the ASHG Annual Meeting 2022 (ASHG 2022), 25–29 October 2022, Los Angeles, USA

MDPI will be attending ASHG 2022, held in Los Angeles, USA, from 25 to 29 October 2022.
The following MDPI journals will be represented:
- Genes;
- JPM;
- Biomedicines;
- Biomolecules;
- Cardiogenetics;
- Cancers;
- Brain Science;
- Symmetry;
- Diagnostics;
- Metabolites;
- Cells;
- Biology;
- Humans;
- DNA.
If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth: #1844. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have.
For more information about the conference, please see the following link:
27 June 2022
Recruiting Section Editors-in-Chief for Cardiogenetics
To develop different research areas and continue to attract high-quality papers, Cardiogenetics (ISSN: 2035-8148) announced 11 new Sections in 2021 (more details can be found at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cardiogenetics/sections). At present, the following Sections have not yet found suitable scholars to lead them:
- “Education in Cardiogenetics” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cardiogenetics/sections/Education_Cardiogenetics);
- “Inherited Heart Disease-Children” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cardiogenetics/sections/Inherited_Heart_Disease-Children);
- “Inherited Aortic Disease” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cardiogenetics/sections/Inherited_Aortic_Disease);
- “Rare Disease-Genetic Syndromes” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cardiogenetics/sections/Rare_Disease-Genetic_Syndromes);
- “Rare Disease-Metabolic Diseases” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cardiogenetics/sections/Rare_Disease-Metabolic_Diseases);
- “Rare Disease-Neuromuscular Diseases” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cardiogenetics/sections/Rare_Disease-Neuromuscular_Diseases);
- “Molecular Genetics” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cardiogenetics/sections/Molecular_Genetics);
- “Animal Models” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cardiogenetics/sections/Animal_Models);
- “Biomarkers” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cardiogenetics/sections/Biomarkers);
- “Stem Cells” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cardiogenetics/sections/Stem_Cells);
- “Cardiovascular Genetics in Clinical Practice” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cardiogenetics/sections/Cardiovascular_Genetics_Clinical_Practice).
We are now recruiting Section Editors-in-Chief (SEiC) for these Sections. If you are an active researcher in one of the aforementioned fields and are passionate about publishing cutting-edge research, please do not hesitate to contact us at: [email protected]. You can find more information on our homepage: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cardiogenetics.
The Section Editor-in-Chief has the following responsibilities:
- Making decisions on whether a manuscript can be accepted based on the reports we collect;
- Reviewing a small number of papers per year and managing the Section together with other journal editors;
- Promoting Cardiogenetics and increasing its visibility at related academic conferences.
Cardiogenetics is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal that provides an advanced forum for studies related to all aspects of cardiogenetics (clinical, molecular, cellular, pharmacological). Cardiogenetics publishes reviews, regular research papers, and short communications.
We believe that by combining our rigorous editorial policies with your expertise, we can build a high-quality journal. We thank you in advance for your interest and look forward to collaborating with you in the future.
9 June 2022
2021 CiteScores - Released

The 2021 citation metrics have been officially released in Scopus!
We are pleased to announce that 182 MDPI journals are included, of which:
● 21 journals received their first CiteScore.
● 85% of journals increased their CiteScore from 2020.
● 155 journals (85%) ranked above average, in at least one category.
The following 65 MDPI journals (36%) ranked among the top 25% of journals, in at least one category:
Journal |
CiteScore |
Quartile |
Category |
10.1 |
Q1 |
Genetics |
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10.0 |
Q1 |
Biomedical Engineering |
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8.1 |
Q1 |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (miscellaneous) |
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7.9 |
Q1 |
Electrical and Electronic Engineering |
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7.9 |
Q1 |
Nutrition and Dietetics |
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7.4 |
Q1 |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences |
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7.2 |
Q1 |
Computer Science Applications |
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6.9 |
Q1 |
Inorganic Chemistry |
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6.9 |
Q1 |
Computer Networks and Communications |
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6.7 |
Q1 |
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology |
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6.6 |
Q1 |
General Chemical Engineering |
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6.6 |
Q1 |
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis |
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6.6 |
Q1 |
Infectious Diseases |
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6.5 |
Q1 |
Food Science |
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6.5 |
Q1 |
Civil and Structural Engineering |
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6.4 |
Q1 |
Nature and Landscape Conservation |
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6.4 |
Q1 |
Instrumentation |
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6.1 |
Q1 |
Management Information Systems |
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5.9 |
Q1 |
Chemistry (miscellaneous) |
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5.7 |
Q1 |
Polymers and Plastics |
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5.6 |
Q1 |
Engineering (miscellaneous) |
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5.5 |
Q1 |
General Environmental Science |
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5.5 |
Q1 |
Urban Studies |
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5.4 |
Q2 |
Computer Networks and Communications |
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5.3 |
Q1 |
Food Science |
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5.3 |
Q1 |
Plant Science |
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5.2 |
Q1 |
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
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5.2 |
Q1 |
General Engineering |
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Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity |
5.1 |
Q1 |
Development |
5.0 |
Q1 |
Chemistry (miscellaneous) |
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5.0 |
Q1 |
Control and Optimization |
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5.0 |
Q1 |
Geography, Planning and Development |
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5.0 |
Q1 |
Geography, Planning and Development |
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4.9 |
Q1 |
Forestry |
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4.9 |
Q1 |
Control and Optimization |
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4.9 |
Q1 |
Soil Science |
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4.8 |
Q1 |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences |
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4.8 |
Q1 |
Mechanical Engineering |
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4.8 |
Q1 |
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health |
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4.8 |
Q1 |
Geography, Planning and Development |
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International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
4.5 |
Q1 |
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health |
4.5 |
Q1 |
Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation |
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4.4 |
Q1 |
Mathematical Physics |
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4.4 |
Q1 |
General Medicine |
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4.3 |
Q1 |
General Mathematics |
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4.2 |
Q1 |
Surgery |
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4.1 |
Q1 |
Health Professions (miscellaneous) |
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4.1 |
Q1 |
Plant Science |
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4.0 |
Q1 |
General Engineering |
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4.0 |
Q1 |
Forestry |
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4.0 |
Q1 |
Education |
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3.9 |
Q1 |
General Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics |
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3.9 |
Q1 |
Applied Mathematics |
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3.8 |
Q1 |
Development |
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3.8 |
Q1 |
Architecture |
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3.8 |
Q1 |
Metals and Alloys |
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3.5 |
Q1 |
Communication |
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3.4 |
Q1 |
General Social Sciences |
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2.9 |
Q1 |
General Mathematics |
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2.8 |
Q1 |
Analysis |
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2.7 |
Q1 |
General Veterinary |
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2.6 |
Q1 |
Algebra and Number Theory |
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1.8 |
Q1 |
Conservation |
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1.0 |
Q1 |
Religious Studies |
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0.9 |
Q1 |
Philosophy |
Source: 2021 CiteScores™ (Elsevier)
2 June 2022
MDPI’s 2021 Outstanding Reviewer Awards in “Biology & Life Sciences”—Winners Announced
In order to acknowledge our reviewers, who so generously dedicate their time to reviewing papers and demonstrate diligence, professionalism, and timeliness when reviewing manuscripts, MDPI journals regularly offer outstanding reviewer awards to scholars who participate in the peer-review process.
