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Announcements
18 August 2023
MDPI’s 2022 Best PhD Thesis Awards in Medicine and Pharmacology—Winners Announced

MDPI’s Best PhD Thesis Awards aim to recognize young scholars who are deemed to have produced the most outstanding PhD thesis in their fields of research and to encourage them to continue their outstanding work and further contributions to their field.
We would like to congratulate the winners of the 2022 Best PhD Thesis Awards in medicine and pharmacology and wish them success with their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.
- “Uncovering Novel Prognostic and Predictive Epigenetic Biomarkers in Malignant Testicular Germ Cell Tumors”
by João Pedro da Silva Machado Lobo, University of Porto, Portugal
- “Metastatic Recurrence in Colorectal Cancer Arises from Residual EMP1+ Cells”
by Adrià Cañellas Socias, University of Barcelona, Spain
- “Investigating Novel Aspects of the Blood–Brain Barrier Using High-Resolution Electron Microscopy”
by Shireen Mentor, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- “An Epidemiological Approach to Study The Interplay between Genome, Epigenome and Exposome in Women”
by Roberta Magnano San Lio, University of Catania, Italy
- “Intravitreal Liposomes as Ocular Drug Delivery Systems: Vitreal Interactions, Retinal Permeation and Drug Release Characteristics”
by Shirin Tavakoli, University of Helsinki, Finland
- “Microbiome-Mediated Colonization Resistance: Defense against Enteropathogens and Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms”
by Quinten Ducarmon, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
About MDPI Awards:
In order to support the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and form of recognition, help to promote the influence of talented individuals who have made outstanding achievements and are making significant contributions to their fields.
For more MDPI awards, please click here.
18 August 2023
MDPI’s Best Paper Awards in Medicine and Pharmacology—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 review and research papers through a rigorous evaluative process based on criteria such as the scientific merit, overall impact, and quality of presentation of the papers published in the journal.
We are honored to present the winners for the year 2022 in medicine and pharmacology, 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.
- “Development and Challenges of Antimicrobial Peptides for Therapeutic Applications”
by Charles H. Chen and Timothy K. Lu
Antibiotics 2020, 9(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9010024
- “Antimicrobial Usage and Resistance in Companion Animals: A Cross-Sectional Study in Three European Countries”
by Philip Joosten, Daniela Ceccarelli, Evelien Odent, Steven Sarrazin, Haitske Graveland, Liese Van Gompel, Antonio Battisti, Andrea Caprioli, Alessia Franco, Jaap A. Wagenaar et al.
Antibiotics 2020, 9(2), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9020087
- “Management of Peri-Implantitis Lesions without the Use of Systemic Antibiotics: A Systematic Review”
by Ahsen Khan, Ankit Goyal, Scott D. Currell and Dileep Sharma
Dent. J. 2020, 8(3), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/dj8030106
- “Associations among Primary Stability, Histomorphometric Findings, and Bone Density: A Prospective Randomized Study after Alveolar Ridge Preservation with a Collagen Cone”
by Sigmar Schnutenhaus, Werner Götz, Jens Dreyhaupt, Heike Rudolph, Ralph G. Luthardt and Cornelia Edelmann
Dent. J. 2020, 8(4), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/dj8040112
- “Novel Prefrontal Synthesis Intervention Improves Language in Children with Autism”
by Andrey Vyshedskiy, Edward Khokhlovich, Rita Dunn, Alexander Faisman, Jonah Elgart, Lisa Lokshina, Yuriy Gankin, Simone Ostrovsky, Lauren deTorres, Stephen M. Edelson et al.
