World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
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Best Female Scientists
2025

D-Index & Metrics

Best Female Scientists

D-Index
116
Citations
101757
World Ranking
656
National Ranking
397

Biology and Biochemistry

D-Index
123
Citations
108988
World Ranking
540
National Ranking
341

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2025 - Research.com Best Female Scientists Award

Overview

What is she best known for?

The fields of study she is best known for:

  • Bacteria
  • Gene
  • Genome

Her primary scientific interests are in Genome, Genetics, Gene, Whole genome sequencing and Microbiology. Her research integrates issues of Metagenomics, Plasmid, Microbiome and Virulence in her study of Genome. Her Genetics study frequently draws parallels with other fields, such as Computational biology.

Many of her research projects under Gene are closely connected to Reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle and Chlorobium tepidum with Reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle and Chlorobium tepidum, tying the diverse disciplines of science together. Her Whole genome sequencing study integrates concerns from other disciplines, such as Hydrogenase, Bacteria and Photosynthesis. In Microbiology, Karen E. Nelson works on issues like Synteny, which are connected to Strain and Listeria monocytogenes.

Her most cited work include:

  • Structure, function and diversity of the healthy human microbiome (6128 citations)
  • Diversity of the human intestinal microbial flora. (5295 citations)
  • Genome sequence of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (3623 citations)

What are the main themes of her work throughout her whole career to date?

The scientist’s investigation covers issues in Genetics, Microbiome, Genome, Microbiology and Metagenomics. Her Whole genome sequencing, DNA sequencing, Horizontal gene transfer, Sequence analysis and Phylogenetics study are her primary interests in Genetics. Karen E. Nelson works mostly in the field of Microbiome, limiting it down to topics relating to Ecology and, in certain cases, Microbial ecology and Zoology.

Her Genome study deals with the bigger picture of Gene. The concepts of her Microbiology study are interwoven with issues in Bacteria, Bacteroidetes, Strain and Virulence. Her Metagenomics research includes elements of Evolutionary biology, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Computational biology and Bioinformatics.

She most often published in these fields:

  • Genetics (32.17%)
  • Microbiome (29.07%)
  • Genome (26.74%)

What were the highlights of her more recent work (between 2016-2021)?

  • Microbiome (29.07%)
  • Immunology (7.75%)
  • Microbiology (22.48%)

In recent papers she was focusing on the following fields of study:

Karen E. Nelson spends much of her time researching Microbiome, Immunology, Microbiology, Antibiotics and Disease. The various areas that Karen E. Nelson examines in her Microbiome study include Host, Cohort and Metagenomics. Karen E. Nelson combines subjects such as Bacteria, Biofilm, Proteus mirabilis and Enterococcus faecalis with her study of Microbiology.

Her Antibiotics study combines topics in areas such as Gram, Computational biology and Physiology. Her study looks at the relationship between Human microbiome and fields such as Parasitology, as well as how they intersect with chemical problems. Her research on Phylogenetics also deals with topics like

  • Comparative genomics, which have a strong connection to Virulence,
  • Genome that intertwine with fields like Phenotype.

Between 2016 and 2021, her most popular works were:

  • Gut Microbiome-Based Metagenomic Signature for Non-invasive Detection of Advanced Fibrosis in Human Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (343 citations)
  • The blood DNA virome in 8,000 humans (133 citations)
  • Gastric acid suppression promotes alcoholic liver disease by inducing overgrowth of intestinal Enterococcus (107 citations)

In her most recent research, the most cited papers focused on:

  • Bacteria
  • Gene
  • Genome

Karen E. Nelson mostly deals with Microbiome, Immunology, Gut flora, Oral Microbiome and Disease. Her study in Microbiome focuses on Human microbiome in particular. Her biological study deals with issues like Zoology, which deal with fields such as Lemur and Transmission.

Her work in Immune system tackles topics such as Urinary system which are related to areas like Microbiology. Her Genotype study contributes to a more complete understanding of Genetics. Genetics is frequently linked to Virology in her study.

Best Publications

  • Structure, function and diversity of the healthy human microbiome

    Curtis Huttenhower;Curtis Huttenhower;Dirk Gevers;Rob Knight;Rob Knight;Sahar Abubucker

  • Diversity of the human intestinal microbial flora.