We are proud to recognize winners for the year 2021 in the “Biology & Life Sciences” category for their outstanding contributions among extensive competition by presenting them with an Outstanding Reviewer Award.
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners on their achievement.
MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.
- Enrico Vito Perrino, CIHEAM, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Italy
- Dhirendra Kumar, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, USA
- Carlos A. Viegas, Univesity of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
- Yuri Shavrukov, Flinders University, Australia
- Bipin Gaihre, Mayo Clinic, USA
- Craig D. Workman, University of Iowa, USA
- Vivian Ciaramitaro, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA
- Yang Zhang, University of Minnesota, USA
- Bonam Srinivasa Reddy, Université de Paris, France
- Homma Takujiro, Yamagata University, Japan
- Hwang, In Koo, Seoul National University, South Korea
- Kobeissy Firas, University of Florida, USA
- Rebelo, Sandra, University of Aveiro, Portugal
- Günter Gollmann, University of Vienna, Austria
- Stephan Koblmüller, University of Graz, Austria
- Emiliano Mori, Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri, Italy
- Joshua D. Klein, Agricultural Research Organization—The Volcani Center, Israel
- Ana Cristina S Figueiredo, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
- Carmelo Peter Bonsignore, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Italy
- Klaus H. Hoffmann, University of Bayreuth, Germany
- Ivan Milosavljević, University of California, USA
- Remigiusz Bachor, University of Wrocław, Poland
- Nguyen Phuoc Long, Inje University College of Medicine, South Korea
- Chi Chen, University of Minnesota, USA
- Jadwiga Hamułka, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland
- Grace Campbell, University of Sydney, Australia
- Nicholas Norwitz, Harvard Medical School, USA
- Stefan Kabisch, Charité University Hospital Berlin, Germany
- Luis Rodrigo, University of Oviedo, Spain
- Carlos Viegas, Univesity of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
- Arvind Sharma, The University of Queensland, Australia
2 June 2022
MDPI’s 2021 Young Investigator Awards in “Biology & Life Sciences”—Winners Announced
MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising junior researchers, acknowledge their contributions, and enhance communication among scientists. We are proud to present the 2021 winners in the “Biology & Life Sciences” category. The winners were selected by the journals’ editors.
We warmly congratulate the awarded young investigators for their outstanding contributions.
MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.
- Carlos Guzmán, University of Cordoba, Spain
- Katharina Hohlbaum, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
- Uri Ben-David, Tel Aviv University, Israel
- Enrico Lunghi, Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China
- Guodong Zhang, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
- Luke Bell, Temperate Horticulture, University of Reading, UK
International Journal of Molecular Sciences:
- Alessandro D’Urso, University of Catania, Italy.
- Apostolos Zaravinos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus
- Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez, University of Pennsylvania, USA
- Maria Teresa Caccamo, Messina University, Italy
- Tiziana Bonifacino, University of Genoa, Italy
- Federico Baltar, University of Vienna, Austria
- Rebecca Drummond, University of Birmingham, UK
- Miriam Oses-Ruiz, Public University of Navarre, Spain
Life:
- João Pedro da Silva Machado Lobo, University of Porto, Portugal
- Vincenzo Russo, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy
- Gabriele Rocchetti, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Italy
- Fiona Lavelle, Queen's University Belfast, UK
- Matthew Snelson, Monash University, Australia
- Si Ming Man, Australian National University, Australia
- Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, University of Hong Kong, China
- Stefania Sut, University of Padova, Italy
- Mohamed Ahmed El-Esawi, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
- Nicholas M. Provine, University of Oxford, UK
- Nicholas S. Heaton, Duke University, USA
2 June 2022
MDPI’s 2021 Travel Awards in “Biology & Life Sciences”—Winners Announced
We are proud to recognize the winners of MDPI’s 2021 Travel Awards in the “Biology & Life Sciences” category for their outstanding presentations and to present them with the prize.
MDPI journals regularly offer travel awards to encourage talented junior scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in specific fields, which helps to increase their influence.
The winners mentioned below were carefully selected by the journal editors based on an outline of their research and the work to be presented at an academic conference.
We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of 2021 Travel Awards and wish them the greatest success with their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.
- Zahra Bitarafan, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Norway
- Nikolaos Tsoulias, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Germany
- Michela Verni, University of Bari, Italy
- Philipp Demling, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
- Jagveer Singh, Punjab Agricultural University, India
- Ibrar Hussain, State University of Londrina, Brazil
- Francis Muchaamba, University of Zurich, Switzerland
- Tanja Eisemann, SBP Medical Discovery Institute, USA
- Mrinalini Dey, National Institute for Health Research, UK
- Ben Kirk, University of Melbourne, Australia
- Kirrilly Pursey, University of Newcastle, Australia
- Dieuwertje Kok, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
- Hanna Huber, University of Bonn, Germany
- Marlene Lages, University of Porto, Portugal
- Zohra S. Lassi, University of Adelaide, Australia
- Rik Olde Engberink, Amsterdam University Medicial Center, the Netherlands
- Sarah Warkentin, University of Porto (ISPUP), Portugal
- Álvaro Hernáez, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
- Leila Abdelhamid, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, USA
- Maria Michela Cesare, University of Siena, Italy
- Kaisa Hiippala, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Vanessa Silva, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal
- Hejun Liu, Scripps Research Institute, USA
- Tomokazu Tamura, Princeton University, USA
- Cecilie Knudsen, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
- Laura Biessy, Cawthron Institute, New Zealand
- Marcelo Mendes Rabelo, University of Florida, USA
- Hee Chun Chung, Seoul National University, South Korea
- Alejandro Marin Lopez, Yale University, USA
2 June 2022
MDPI’s 2021 Best Paper Awards in “Biology & Life Sciences”—Winners Announced
The purpose of our Best Paper Awards is to promote and recognize the most impactful contributions published within MDPI journals.