Healthcare 2020, 8(4), 566; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8040566
- “The Effects of Long-Term 40-Hz Physioacoustic Vibrations on Motor Impairments in Parkinson’s Disease: A Double-Blinded Randomized Control Trial”
by Abdullah Mosabbir, Quincy J. Almeida and Heidi Ahonen
Healthcare 2020, 8(2), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8020113
- “Racial Disparities-Associated COVID-19 Mortality among Minority Populations in the US”
by Donald J. Alcendor
J. Clin. Med. 2020, 9(8), 2442; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9082442
- “Hypertension, Thrombosis, Kidney Failure, and Diabetes: Is COVID-19 an Endothelial Disease? A Comprehensive Evaluation of Clinical and Basic Evidence”
by Celestino Sardu, Jessica Gambardella, Marco Bruno Morelli, Xujun Wang, Raffaele Marfella and Gaetano Santulli
J. Clin. Med. 2020, 9(5), 1417; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9051417
- “Estimation of the Transmission Risk of the 2019-nCoy and Its Implication for Public Health Interventions”
by Biao Tang, Xia Wang, Qian Li, Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, Sanyi Tang, Yanni Xiao and Jianhong Wu
J. Clin. Med. 2020, 9(2), 462; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9020462
- “Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Affected in ALS”
by Laura Le Gall, Ekene Anakor, Owen Connolly, Udaya G. Vijayakumar, William J. Duddy and Stephanie Duguez
J. Pers. Med. 2020, 10(3), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm10030101
- “Postulated Adjuvant Therapeutic Strategies for COVID-19”
by Anderson O. Ferreira, Hudson C. Polonini and Eli C. F. Dijkers
J. Pers. Med. 2020, 10(3), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm10030080
- “Evidences of CTLA-4 and PD-1 Blocking Agents-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Cellular and Preclinical Models”
by Vincenzo Quagliariello, Margherita Passariello, Domenica Rea, Antonio Barbieri, Martina Iovine, Annamaria Bonelli, Antonietta Caronna, Gerardo Botti, Claudia De Lorenzo and Nicola Maurea
J. Pers. Med. 2020, 10(4), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm10040179
- "Manufacturing Considerations for the Development of Lipid Nanoparticles Using Microfluidics”
by Carla B. Roces, Gustavo Lou, Nikita Jain, Suraj Abraham, Anitha Thomas, Gavin W. Halbert and Yvonne Perrie
Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(11), 1095; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12111095
- “Development of Remdesivir as a Dry Powder for Inhalation by Thin Film Freezing”
by Sawittree Sahakijpijarn, Chaeho Moon, John J. Koleng, Dale J. Christensen and Robert O. Williams III
Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(11), 1002; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12111002
- “Skin Wound Healing Process and New Emerging Technologies for Skin Wound Care and Regeneration”
by Erika Maria Tottoli, Rossella Dorati, Ida Genta, Enrica Chiesa, Silvia Pisani and Bice Conti
Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(8), 735; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12080735
- “The Role of Hospital and Community Pharmacists in the Management of COVID-19: Towards an Expanded Definition of the Roles, Responsibilities, and Duties of the Pharmacist”
by Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, Muhammad Mansour, Alessandro Bonsignore and Rosagemma Ciliberti
Pharmacy 2020, 8(3), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8030140
- “Association of a Novel Medication Risk Score with Adverse Drug Events and Other Pertinent Outcomes Among Participants of the Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly”
by David L. Bankes, Hubert Jin, Stephanie Finnel, Veronique Michaud, Calvin H. Knowlton, Jacques Turgeon and Alan Stein
Pharmacy 2020, 8(2), 87; doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8020087
About MDPI Awards:
In order to support 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 form of recognition, help to promote the influence of talented individuals who have made outstanding achievements and are making significant contributions to their fields.
See more MDPI awards, please click here.
1 August 2023
Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease | Highly Cited Papers in 2021

The Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease (JCDD, ISSN: 2308-3425) is an international, scientific, peer-reviewed, open access journal on cardiovascular medicine published monthly online by MDPI, where you have free and unlimited access to the full text of all of the published articles.
