SHMU Celebrates Research Achievements During Research Week

Shahrood, Iran – December 14, 2025 – Shahrood University of Medical Sciences (SHMU) marked its annual Research Week by highlighting substantial growth in its scholarly output and impact, underscoring its commitment to high-quality research despite resource constraints. Dr. Hossein Ebrahimi, the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Technology at SHMU, inaugurated the celebration by congratulating faculty members, researchers, technology companies, and the staff of the Vice-Chancellorship for their relentless efforts. He emphasized that this occasion provides an opportunity to review the past year’s performance across the different sectors of the Research Vice-Chancellorship and to present the scientific achievements of colleagues transparently, noting the crucial role of research in advancing scientific goals and improving community health.

Based on the University’s internal scientometric system, SHMU has published a total of 2,570 academic papers to date, which have collectively garnered 96,788 citations. The university’s current h-index stands impressively at 95. Dr. Ebrahimi pointed out the high quality of the research output, stating, “Despite having a smaller pool of faculty members compared to other Type 3 universities, our citation rate reflects a very strong performance, indicating high research quality despite human resource limitations.”

In the regional ranking (Macro-Region 1), SHMU maintains the lowest number of faculty members yet demonstrates significant performance in terms of quality and citation impact. Nationally, the university ranks 41st overall among all Medical Sciences Universities, and impressively 37th based on the h-index, translating to an average of 38 citations per published article. Further demonstrating engagement, 22% of the university’s publications involved international collaborations, with the United States being the primary partner country. The number of active authors stands at 347, with a total documented output (papers and books) of 2,585 items. Key domestic collaborators include Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, and the Behavioral Sciences Research Center. The journal Danesh va Tandorosti (Knowledge and Health) maintained an average three-year Scopus Cite Score of approximately 0.2 for the years 1404 and 1405 (2025/2026). Moreover, the university’s English-language journals, indexed in Scopus since September 2023, have shown a positive growth trend.

A major milestone was achieved as SHMU registered for the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for the first time, securing a commendable position in the 801–1000 band. In the Ministry of Health’s annual evaluation, SHMU was assessed across four key domains, securing the First Rank in the domain of Governance and Leadership. Furthermore, in the ranking of Type 3 Medical Universities, SHMU achieved 4th place nationally. This represents a significant improvement from the previous year, with the university’s overall national ranking ascending from 41st to 31st place. Dr. Ebrahimi concluded by affirming that despite constraints in human resources, Shahrood University of Medical Sciences has successfully elevated its scientific standing at both national and international levels, expressing optimism that this upward trajectory will continue, and extended sincere gratitude to all colleagues whose collective efforts made these successes possible.