The editors of each journal carefully selected reviews and research papers through a rigorous judging process based on criteria such as the scientific merit, overall impact, and the quality of presentation of the papers published in the journal last year.
We are honored to present the winners in the subject areas of “Biology & Life Sciences”, who were selected amongst extensive competition, and congratulate the authors for their outstanding scientific publications.
MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.
by Wenchao Liu, Yilin Yuan, Chenyu Sun, Balamuralikrishnan Balasubramanian, Zhihui Zhao and Lilong An
Animals 2019, 9(8), 506, doi 10.3390/ani9080506
by Peter Coals, Dawn Burnham, Andrew Loveridge, David W. Macdonald, Michael ’t Sas-Rolfes, Vivienne L. Williams and John A. Vucetich
Animals 2019, 9(2), 52; doi 10.3390/ani9020052
by Giovanni Sogari, Mario Amato, Ilaria Biasato, Silvana Chiesa and Laura Gasco
Animals 2019, 9(4), 119; doi 10.3390/ani9040119
by Mark L. Chiu; Dennis R. Goulet; Alexey Teplyakov and Gary L. Gilliland
Antibodies 2019, 8(4), 55; doi 10.3390/antib8040055
by Luca Frattaruolo, Gabriele Carullo, Matteo Brindisi, Sarah Mazzotta, Luca Bellissimo, Vittoria Rago, Rosita Curcio, Vincenza Dolce, Francesca Aiello and Anna Rita Cappello
Antioxidants 2019, 8(6), 186; doi 10.3390/antiox8060186
by Chunhe Gu, Kate Howell, Frank R. Dunshea and Hafiz A. R. Suleria
Antioxidants 2019, 8(9), 405; doi 10.3390/antiox8090405
by Spyridon A. Petropoulos, Ângela Fernandes, Maria Inês Dias, Ioannis B. Vasilakoglou, Konstantinos Petrotos, Lillian Barros and Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira
Antioxidants 2019, 8(8), 293; doi 10.3390/antiox8080293
by Rubén Domínguez, Mirian Pateiro, Mohammed Gagaoua, Francisco J. Barba, Wangang Zhang and José M. Lorenzo
Antioxidants 2019, 8(10), 429; doi 10.3390/antiox8100429
by Michael H. Hastings, Elizabeth S. Maywood and Marco Brancaccio
Biology 2019, 8(1), 13; doi 10.3390/biology8010013
by Gail D. Schwieterman, Daniel P. Crear, Brooke N. Anderson, Danielle R. Lavoie, James A. Sulikowski, Peter G. Bushnell and Richard W. Brill
Biology 2019, 8(3), 56; doi 10.3390/biology8030056
by Shuichi Nakamura and Tohru Minamino
Biomolecules 2019, 9(7), 279; doi 10.3390/biom9070279
by Dmitrii Usoltsev, Vera Sitnikovaandrey Kajava and Mayya Uspenskaya
Biomolecules 2019, 9(8), 359; doi 10.3390/biom9080359
by Gerhard Liebisch, Josef Ecker, Sebastian Roth, Sabine Schweizer, Veronika Öttl, Hans-Frieder Schött, Hongsup Yoon, Dirk Haller, Ernst Holler, Ralph Burkhardt and Silke Matysik
Biomolecules 2019, 9(4), 121; doi 10.3390/biom9040121
by Anna Janaszewska, Joanna Lazniewska, Przemysław Trzepiński, Monika Marcinkowska and Barbara Klajnert-Maculewicz
Biomolecules 2019, 9(8), 330; doi 10.3390/biom9080330
by Heng Sheng Sow, Jiang Ren, Marcel Camps, Ferry Ossendorp and Peter ten Dijke
Cells 2019, 8(4), 320; doi 10.3390/cells8040320
by Dinender K. Singla, Taylor A. Johnson and Zahra Tavakoli Dargani
Cells 2019, 8(10), 1224; doi 10.3390/cells8101224
by Laura M. Doyle and Michael Zhuo Wang
Cells 2019, 8(7), 727; doi 10.3390/cells8070727
by Yu Han, Xuezhou Li, Yanbo Zhang, Yuping Han, Fei Chang and Jianxun Ding
Cells 2019, 8(8), 886; doi 10.3390/cells8080886
by Sarah B. Kingan, Haynes Heaton, Juliana Cudini, Christine C. Lambert, Primo Baybayan, Brendan D. Galvin, Richard Durbin, Jonas Korlach and Mara K. N. Lawniczak
Genes 2019, 10(1), 62; doi 10.3390/genes10010062
by Katherine E Bohnsack, Claudia Höbartner and Markus T Bohnsack
Genes 2019, 10(2), 102; doi 10.3390/genes10020102
by Laura M. Boykin, Peter Sseruwagi, Titus Alicai, Elijah Ateka, Ibrahim Umar Mohammed, Jo-Ann L. Stanton, Charles Kayuki, Deogratius Mark, Tarcisius Fute, Joel Erasto, Hilda Bachwenkizi, Brenda Muga, Naomi Mumo, Jenniffer Mwangi, Phillip Abidrabo, Geoffrey Okao-Okuja, Geresemu Omuut, Jacinta Akol, Hellen B. Apio, Francis Osingada, Monica A. Kehoe, David Eccles, Anders Savill, Stephen Lamb, Tonny Kinene, Christopher B. Rawle, Abishek Muralidhar, Kirsty Mayall, Fred Tairo and Joseph Ndunguru
Genes 2019, 10(9), 632; doi 10.3390/genes10090632
by Elamin Hafiz Baillo, Roy Njoroge Kimotho, Zhengbin Zhang and Ping Xu
Genes 2019, 10(10), 771; doi 10.3390/genes10100771
by Lida Fuentes, Carlos R. Figueroa and Monika Valdenegro
Horticulturae 2019, 5(2), 45; doi 10.3390/horticulturae5020045
by Marta Guarise, Gigliola Borgonovo, Angela Bassoli and Antonio Ferrante
Horticulturae 2019, 5(1), 13; doi 10.3390/horticulturae5010013
by Rik Clymans, Vincent Van Kerckvoorde, Eva Bangels, Wannes Akkermans, Ammar Alhmedi, Patrick De Clercq, Tim Beliën and Dany bylemans