JCDD publishes research articles, review papers and communications on cardiovascular development as well as congenital and acquired heart disease. We are pleased to invite you to read the most highly cited papers in 2021 in JCDD. The paper list is as follows:
1. “Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Autonomic Dysfunction: What Do We Know?”
by Giandomenico Bisaccia, Fabrizio Ricci, Vittoria Recce, Antonio Serio, Giovanni Iannetti, Anwar A. Chahal, Marcus Ståhlberg, Mohammed Yunus Khanji, Artur Fedorowski and Sabina Gallina
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(11), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8110156
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/11/156
2. “Physiological Age- and Sex-Related Profiles for Local (Aortic) and Regional (Carotid-Femoral, Carotid-Radial) Pulse Wave Velocity and Center-to-Periphery Stiffness Gradient, with and without Blood Pressure Adjustments: Reference Intervals and Agreement between Methods in Healthy Subjects (3–84 Years)”
by Daniel Bia and Yanina Zócalo
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8010003
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/1/3
3. “From Stripes to a Beating Heart: Early Cardiac Development in Zebrafish”
by Cassie L. Kemmler, Fréderike W. Riemslagh, Hannah R. Moran and Christian Mosimann
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(2), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8020017
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/2/17
4. “Extracellular Matrix-Based Biomaterials for Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering”
by Astha Khanna, Maedeh Zamani and Ngan F. Huang
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(11), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8110137
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/11/137
5. “Potential Role of eNOS Genetic Variants in Ischemic Heart Disease Susceptibility and Clinical Presentation”
by Paolo Severino, Andrea D’Amato, Silvia Prosperi, Michele Magnocavallo, Marco Valerio Mariani, Lucrezia Netti, Lucia Ilaria Birtolo, Paolo De Orchi, Cristina Chimenti, Viviana Maestrini et al.
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(9), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8090116
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/9/116
6. “Computational Modeling of Blood Flow Hemodynamics for Biomechanical Investigation of Cardiac Development and Disease”
by Huseyin Enes Salman and Huseyin Cagatay Yalcin
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(2), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8020014
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/2/14
7. “Characterization of Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease: Differences between Fibroelastic Deficiency and Barlow’s Disease”
by Aniek L. van Wijngaarden, Boudewijn P. T. Kruithof, Tommaso Vinella, Daniela Q. C. M. Barge-Schaapveld and Nina Ajmone Marsan
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(2), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8020023
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/2/23
8. “Outflow Tract Formation—Embryonic Origins of Conotruncal Congenital Heart Disease”
by Sonia Stefanovic, Heather C. Etchevers and Stéphane Zaffran
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(4), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8040042
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/4/42
9. “Peptidic Connexin43 Therapeutics in Cardiac Reparative Medicine”
by Spencer R. Marsh, Zachary J. Williams, Kevin J. Pridham and Robert G. Gourdie
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(5), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8050052
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/5/52
10. “The Use of β-Blockers in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction”
by Daniele Masarone, Maria Luigia Martucci, Vittoria Errigo and Giuseppe Pacileo
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(9), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8090101
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/9/101
11. “Atrial and Sinoatrial Node Development in the Zebrafish Heart”
by Kendall E. Martin and Joshua S. Waxman
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(2), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8020015
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/2/15
12. “Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Functional Hierarchy of Pacemaker Clusters in the Sinoatrial Node: New Insights into Sick Sinus Syndrome”
by Di Lang and Alexey V. Glukhov
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(4), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8040043
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/4/43
13. “Lipoprotein(a), Immunity, and Inflammation in Polyvascular Atherosclerotic Disease”
by Narek A. Tmoyan, Olga I. Afanasieva, Marat V. Ezhov, Elena A. Klesareva, Tatiana V. Balakhonova and Sergei N. Pokrovsky
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(2), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8020011
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/2/11
14. “Disagreement between Cardiac Troponin Tests Yielding a Higher Incidence of Myocardial Injury in the Emergency Setting”
by Peter A. Kavsak, Shawn E. Mondoux, Janet Martin, Mark K. Hewitt, Lorna Clark, Nadia Caruso, Ching-Tong Mark, V. Tony Chetty, Craig Ainsworth and Andrew Worster
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(3), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8030031
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/3/31
