Chandigarh: Dr Sonu Goel, professor at the department of community medicine and school, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), brought laurels to the city by being recognised as a 2024 highly ranked scholar by ScholarGPS. This internationally acclaimed platform distinguishes researchers based on their research productivity, impact, and overall quality.
This achievement places professor Goel among the top 0.5% of scholars worldwide, drawn from a pool of over 30 million researchers, and acknowledges his exceptional scientific contributions to public health leadership and tobacco control at the global level. This places him among the top 2.96% of researchers in tuberculosis, 1.05% in tobacco, and 2.83% in primary care.
Professor Goel authored over 270 publications in esteemed national and international journals and contributed to numerous books, both as an author and editor. As director of the International Public Health Management Development Program, in collaboration with the ministry of external affairs, he successfully trained approximately 1,400 senior professionals and policymakers from 96 countries over the past nine years.
His impactful work in tobacco control includes various community-level interventions that significantly benefited society. He conceptualised and directed the National Resource Centre for Tobacco Control, launched in 2016 by the then Union health secretary, which received the prestigious WHO Director-General Award in 2022.
He also serves as convenor of the Scientific Support Group, notified by the ministry of health and family welfare.
Throughout his distinguished career, professor Goel received numerous accolades, including visiting scholarships from prestigious institutions such as Johns Hopkins University (US), the International Union against TB and Lung Diseases, the University Grants Commission, and the Indian Council of Medical Research.
He is also an adjunct professor in the Public Health Masters’ Program at the School of Medicine, University of Limerick, Ireland, and an honorary professor in the faculty of Human and Health Sciences at Swansea University, the UK.
His notable honours include the Public Health Excellence of India award (2016), two-time recipient of the best researcher award by PGIMER Chandigarh, Vasudeva Oration and Dr Harcharan Singh Oration by the Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (as the youngest recipient in the country), and the Dr J E Park Oration by the Indian Public Health Association.
As an alumnus of Maastricht University, the Netherlands, and with recognition from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, professor Goel visited over 45 countries to disseminate his groundbreaking research findings. His career exemplifies a strong dedication to advancing public health and improving global health outcomes.
The ScholarGPS 2024 recognition highlights professor Goel’s lifelong dedication to excellence in public health research and his substantial contributions to enhancing global human health.