Insects 2019, 10(7), 200; doi 10.3390/insects10070200
by Marc Kenis, Hannalene du Plessis, Johnnie Van den Berg, Malick Niango Ba, Georg Goergen, Koffi Eric Kwadjo, Ibrahim Baoua, Tadele Tefera, Alan Buddie, Giovanni Cafà, Lisa Offord, Ivan Rwomushana and Andrew Polaszek
Insects 2019, 10(4), 92; doi 10.3390/insects10040092
by Rafael R. da Costa, Haofu Hu, Hongjie Li and Michael Poulsen
Insects 2019, 10(4), 87; doi 10.3390/insects10040087
International Journal of Molecular Sciences:
by Rüdiger Hardeland
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(5), 1223; doi 10.3390/ijms20051223
by Elise Lévy, Nadine El Banna, Dorothée Baïlle, Amélie Heneman-Masurel, Sandrine Truchet, Human Rezaei, Meng-Er Huang, Vincent Béringue, Davy Martin and Laurence Vernis
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(16), 3896; doi 10.3390/ijms20163896
by Beatriz Herrero-Fernandez, Raquel Gomez-Bris, Beatriz Somovilla-Crespo and Jose Maria Gonzalez-Granado
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(21), 5293; doi 10.3390/ijms20215293
by Claudia Beaurivage, Elena Naumovska, Yee Xiang Chang, Edo D. Elstak, Arnaud Nicolas, Heidi Wouters, Guido van Moolenbroek, Henriëtte L. Lanz, Sebastiaan J. Trietsch, Jos Joore, Paul Vulto, Richard A.J. Janssen, Kai S. Erdmann, Jan Stallen and Dorota Kurek
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(22), 5661; doi 10.3390/ijms20225661
by Maiko Okano, Masanori Oshi, Ali Linsk Butash, Eriko Katsuta, Kazunoshin Tachibana, Katsuharu Saito, Hirokazu Okayama, Xuan Peng, Li Yan, Koji Kono, Toru Ohtake and Kazuaki Takabe
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(17), 4197; doi 10.3390/ijms20174197
by Shaista Afroz, Rieko Arakaki, Takuma Iwasa, Masamitsu Oshima, Maki Hosoki, Miho Inoue, Otto Baba, Yoshihiro Okayama and Yoshizo Matsuka
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(3), 711; doi 10.3390/ijms20030711
Life:
by Márió Gajdács, Zoltán Bátori, Marianna Ábrók, Andrea Lázár and Katalin Burián
Life 2020, 10(2), 16; doi 10.3390/life10020016
by Carla Ferreira, Catarina Almeida, Sandra Tenreiro and Alexandre Quintas
Life 2020, 10(6), 86; doi 10.3390/life10060086
by Ronald D. Hills, Benjamin A. Pontefract, Hillary R. Mishcon, Cody A. Black, Steven C. Sutton and Cory R. Theberge
Nutrients 2019, 11(7), 1613; doi 10.3390/nu11071613
by Harri Hemilä and Elizabeth Chalker
Nutrients 2019, 11(4), 708; doi 10.3390/nu11040708
by Humaira Jamshed, Robbie A. Beyl, Deborah L. Della Manna, Eddy S. Yang, Eric Ravussin and Courtney M. Peterson
Nutrients 2019, 11(6), 1234; doi 10.3390/nu11061234
by Israr Kha, Naeem Ullah, Lajia Zha, Yanrui Bai, Ashiq Khan, Tang Zhao, Tuanjie Che and Chunjiang Zhang
Pathogens 2019, 8(3), 126; doi 10.3390/pathogens8030126
by Spyridoula-Angeliki Nikou,Nessim Kichik, Rhys Brown, Nicole O. Ponde, Jemima Ho, Julian R. Naglik and Jonathan P. Richardson
Pathogens 2019, 8(2), 53; doi 10.3390/pathogens8020053
by Steven Batinovic, Flavia Wassef, Sarah A. Knowler, Daniel T.F. Rice, Cassandra R. Stanton, Jayson Rose, Joseph Tucci, Tadashi Nittami, Antony Vinh, Grant R. Drummond, Christopher G. Sobey, Hiu Tat Chan, Robert J. Seviour, Steve Petrovski and Ashley E. Franks
Pathogens 2019, 8(3), 100; doi 10.3390/pathogens8030100
by Muhammad Hammad Saleem, Johan Potgieter and Khalid Mahmood Arif
Plants 2019, 8(11), 468; doi 10.3390/plants8110468
by Ida Linić, Dunja Šamec, Jiří Grúz, Valerija Vujčić Bok, Miroslav Strnad and Branka Salopek-Sondi
Plants 2019, 8(6), 155; doi 10.3390/plants8060155
by Marie Agatha Mohn, Besarta Thaqi and Katrin Fischer-Schrader
Plants 2019, 8(3), 67; doi 10.3390/plants8030067
by Chiara Biselliandrea Volante, Francesca Desiderio, Alessandro Tondelli, Alberto Gianinetti, Franca Finocchiaro, Federica Taddei, Laura Gazza, Daniela Sgrulletta, Luigi Cattivelli and Giampiero Valè
Plants 2019, 8(8), 292; doi 10.3390/plants8080292
22 November 2021
722 MDPI Editorial Board Members Receiving "2021 Highly Cited Researchers" Distinction
It is our great honor to congratulate the Editorial Board Members and Editors in MDPI's journals who have been distinguished as 2021 Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate, according to Web of Science data. We herewith express our gratitude for the immense impact the named researchers continue to make on scientific progress and on our journals' development.
Clarivate's annual list of Highly Cited ResearchersTM identifies the most highly cited scientists for the past decade. Their impactful papers are among the top 1 per cent in the citation distribution of one or more of 22 fields analyzed in the "Essential Science Indicators", distinguishing them as hugely influential among their peers.