15. “The Zebrafish Cardiac Endothelial Cell—Roles in Development and Regeneration”
by Vanessa Lowe, Laura Wisniewski and Caroline Pellet-Many
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(5), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8050049
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/5/49
16. “Unlocking the Secrets of the Regenerating Fish Heart: Comparing Regenerative Models to Shed Light on Successful Regeneration”
by Helen G. Potts, William T. Stockdale and Mathilda T. M. Mommersteeg
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8010004
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/1/4
17. “Acute and Chronic Effects of COVID-19 on the Cardiovascular System”
by Victor Arévalos, Luis Ortega-Paz, Juan José Rodríguez-Arias, Margarita Calvo López, Leticia Castrillo-Golvano, Anthony Salazar-Rodríguez, Marta Sabaté-Tormos, Francesco Spione, Manel Sabaté and Salvatore Brugaletta
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(10), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8100128
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/10/128
18. “Myocardium-Specific Deletion of Rac1 Causes Ventricular Noncompaction and Outflow Tract Defects”
by Carmen Leung, Anish Engineer, Mella Y. Kim, Xiangru Lu and Qingping Feng
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(3), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8030029
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/3/29
19. “Diagnostic Performance of Serial High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Measurements in the Emergency Setting”
by Peter A. Kavsak, Mark K. Hewitt, Shawn E. Mondoux, Joshua O. Cerasuolo, Jinhui Ma, Natasha Clayton, Matthew McQueen, Lauren E. Griffith, Richard Perez, Hsien Seow et al.
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(8), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8080097
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/8/97
20. “Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease with Mitral Valve Prolapse and Mitral Annular Disjunction: Clinical and Functional Significance of the Coincidence”
by Nina C. Wunderlich, Siew Yen Ho, Nir Flint and Robert J. Siegel
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2021, 8(2), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd8020009
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/2/9
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
19 July 2023
Prof. Dr. Martin Schweiger Appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of Section "Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease" in Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Martin Schweiger has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the Section "Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease" in the Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease (JCDD, ISSN: 2308-3425).
Prof. Dr. Martin Schweiger is a Professor of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery at the Pediatric Heart Center of the University Children’s Hospital Zurich. He leads the mechanical circulatory support program at his institution. Prof. Dr. Martin Schweiger's research interests are congenital cardiac surgery, especially aortic valve reconstruction, tissue engineering, heart transplantation and ventricular assist devices. He has served on several editorial journal boards, including the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation and Pediatric Transplantation.
He also serves in leadership roles for various professional organizations, including ISHLT (International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation), EACTS (European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery) and ESOT (European Society for Organ Transplantation).
The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Martin Schweiger, who shared his vision for the Section with us as well as his views on the research area and open access publishing:
1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take on the role of its Section Editor-in-Chief?
Of course, the passion for the field, strong interest in congenital heart disease and wishes to contribute to research, development and understanding in this area. I have a considerable amount of expertise and experience in the field, having conducted significant research, published extensively and contributed to the scientific community in different ways. I have had the pleasure to serve on several Editorial Boards of different journals. As Section Editor-in-Chief, I think you may shape the direction and quality of research published even more, ensuring that important discoveries and advancements receive appropriate attention.
2. What is your vision for the journal?
The journal will celebrate its 10th birthday soon and has proved to be a successful player in the landscape of medical journals. My vision for the further direction of the journal is advancing the understanding of cardiovascular disease and promoting new developments and trends which lead to high-quality research findings. For that, I would like to encourage especially young and female researchers to submit their valuable original work.
Further, I would like to facilitate collaborations among researchers, clinicians and industrial partners in order to improve the diagnosis, treatment and, if possible, prevention of congenital heart defects.
All these factors I believe will be key to the further growth of the journal in the future. I am sure that the infrastructure of the JCDD will help to achieve these goals. The journal has a newly appointed super-motivated Editor-in-Chief, fabulous managing staff, an excellent Editorial Board and well-known Guest Editors for Special Issues.