    Paul B. Eckburg;Elisabeth M. Bik;Charles N. Bernstein;Elizabeth Purdom

  • Metagenomic Analysis of the Human Distal Gut Microbiome

    Steven R. Gill;Mihai Pop;Robert T. DeBoy;Paul B. Eckburg;Paul B. Eckburg

  • Genome sequence of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

    Malcolm J. Gardner;Neil Hall;Eula Fung;Owen White

  • Environmental Genome Shotgun Sequencing of the Sargasso Sea

    J. Craig Venter;Karin Remington;John F. Heidelberg;Aaron L. Halpern

  • The complete genome sequence of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori

    Jean-F. Tomb;Owen White;Anthony R. Kerlavage;Rebecca A. Clayton

  • A framework for human microbiome research

    Barbara A. Methé;Karen E. Nelson;Mihai Pop;Heather H. Creasy

  • DNA sequence of both chromosomes of the cholera pathogen Vibrio cholerae

    John F. Heidelberg;Jonathan A. Eisen;William C. Nelson;Rebecca A. Clayton

  • Evidence for lateral gene transfer between Archaea and Bacteria from genome sequence of Thermotoga maritima

    Karen E. Nelson;Rebecca A. Clayton;Steven R. Gill;Michelle L. Gwinn

  • The complete genome sequence of the hyperthermophilic, sulphate-reducing archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus

    Hans-Peter Klenk;Rebecca A. Clayton;Jean-Francois Tomb;Owen White

  • Complete Genome Sequence of a Virulent Isolate of Streptococcus pneumoniae

    H. Tettelin;K. E. Nelson;I. T. Paulsen;Jonathan A Eisen

  • Complete genome sequence and comparative analysis of the metabolically versatile Pseudomonas putida KT2440

    K. E. Nelson;C. Weinel;I. T. Paulsen;R. J. Dodson

  • Complete Genome Sequence of Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup B Strain MC58

    Hervé Tettelin;Nigel J. Saunders;John Heidelberg;Alex C. Jeffries

  • Molecular analysis of the bacterial microbiota in the human stomach

    Elisabeth M. Bik;Paul B. Eckburg;Steven R. Gill;Karen E. Nelson

  • A Guild of 45 CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Protein Families and Multiple CRISPR/Cas Subtypes Exist in Prokaryotic Genomes

    Daniel Henry Haft;Jeremy Selengut;Emmanuel F. Mongodin;Karen E. Nelson

  • Habitat degradation impacts black howler monkey ( Alouatta pigra ) gastrointestinal microbiomes

    Katherine R Amato;Carl J Yeoman;Carl J Yeoman;Angela Kent;Nicoletta Righini

  • Genome sequence of the radioresistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans R1.

    O. White;J. A. Eisen;J. F. Heidelberg;E. K. Hickey

  • Functional metagenomic profiling of nine biomes

    Elizabeth A. Dinsdale;Robert A. Edwards;Dana Hall;Florent Angly

  • Role of Mobile DNA in the Evolution of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecalis

    I. T. Paulsen;L. Banerjei;G. S. A. Myers;K. E. Nelson

  • Molecular analysis of the diversity of vaginal microbiota associated with bacterial vaginosis

    Zongxin Ling;Jianming Kong;Jianming Kong;Fang Liu;Haibin Zhu

Frequent Co-Authors

Manolito Torralba
Manolito Torralba J. Craig Venter Institute
Steven R. Leigh
Steven R. Leigh University of Colorado Boulder
Claire M. Fraser
Claire M. Fraser University of Maryland, Baltimore
Bryan A. White
Bryan A. White University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Shibu Yooseph
Shibu Yooseph University of Central Florida
Jonathan A. Eisen
Jonathan A. Eisen University of California, Davis
Ian T. Paulsen
Ian T. Paulsen Macquarie University
Brenda A. Wilson
Brenda A. Wilson University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Robert T. DeBoy
Robert T. DeBoy J. Craig Venter Institute
William C. Nelson
William C. Nelson Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

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