Abate, Antonio Abatzoglou, John T. Abbaszadeh, Mostafa Acharya, U. Rajendra Acharya, Viral V. Agarwal, Ravi P. Ahn, Myung-Ju Airoldi, Laura Ali, Imran Allakhverdiev, Suleyman I. Aluko, Rotimi E. Anasori, Babak Andersson, Dan I. Andes, David Anker, Stefan D. Apergis, Nicholas Ariga, Katsuhiko Arqub, Omar Abu Aschner, Michael Assaraf, Yehuda G. Astruc, Didier Atala, Anthony Atanasov, Atanas G. Atangana, Abdon Bahram, Mohammad Bakris, George L. Balandin, Alexander A. Baleanu, Dumitru Balsamo, Gianpaolo Bando, Yoshio Banks, William A. Bansal-Travers, Maansi Barba, Francisco J. Barros, Lillian Basit, Abdul W. Baskonus, Haci Mehmet Bassetti, Matteo Battino, Maurizio Bell, Jordana T. Bellomo, Nicola Benediktsson, Jon Atli Benelli, Giovanni Benjakul, Soottawat Bhatnagar, Amit Biddle, Stuart J. H. Biondi, Antonio Biondi-Zoccai, Giuseppe Bjarnsholt, Thomas Blaabjerg, Frede Blaschke, Thomas Blay, Jean-Yves Blumwald, Eduardo Blunt, John W. Boffetta, Paolo Bogers, Marcel Bonomo, Robert A. Bowman, David M.J.S. Boyer, Cyrille Brestic, Marian Brevik, Eric C. Buhalis, Dimitrios Burdick, Jason A. Byrd, John C. Cabeza, Luisa F. Cai, Xingjuan Cai, Jianchao Calhoun, Vince D. Calin, George Cao, Jinde Cao, Guozhong Carvalho, Andre F. Castellanos-Gomez, Andres Cerqueira, Miguel Ângelo Parente Ribeiro Chang, Jo-Shu Chang, Chih-Hao Chastin, Sebastien Chau, Kwok-wing Chemat, Farid Chen, Xiaobo Chen, YangQuan Chen, Jianmin Chen, Chaoji Chen, Min Chen, Qi Chen, Jun Chen, Xi Chen, Peng Chen, Yulin Chen, Bo Chen, Chen Chen, Zhi-Gang Chen, Wei-Hsin Chen, Gang Chen, Yongsheng Chen, Xiang Chen, Yimin Chen, Runsheng Chen, Lidong Chen, Shaowei Chen, Qian Chen, Yu Chen, Shuangming Chiclana, Francisco Cho, Sun Young Choi, Wonyong Chowdhary, Anuradha Choyke, Peter L. Cichocki, Andrzej Corella, Dolores Corma, Avelino Cortes, Javier Cortes, Jorge Costanza, Robert Crommie, Michael F. Cui, Yi Cui, Haiying Cui, Qinghua Cummings, Kenneth Michael Dai, Shifeng Dai, Sheng Daiber, Andreas Davis, Steven J. Dawson, Ted M. de la Fuente-Nunez, Cesar Decker, Eric Andrew Dekel, Avishai Demaria, Marco Deng, Yong Deng, Xiangzheng DePinho, Ronald A. Desneux, Nicolas Dimopoulos, Meletios-Athanasios Ding, Aijun Dionysiou, Dionysios D. Dokmeci, Mehmet Remzi Dolgui, Alexandre Dong, Fan Dou, Shi Xue Dou, Letian Du, Qian Du, Bo Dube, Shanta Rishi Dufresne, Alain Dummer, Reinhard Dupont, Didier Edwards, David Elaissari, Abdelhamid Elhoseny, Mohamed Ellahi, Rahmat Ellis, Erle C. ElMasry, Gamal Esteller, Manel Estévez, Mario Fabbro, Doriano Facchetti, Antonio Fan, Zhanxi Fang, Chuanglin Fasano, Alessio Fečkan, Michal Felser, Claudia Feng, Liangzhu Fensholt, Rasmus Ferdinandy, Péter Fernandez-Lafuente, Roberto Ferreira, Isabel C. F. R. Filippi, Massimo Fisher, Helen Fortino, Giancarlo Fosso Wamba, Samuel Franceschi, Claudio Fujita, Hamido Fujita, Masayuki Gai, Francesco Gaisford, Simon Galanakis, Charis M. Galluzzi, Lorenzo Galvano, Fabio Gan, Ren-You Gan, Lihua Gandomi, Amir H. Gao, Bin Gao, Feng Gao, Minrui Gao, Huijun Gao, Wei Gao, Huile Garbe, Claus Garcia, Hermenegildo Gasbarrini, Antonio Gasco, Laura Gautret, Philippe Geng, Yong Gerdts, Gunnar Geschwind, Daniel H. Ghadimi, Noradin Ghaffari, Roozbeh Ghamisi, Pedram Giampieri, Francesca Glick, Bernard R. Gnant, Michael Goel, Ajay Gogotsi, Yury Goldewijk, Kees Klein Gong, Jinlong Gong, Yongji Govindan, Kannan Granato, Daniel Grancini, Giulia Green, Douglas R. Grosso, Giuseppe Gu, Ke Guan, Cao Guastella, Adam J. Guerrero, Josep M. Gui, Guan Guizani, Mohsen Guo, Zaiping Gupta, Rangan Gutzmer, Ralf Haase, Dagmar Habibi-Yangjeh, Aziz Hagemann, Stefan Hagger, Martin Hamblin, Michael R. Hammoudeh, Shawkat Han, Heesup Hanes, Justin Harrison, Roy M. Hartung, Hans-Peter Hasanuzzaman, Mirza He, Jr-Hau He, Hongwen He, Jiaqing He, Debiao Henseler, Jörg Herrera, Francisco Herrera-Viedma, Enrique Hetz, Claudio Ho Kim, Jung Holmes, Elaine Hossain, Ekram Hsueh, Po-Ren Hu, Xiaosong Hu, Wenbin Huang, Jianping Huang, Hongwei Huang, Yu Huang, Jianying Huang, Peng Huang, Baibiao Huang, Shaoming Hubacek, Klaus |
Iqbal, Hafiz M. N. |
Saad, Fred |
The full list of 2021 Highly Cited Researchers can be accessed at the following webpage in the Web of ScienceTM https://recognition.webofscience.com/awards/highly-cited/2021/.
--- Highly Cited Researchers (HCR) is a Clarivate product.
16 November 2021
Topical Advisory Panel Established to Support Editorial Board
Academic editors play a crucial role in leading our journals and ensuring that each article undergoes a robust and timely peer-review. With the launch of Topics this year and addition of Topic Editors to our family of academic editors, we decided it would be a good time to restructure our academic boards, thus providing more clarity and support for each role. MDPI is pleased to announce the launch of a new position—Topical Advisory Panel Member, that will replace the previous position of Topics Board Member. The Topical Advisory Panel will be comprised of early career researchers eager to gain experience in editorial work.
The main responsibility of the new members of the Topical Advisory Panel is to regularly provide support to Guest Editors, Topic Editors, and Section Board Members. The responsibilities of the Topical Advisory Panel are available here: https://www.mdpi.com/editors.
Each year, the members’ performances are evaluated, and outstanding members are promoted to the Editorial Board by the Editor-in-Chief.
To qualify as a Topical Advisory Panel Member, applicants must:
- Have expertise and experience in the field related to the journal;
- Have received a Ph.D. in the last 10 years, approximately;
- Have at least 6-8 published papers in the last 5 years as first author or corresponding author;
- Currently hold an independent research position in academia or a government institute.