3. What does the future of this field of research look like?
The area of cardiovascular disease represents a striking field of science, which cannot be overseen by an individual research group alone. Within that scientific field, congenital heart defects maybe represent one of the biggest growth potentials in terms of research. It includes heart development before birth, in the newborn and throughout adulthood. It involves professionals in basic science with questions like the role of the different cell lineages that make up the heart, as well as clinicians with its diagnostics (i.e., fetal echocardiography) and further treatment options. I think this highlights that collaborations among different highly specified medical professionals, sharing data and an open access policy are needed for further advancement in the field. Last but not least, we should be able to develop new techniques and hybrid procedures with our industrial partners.
4. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?
I strongly believe in open source, open information, and open access and I am convinced they will take center stage. Data sharing among different research groups has led to huge advancements in every field of research. While many universities in Europe allow access and reading of most research articles instantaneously on an institutional license, this is not the reality in many parts of the world, especially in a developing country. This hinders overarching global collaborations as well as education and information for the public. For all these reasons, I think open access benefits researchers, institutions, and also society as a whole.
We warmly welcome Prof. Dr. Martin Schweiger as Section Editor-in-Chief of “Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease”, and we look forward to achieving many milestones under his leadership.
13 July 2023
Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease | Highly Cited Papers in 2022

Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease (JCDD, ISSN: 2308-3425) is an international, scientific, peer-reviewed, open access journal on cardiovascular medicine published monthly online by MDPI, which provides free and unlimited access to the full texts of published articles.
JCDD publishes research articles, review papers, and communications on cardiovascular development, as well as congenital and acquired heart diseases. In 2022, we announced two new Sections: the “Cardiovascular Clinical Research” Section and the “Cardiac Surgery” Section. You may access all the Sections via https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jcdd/sections. We invite you to read our highly cited papers published in 2022:
1. “Mechanisms and Clinical Implications of Endothelial Dysfunction in Arterial Hypertension”
by Pasquale Ambrosino, Tiziana Bachetti, Silvestro Ennio D’Anna, Brurya Galloway, Andrea Bianco, Vito D’Agnano, Antimo Papa, Andrea Motta, Fabio Perrotta and Mauro Maniscalco
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2022, 9(5), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9050136
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/9/5/136
2. “Return to Play after SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Competitive Athletes of Distinct Sport Disciplines in Italy: A FMSI (Italian Federation of Sports Medicine) Study”
by Maurizio Casasco, Ferdinando Iellamo, Marco Scorcu, Attilio Parisi, Irena Tavcar, Erica Brugin, Barbara Martini, Chiara Fossati and Fabio Pigozzi
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2022, 9(2), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9020059
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/9/2/59
3. “Vitamin D Inhibits IL-6 Pro-Atherothrombotic Effects in Human Endothelial Cells: A Potential Mechanism for Protection against COVID-19 Infection?”
