The 2026 edition of the ranking of the Best Scientists in Neuroscience by Research.com places Prof. Brian Harvey from the subject group Pharmacology at the North-West University (NWU) among the three most cited researchers in the field in South Africa.

Prof. Harvey says this accolade highlights his decades of work in neuropharmacology and psychiatric research. “When you get notified of a ranking like this, it counters any doubt or negative thinking about the impact of your work.”

For him, who will retire at the end of this year, this recognition is both a professional milestone and a deeply personal affirmation of his lifelong commitment to science.

“I was really quite bowled over to see that I am the third most cited neuroscientist in South Africa,” he said. The ranking placed him alongside esteemed colleagues from the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Cape Town, institutions he says have long been regarded as leaders in the field.

Reflecting on the significance of the Research.com ranking, Prof. Harvey sees it as validation of years of dedication. “For me, this rating confirms that what we are doing has been noticed to the level that it is being well‑cited,” he said. Professionally, it underscores the place of the NWU in the global academic landscape. Personally, it reassures me that my legacy will endure through the cadre of postgraduate students and colleagues who will continue the work,” he noted.

A seasoned and influential scientist, Prof. Harvey also takes pride in his National Research Foundation (NRF) B1 researcher status and the international recognition it represents.

Pursuing excellence at the NWU

Preceded by a tenure at the international pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, Prof. Harvey’s journey in academia began in 1998 when he joined the School of Pharmacy at the NWU and was tasked with establishing a new research platform. “At the time, the university faced a gap in neuroscience expertise. My time at Eli Lilly helped shape how I thought about novel drug discovery, especially in psychiatry. It was therefore a great opportunity to set up a laboratory dedicated to developing animal models that translate to human psychiatric disorders.”

He says one of the major challenges for neuropsychiatric research is trying to develop new drug treatments. “Psychiatric disorders are difficult to manage. Moreover, our current drug treatments fail to appropriately target the complex biological underpinnings of these conditions. This results in compromised efficacy and often intolerable side effects that adversely affect long-term outcome. So, there is a huge need to better understand these disorders and to develop new compounds. To do that, you need a preparation that can simulate the human pathological condition.”

Over the past two decades, Prof. Harvey and his team have refined rodent and zebrafish models to emulate the pharmacological, biological, and behavioural aspects of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. These models have been instrumental in the understanding of psychiatric conditions and have attracted international collaborations aimed at advancing novel drug discovery.

Prof. Harvey emphasises that this type of research is never solitary: “No journey like this is without colleagues. I have had enormous support from my NWU colleagues and my postgraduate students, as well as through collaborations with researchers from other renowned international and South African universities. I especially would like to credit psychiatrists such as the late Prof. Dan Stein for helping us bridge the gap between laboratory models and clinical practice.”

While much of Prof. Brian Harvey’s career has focused on studying anxiety and stress disorders in humans that contribute to psychiatric illness, in recent years he has also extended his research to veterinary science, most notably investigating capture myopathy in wildlife, a severe stress‑induced condition that can lead to muscle damage, organ failure, and often death in animals.

As he prepares for retirement, Prof. Harvey leaves behind not only a distinguished career but also a foundation of research that will continue to shape neuroscience in South Africa and beyond.

Prof. Brian Harvey