If you are interested in this role, please contact the editorial office by email.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
25 October 2021
Open Access Week 2021 | It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity, 25–31 October
Founded in 1996, MDPI was one of the first fully Open Access publisher. Over 25 years MDPI has grown to become the largest Open Access publisher globally, publishing over 160,000 articles across more than 350 journals in 2020. At the core, MDPI was founded in response to a pressing need of fast publication and inclusion. The scholar was set at the centre of the publication process for the first time. Acting as a service provider, rather than a product provider, MDPI exists to help scientists achive their objective to disseminate research results. At MDPI, we believe scientists deserve a better service from the publishing world.
The International Open Access Week (Open Access Week), founded by the SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) Alliance and student partners in 2008, has been successfully running for 13 years. As an advocate and pioneer of open access publishing, MDPI actively responds to the call of International Open Access Week. This year’s theme of “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity” highlights the Recommendation’s call for equitable participation from all authors and readers.
For the last 25 years, MDPI has been committed to disseminating open research. Here is a video showing MDPI’s Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Diversity for More than 25 Years.
International Open Access Week is an important opportunity to catalyze new conversations, create connections across and between communities that can facilitate this co-design, and advance progress in the building of more equitable foundations for opening knowledge—discussions and actions that need to be continued, year in and year out. MDPI has always aimed to provide professional and efficient publishing services to scholars around the world.
Our mission is to make scientific research accessible to everyone; this year, we interview and hold discussions with open science ambassadors on how to build an equal and inclusive environment for open science. Academic editors help us collaborate with more institutions to advocate for open access ideas.
Besides this, our scientific community is a key driver of our success and MDPI’s remarkable growth. Despite the pandemic, we have prepared online conferences and workshops to gather scholars from different communities.
The Basel Sustainable Publishing online forum provides an equal opportunity for stakeholders and researchers from multi-cultural environments to exchange ideas and eliminate barriers to participation.
Conference date: 25 October 2021, online
Conference website: https://bspf2021.sciforum.net/
Main topics: MDPI discusses the current dilemma of open access science from various perspectives such as governments, libraries, and publishers, and related measures on how to change the status quo of discrimination from a global perspective.
We aim to support equality, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in scholarly communications. We collaborate with universities and key laboratories and have scholarly communications with researchers, teachers, and students on open access workshops.
- 25 October 2021
Energies journal and Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- 28 October 2021
Machines journal and State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University
- 29 October 2021
Processes journal and Beijing Institute of Technology
- 29 October 2021
Coatings journal and Wuhan University of Technology
MDPI is committed to providing open access and high-quality publishing services for scholars and promoting rapid dissemination of academic achievements. We hope to promote the practices and policies of open access publishing and diversify the dissemination of academic achievements.
23 September 2021
2020 MDPI Top Reviewer Award—Winners Announced

Rigorous peer-review is the cornerstone of high-quality academic publishing. Over 369,916 scholars served as reviewers for MDPI journals in 2020. We are extremely appreciative of all those who made a contribution to the editorial process in this capacity. At the beginning of every year, journal editorial offices publish a list of all reviewers’ names to express our gratitude. In addition, this year, the MDPI Top Reviewer Award was announced, to recognize the very best reviewers for their expertise and dedication, and their high-quality, and timely review reports. We are pleased to announce the following winners of the 2020 MDPI Top Reviewer Award:
- Adriana Burlea-Schiopoiu;
- Alban Kuriqi;
- Álvaro González-Vila;
- Alessandro Alaimo;
- Alexey Beskopylny;
- Alexander Yu Churyumov;
- Alberto Fernández-Isabel;
- Andrea Mastinu;
- Antonios N. Papadopoulos;
- Anton Rassõlkin;
- Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino;
- Arkadiusz Matwijczuk;
- Artur Słomka;
- Baojie He;
- Bartłomiej Potaniec;
- Bojan Đurin;
- Camilo Arturo Rodriguez Diaz;
- Carmelo Maria Musarella;
- Chiachung Chen;
- Chiman Kwan;
- Cristian Busu;
- Danil Pimenov;
- Dan-Cristian Dabija;
- Delfín Ortega-Sánchez;
- Demetrio Antonio Zema;
- Denis Butusov;
- Elena Lucchi;
- Gaurab Dutta;
- Livia Anastasiu;
- M. R. Safaei.
For more information about how to become a reviewer of MDPI journals, please see: www.mdpi.com/reviewers.
22 September 2021
MDPI Joins SDG Publishers Compact
UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. In 2020 the SDG Publishers Compact was launched, aimed to inspire publishers and accelerate progress to achieve the 17 goals by 2030. Members of the programme are committed to support the publication of materials that will promote and inspire actions towards SDGs.
MDPI is an eager advocate of SDGs and has already been supporting the programme by creating Special Issues and publishing a series of books on SDGs prior to joining the Compact in 2021. MDPI's Sustainability Foundation initiated the World Sustainability Awards in 2016. We fully support UN's goals to promote sustainable actions that make the world a better place for all and, as part of its commitment, we will focus our actions on SDG10: Reduced Inequalities whilst promoting all 17 SDGs. For more details, please visit the programme’s website: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdg-publishers-compact/.
Joining this initiative was a unanimous decision. MDPI has in its core values the dissemination of science for all, breaking the wall between research access and under-represented members of the scientific community and the general population. To support this initiative further and continue to support under-represented scientists, MDPI will take a series of actions that will be announced once ready.
The first action MDPI takes is to nominate Dr. Liliane Auwerter as the coordinator of the programme. Dr. Auwerter studied Environmental Process Technology (UTFPR, Brazil), obtained her MSc degree in Water and Environmental Engineering (University of Surrey, UK) and in 2020 completed her PhD in self-healing low-friction materials for water transport (Imperial College London, UK), always focusing on diverse scientific projects that would potentially bring sustainability to industrial processes. As a student in Brazil, she engaged in volunteering activities focused on environmental education and took part in the Millennial Development Goals meetings held at the university.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Liliane Auwerter
Scientific Officer
[email protected]
3 August 2021
Announcement on Japanese Consumption Tax (JCT)
This serves to announce to our valued authors based in Japan that value-added tax, or consumption tax will now be imposed on article processing fees and other service fees for all papers submitted, or resubmitted (assigned new paper IDs), effective from 15 August 2021. The change is in accordance with the Japanese "Act for Partial Revision of the Income Tax Act and Other Acts" (Act No. 9 of 2015), which includes a revision of consumption taxation on cross-border supplies of services such as digital content distribution.