by Giovanni Cimmino, Stefano Conte, Mariarosaria Morello, Grazia Pellegrino, Laura Marra, Andrea Morello, Giuseppe Nicoletti, Gennaro De Rosa, Paolo Golino and Plinio Cirillo
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2022, 9(1), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9010027
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/9/1/27
4. “Prognostic Value of Machine Learning in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction”
by Changhu Xiao, Yuan Guo, Kaixuan Zhao, Sha Liu, Nongyue He, Yi He, Shuhong Guo and Zhu Chen
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2022, 9(2), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9020056
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/9/2/56
5. “Blood Pressure Increase following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Systematic Overview and Meta-Analysis”
by Fabio Angeli, Gianpaolo Reboldi, Monica Trapasso, Gabriella Santilli, Martina Zappa and Paolo Verdecchia
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2022, 9(5), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9050150
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/9/5/150
6. “Cardiotoxicity of Non-Anthracycline Cancer Chemotherapy Agents”
by Alexandros Briasoulis, Angeliki Chasouraki, Alexandros Sianis, Nikolaos Panagiotou, Christos Kourek, Argyrios Ntalianis and Ioannis Paraskevaidis
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2022, 9(3), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9030066
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/9/3/66
7. “Advances in the Treatment Strategies in Hypertension: Present and Future”
by Paolo Verdecchia, Claudio Cavallini and Fabio Angeli
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2022, 9(3), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9030072
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/9/3/72
8. “Transfer Learning Models for Detecting Six Categories of Phonocardiogram Recordings”
by Miao Wang, Binbin Guo, Yating Hu, Zehang Zhao, Chengyu Liu and Hong Tang
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2022, 9(3), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9030086
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/9/3/86
9. “Effects of COVID-19 on Arrhythmia”
by Yujia Zhan, Honghua Yue, Weitao Liang and Zhong Wu
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2022, 9(9), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9090292
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/9/9/292
10. “Biventricular versus Conduction System Pacing after Atrioventricular Node Ablation in Heart Failure Patients with Atrial Fibrillation”
by Maja Ivanovski, Miha Mrak, Anja Zupan Mežnar and David Žižek
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2022, 9(7), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9070209
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/9/7/209
11. “Electroporation Parameters for Human Cardiomyocyte Ablation In Vitro”
by Jara M. Baena-Montes, Tony O’Halloran, Cormac Clarke, Kevin Donaghey, Eoghan Dunne, Martin O’Halloran and Leo R. Quinlan
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2022, 9(8), 240; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9080240
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/9/8/240
12. “Cardioprotective Strategies from Cardiotoxicity in Cancer Patients: A Comprehensive Review”
by Christos Kourek, Maria Touloupaki, Athanasios Rempakos, Konstantinos Loritis, Elias Tsougkos, Ioannis Paraskevaidis and Alexandros Briasoulis
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2022, 9(8), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9080259
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/9/8/259
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 (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com) 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)
28 June 2023
Prof. Dr. Thomas Brand Appointed Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Thomas Brand, who has taken over the editorial leadership of the Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease (JCDD, ISSN: 2308-3425), starting from 13 June 2023.
Name: Prof. Dr. Thomas Brand
Homepage: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/t.brand
Affiliation: National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London W12 0NN, UK
Interests: heart development; cardiac pacemaker development and function; Popeye genes, cAMP signaling
Prof. Dr. Brand was recruited as a professor and chair of Developmental Dynamics in October 2009 from the University of Würzburg, Germany, where he was a professor of molecular developmental biology and head of a working group in cardiac developmental biology since 2004. Between 1994 and 2004, he was a group leader at the Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Braunschweig, Germany. He did his postdoctoral training from 1991 to 1994 at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, U.S.A. For his Ph.D. thesis from 1988 to 1990, he worked at the Max Planck Institute for Physiological and Clinical Research in Bad Nauheim, Germany. From 1980 to 1987, he studied biology at the University of Bielefeld, Germany.
Prof. Dr. Brand's research initially focused on cardiac development. He was interested in the development of the proepicardium, an embryonic structure that develops into the epicardium and gives rise to cells forming the interstitium and the coronary vasculature. He also worked on the signaling processes involved in left–right asymmetry and the early formation of the embryonic heart. In recent years, he has become interested in a class of membrane proteins, the Popeye proteins, which are strongly expressed in the heart and skeletal muscle and are involved in cyclic nucleotide signaling and the modulation of cardiac pacemaker activity.
The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Thomas Brand, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views of the research area and open access publishing:
1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to become its Editor-in-Chief?
First, I’d like to express my gratitude to my predecessor Prof. Andy Wessels. I would like to thank him for his efforts to develop JCDD into the excellent journal it has become. My initial contact with the journal was by acting as a Guest Editor for several Special Issues (SI). I found it to be extremely easy to work with the excellent editorial team of JCDD, which handled the editorial work with great care and enthusiasm with an eye for detail. They always made it easy to become a Guest Editor and only contacted me when it was required. Thus, when Prof. Wessels asked me to join JCDD as an Associate Editor, I happily agreed. I had the task of looking after the development of the SIs, which have always been an important part of JCDD. I started several SI projects with different colleagues and reviewed those suggested by others. While the journal initially mainly served the Cardiac Development Community, it has now significantly broadened its focus and includes, for example, clinical cardiology, and consists of eleven Sections in total. I think that leading such an excellent journal, which encompasses nearly the entire cardiovascular field, is a great task, and I am looking forward to this exciting opportunity.