For additional information from the National Tax Agency please see here ("Cross-border supplies of electronic services").
Contact: Setsuko Nishihara, MDPI Tokyo
28 April 2021
Book Builder—Compile a Customized E-Book from Your Favorite MDPI Open Access Content
MDPI Books recently released Book Builder, a new online tool to conveniently arrange, design and produce an eBook from any content published in MDPI journals. Book Builder offers two functions: on the one hand (1) Selections, available to every registered user of MDPI; on the other hand (2) Special Issue Reprints, which can be used exclusively by Guest Editors of Special Issues.
Selections
In just a matter of a few clicks, all users are now able to assemble books from MDPI articles and receive instantaneous feedback in the form of a fully produced and compiled book (PDF), which can be downloaded or ordered as print copy. Selections can include any paper published with MDPI, picking and combining content from different journals and special issues.
This way, the user may for example choose to compile an ebook focusing around a particular topic, or assemble articles from a group of others.
We invite you to make yourself familiar with the new tool! The Book Builder can be found here: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book_builder.
Special Issue Reprints
The Book Builder allows Guest Editors of MDPI journals to create a reprint from a successfully completed Special Issue or Topical Collection in book format. If you are a Guest Editor for an MDPI journal, you can use the new tool to create an PDF document which includes all articles published in the Special Issue as well as a book cover and table of contents.
For Special Issues containing a minimum of 5 articles, the Guest Editor can request its publication on the MDPI Book platform. Published reprints are assigned an ISBN and DOI.
In addition to the PDF copy of the Reprint Book, as a token of our gratitude, MDPI offers every Guest Editor one (1) complimentary print copy (via print-on-demand). All contributors benefit from a discount on orders of any additional print copies, to share with colleagues or libraries or others.
In line with our organization's values, MDPI Books publishes all content in open access, promoting the exchange of ideas and knowledge in a globalized world. MDPI Books encompasses all the benefits of open access—high availability and visibility, as well as wide and rapid dissemination. MDPI Books are distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License, meaning as an author you retain the copyright for your work. In addition, with MDPI Books you can complement the digital version of your work with a high-quality printed counterpart.
If you are interested in editing a book volume or series, or have a monograph manuscript to be considered for publication, please submit your proposal online and look at our Information for Authors.
Contact: Laura Wagner, MDPI Books Manager (email)
15 April 2021
MDPI Celebrates Company Milestone With 25th Anniversary Page
"We exist to help scientists achieve their own objectives"

In June of this year, MDPI will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its foundation. To mark this significant milestone, we have created a 25th Anniversary page on our website that evokes the development of our company over the past quarter-century.
MDPI has been a pioneer of Open Access publishing ever since the concept was first created.
In a wide-ranging interview, our CEO Delia Mihaila reflects on the company’s 25th anniversary and its contribution to the world of scientific publishing.
Delia considers how MDPI has evolved since starting life in 1996 as a visionary ‘project’ run out of an apartment in Basel, Switzerland, by Dr. Shu-Kun Lin. A chemist who was passionate about the long-term preservation of rare chemical sample, Dr. Lin was determined to help scholars publish their findings as quickly as possible and make their research results available to as wide a readership as possible worldwide. That determination remains unchanged 25 years later.
Today, MDPI is an international organization with over 4,000 employees based on three continents and in ten countries, and ranks among the world's top four academic publishers.
MDPI's mission is to accelerate access to new scientific research, delivering insight faster for researchers worldwide. Read more here about the company's remarkable success story and what the Open Access publishing model can offer the global scientific community.
10 March 2021
Journal Selector: Helping to Find the Right MDPI Journal for Your Article
At MDPI, we strive to make your online publication process seamless and efficient. To achieve this, our team is continuously developing tools and features to make the user experience useful and convenient.
As the number of academic papers continues to grow, so does the need to analyze and work with them on a large scale. This prompted us to design a new feature aimed at helping researchers find journals that are relevant to their publication by matching their abstract topic. In this regard, we designed a similarity model that automatically identifies the most suitable academic journals for your paper.
We are pleased to introduce Journal Selector, a new feature that measures similarity in academic contexts. By simply entering the title and/or abstract into our Journal Selector, the author will see a list of the most related scientific journals published by MDPI. This method helps authors select the correct journals for their papers, highlighting the time of publication and citability.
The methodology is known as representation learning, where words are represented as vectors in hyperspace. Representation helps us differentiate between different concepts within articles, and in turn, helps us identify similarities between them.
We used an advanced machine learning model to better capture the semantic meanings of words. This helps the algorithm make better predictions by leveraging scientific text representation. In turn, this ensures high precision, helping authors decide which journal they should submit their paper to.
The goal is to support authors to publish their work in the most suitable journal for their research, as fast as possible, accelerating their career progress.
Contact: Andrea Perlato, Head of Data Analytics, MDPI (email)
15 December 2020
MDPI adopts C4DISC principles to improve diversity and inclusion in scholarly communications
MDPI is proud to adopt the principles of the Coalition for Diversity & Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC) to support building equity, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in scholarly communications.
The C4DISC represents organizations and individuals working in scholarly communications and is focused on addressing issues of diversity and inclusion within the publishing industry.
MDPI’s Managing Editors encourage the Editors-in-Chief and Associate Editors to appoint diverse expert Editorial Boards. This is also reflective in our multi-national and inclusive workplace. We are proud to create equal opportunities without regard to gender, ethnicity, geographic location, sexual orientation, age, disability, political beliefs, religion, or socio-economic status. There is no place for discrimination in our workplace and editors of MDPI journals are to uphold these principles in high regard.
Representatives from C4DISC meet monthly, and have started to implement initiatives to shed light and improve on the lack of diversity in scholarly communications. Some of the initiatives include developing a joint statement of principles; conducting market research; providing training resources, best practices, toolkits, and documentation for our collective memberships; and establishing outreach programs, curricula, events, and publications.
The Coalition is committed to:
- eliminating barriers to participation, extending equitable opportunities across all stakeholders, and ensuring that our practices and policies promote equitable treatment and do not allow, condone, or result in discrimination;
- creating and maintaining an environment that respects diverse traditions, heritages, and experiences;
- promoting diversity in all staff, volunteers, and audiences, including full participation in programs, policy formulation, and decision-making;
- raising awareness about career opportunities in our industries to groups who are currently underrepresented in the workforce;
- supporting our members in achieving diversity and inclusion within their organizations.
14 December 2020
Article Layout and Templates Revised for Future Volumes
At MDPI we have slightly revised the layout for articles to be published in the 2021 Volume, starting at the end of December 2020. As of today, the article templates available for download on ‘Instructions for Authors’ pages have been updated.
The most noticeable change can be found on the first page of the article, where a left-hand column has been created to include the following front matter elements: (i) the recommended citation style for the article, (ii) the publishing history, (iii) as well as the Creative Commons Attribution license used (iv) a standard note regarding affiliations. At the same time, the extra spacing on the left means the authors’ affiliations are now more clearly set apart than before. Other front matter key elements such as journal logo, article type, article title, authors, abstract and keywords remain unchanged.
The blank column on the left runs through all pages in an article; as a result, the main text is slightly more condensed, which improve reader friendliness for smaller screens. Small figures/tables are aligned on the left with standard indenture, while large figures/tables are centered and covering the full width of the page. The revised layout was applied in the article pictured below, to serve as an example:
1) Information is displayed in the left information bar.
2) In the main text, there is a blank column on the left.
3) Small tables/figures are aligned on the left, large tables/figures are centered.
11 December 2020
2020 "Highly Cited Researchers" on MDPI Journal's Editorial Boards
We are pleased to acknowledge that many academic editors who have made an impact on MDPI journals as editorial board members, editors-in-chief, or section editors, are recognized as 2020 Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate.
Highly Cited Researchers highlights the top 1% of researchers, by citations, in one or more of the 22 fields used in Clarivate Analytics Essential Science Indicators. We offer our congratulations to 279 academic editors of MDPI journals who were recognized as the most influential scholars in their fields in 2020.
Adams, Dave Agarwal, Ravi P. Ahn, Choon Ki Ahn, Myung-Ju Albrecht, Randy A. Andersson, Dan I. Anker, Stefan D. Apergis, Nicholas Ariga, Katsuhiko Artaxo, Paulo Balsamo, Gianpaolo Barba, Francisco J. Benediktsson, Jon Atli Benelli, Giovanni Bhatnagar, Amit Bialystok, Ellen Blaabjerg, Frede Blay, Jean-Yves Bogers, Marcel Bolton, Declan J. Boyer, Cyrille Brocca, Luca Bruix, Jordi Buhalis, Dimitrios Burdick, Jason A. Byrd, John C. Cabeza, Luisa F. Cabrerizo-Lorite, Francisco Javier Cai, Jianchao Calhoun, Vince D. Cantu, Robert C. Cerqueira, Miguel Chang, Jo-Shu Chau, Kwok-wing Chemat, Farid Chen, Jianmin Chen, Jun Chen, Min Chen, Shaowei Chen, Wei Chen, Wei-Hsin Chen, Xiaofeng Chen, Yangkang Chen, Zhi-Gang Chiclana, Francisco Corella, Dolores Cortes, Javier Cortes, Jorge Cummings, Kenneth Michael Dai, Shifeng Decker, Eric A. DePinho, Ronald A. Dimopoulos, Meletios-Athanasios Dincer, Ibrahim Du, Yihong Dupont, Didier Edwards, David Ellahi, Rahmat Ellis, Erle C. ElMasry, Gamal Esteller, Manel Estruch, Ramón Fang, Chuanglin Fasano, Alessio Fernandez-Lafuente, Roberto Ferreira, Isabel Fortino, Giancarlo Galluzzi, Lorenzo Galvano, Fabio Gandomi, Amir H. Gandomi, Amir H. Gao, Bin Gao, Feng Gao, Wei Garbe, Claus García, Hermenegildo Geschwind, Daniel H. Giampieri, Francesca Giralt, Sergio A. Glanz, Karen Goldewijk, Kees Klein Gössling, Stefan Govindan, Kannan Granato, Daniel Grosso, Giuseppe Grosso, Giuseppe Guerrero, Josep M. Haase, Dagmar Hagger, Martin S. Hamblin, Michael R. Han, Heesup Jankovic, Joseph Janotti, Anderson |
Jiang, Hai-Long Kalaji, Hazem M. Kalantar-Zadeh, Kourosh Kaner, Richard B. Karimi, Hamid Reza Kataoka, Kazunori Keesstra, Saskia Kepp, Oliver Kerminen, Veli-Matti Keyzers, Robert A. Khademhosseini, Ali Khan, Nafees A. Kim, Ki-Hyun Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír Klenk, Hans-Peter Konopleva, Marina Y. Krammer, Florian Krebs, Frederik C. Kroemer, Guido Kudo, Masatoshi Kurths, Juergen Kurzrock, Razelle Kuznetsov, Nikolay V. Kyrpides, Nikos C. La Vecchia, Carlo Lai, Yuekun Lam, James Lancellotti, Patrizio Lee, Sangmoon Leung, Victor C. M. Li, Jinghong Li, Yurui Lindahl, José M. Merigó Lip, Gregory Y. H. Loh, Xian Jun Long, Hualou Lund, Henrik Luo, Jingshan Luque, Rafael Lyons, Timothy W. Ma, Jun Ma, Wen-Xiu Ma, Yanming Maeda, Keisuke Makarova, Kira Mantovani, Alberto Martín-Belloso, Olga Martinoia, Enrico Marzband, Mousa Masclaux-Daubresse, Celine Masson, Patrick Mateos, María Victoria Mathiesen, Brian Vad Matyjaszewski, Krzysztof McArthur, Grant A. McCauley, Darren Medlock, Jolyon M. Melero, Ignacio Mezzetti, Bruno Miroshnichenko, Andrey E. Moran, Daniel Mueller, Lukas A. Mueller-Roeber, Bernd Naushad, Mu Nemeroff, Charles B. Nieto, Juan J. O'Donnell, Colm Ogino, Shuji Olabi, Abdul-Ghani O'Regan, Donal Orsini, Nicola Oswald, Isabelle P. Ozcan, Aydogan Pahl-Wostl, Claudia Pang, Huan Payne, James E. Peng, Shushi Perc, Matjaz Perez-Alvarez, Jose Angel Piquero, Alex R. Ploss, Alexander Postolache, Mihai Pradhan, Biswajeet Prinsep, Michele R. Qian, Dong Qu, Xiaogang Reiter, Russel J. Riahi, Keywan Richter, Andreas Rignot, Eric Robert, Caroline Ros, Emilio Rosell, Rafael |
Rosen, Marc A. |
The full list of 2020 Highly Cited Researchers can be accessed on https://recognition.webofsciencegroup.com/awards/highly-cited/2020/
--- Highly Cited Researchers (HCR) is a Clarivate product.