2. What are your plans and vision for the journal?
JCDD is a unique journal, in that it has the words “development” and “disease” in its title and thus it aims at both normal heart development and disease processes. Heart development not only means cardiac development in the embryo, but also the role of the different cell lineages that make up the heart and their fate in disease. It involves the maturation processes of the heart during postnatal life, which will determine how myocytes react to injury, and even includes degenerative processes during aging of the heart. Cardiovascular disease is an even larger topic and includes both pediatric heart disease as well as the many forms of genetic and acquired heart disease, as well as clinical cardiology, which has recently become a major focus of JCDD. The vast array of topics in one journal can only be properly handled by the introduction of substructures. Thus, apart from our excellent Editorial Board (EB), we will also rely on the expertise of Section Editors-in-Chief (SEiC), who will be recruited for each of the different Sections. This will ensure a vital resource of expertise to enable rigorous peer review to allow the publication of excellent manuscripts with high impact. This journal will soon celebrate its 10th birthday, and there are already several 10th Anniversary SIs announced on the JCDD website. While SIs, which are often proposed by our Guest Editors, will remain an important element of JCDD, I especially hope that we will become more attractive as a journal where researchers will choose to publish their original work. I believe that this will be key to further growth of the journal in the future. I hope that our excellent EB will assist me in attracting manuscripts to our journal or even publish articles themselves in JCDD.
3. What does the future of this field of research look like?
Cardiovascular science has always been an important research topic, mainly because of the devastating consequences of being born with a dysfunctional heart or developing cardiovascular disease in later life. Making predictions about this research field may require looking through a crystal ball. Scientific history has taught us that there will be quantum leaps that cannot be easily predicted, even a few years before they occur. Think about the advances that became possible with pluripotent stem cells, gene editing or polymerase chain reaction many years back. Novel technologies have a strong impact on the way we do research. Scientific progress is often technology-driven, and I expect this to happen also in the future. Thus, I could simply answer the question by saying: I don’t know, let’s wait and see. However, extrapolating from where we are, I expect that we will soon have a pretty good idea of the different cell lineages present in our heart during development, and of changes in response to acquired or genetically determined heart disease as well. Of course, research will become more and more reliant on big data and on artificial intelligence. It may soon become normal to have a virtual colleague on our side who will help us to write research articles. We might gain a proper understanding of the molecular basis of heart disease. Our enlarging toolbox to model heart disease in a dish with the help of iPSCs, organoids and organ-on-a-chip technology will be of great help in this regard. What is certain is that the future will be exciting.
4. What do you think of the development of open access literature in the publishing field?
To answer this question, I would like to travel back in time, when my first paper ever was published, and I received the glossy preprints with my name on it. It was a glorious feeling and a special moment. I had the feeling that it is great being a scientist and being able to publish work, which might have a lasting impact. I also remember when I had my first journal cover, which I was able to see when I entered the library. This was all a long time ago and publishing research has become very different. I hardly ever go into the library anymore, and nowadays, we can access and read most research articles instantaneously unless they are behind a paywall. Most articles, which we find on PubMed, are accessible from our computer screen. However, this is only true when one is part of a large research organization, but maybe less true for scientists working at a small university or in a developing country. Publishing in an open access journal makes it possible for publicly funded research to become accessible to everybody worldwide. Therefore, it is an important element for the idea of global dissipation of research results and to inform and educate people irrespective of where they live. It is a proper attempt to become inclusive and to involve everybody.
We warmly welcome our new Editor-in-Chief and wish the journal every success in the future.