George Davey Smith

439.7k total citations · 63 hit papers
2.0k papers, 218.3k citations indexed

About

George Davey Smith is a scholar working on Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health, Genetics and Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health. According to data from OpenAlex, George Davey Smith has authored 2.0k papers receiving a total of 218.3k indexed citations (citations by other indexed papers that have themselves been cited), including 485 papers in Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health, 409 papers in Genetics and 377 papers in Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health. Recurrent topics in George Davey Smith's work include Birth, Development, and Health (448 papers), Genetic Associations and Epidemiology (326 papers) and Health disparities and outcomes (244 papers). George Davey Smith is often cited by papers focused on Birth, Development, and Health (448 papers), Genetic Associations and Epidemiology (326 papers) and Health disparities and outcomes (244 papers). George Davey Smith collaborates with scholars based in United Kingdom, United States and Australia. George Davey Smith's co-authors include Matthias Egger, Martin Schneider, Jack Bowden, Shah Ebrahim, Stephen Burgess, Debbie A. Lawlor, Gibran Hemani, Nicholas J. Timpson, Jonathan A C Sterne and Philip Haycock and has published in prestigious journals such as Nature, Science and New England Journal of Medicine.

In The Last Decade

George Davey Smith

2.0k papers receiving 212.1k citations

Hit Papers

Bias in meta-analysis detected by a simple, graphical test 1987 2026 2000 2013 1997 2015 2016 2018 2003 10.0k 20.0k 30.0k 40.0k
What are hit papers?

Hit papers significantly outperform the citation benchmark for their cohort. A paper qualifies if it has ≥500 total citations, achieves ≥1.5× the top-1% citation threshold for papers in the same subfield and year (this is the minimum needed to enter the top 1%, not the average within it), or reaches the top citation threshold in at least one of its specific research topics.

  1. Bias in meta-analysis detected by a simple, graphical test
    1997 44.7k citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  2. Mendelian randomization with invalid instruments: effect estimation and bias detection through Egger regression
    2015 5.6k citations Jack Bowden, George Davey Smith et al. International Journal of Epidemiology profile →
  3. Consistent Estimation in Mendelian Randomization with Some Invalid Instruments Using a Weighted Median Estimator
    2016 5.2k citations Jack Bowden, George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  4. The MR-Base platform supports systematic causal inference across the human phenome
    2018 4.4k citations Jack Bowden, James Yarmolinsky et al. profile →
  5. ‘Mendelian randomization’: can genetic epidemiology contribute to understanding environmental determinants of disease?*
    2003 3.5k citations George Davey Smith, Shah Ebrahim International Journal of Epidemiology profile →
  6. Mendelian randomization: Using genes as instruments for making causal inferences in epidemiology
    2007 2.8k citations Debbie A. Lawlor, Jonathan A C Sterne et al. profile →
  7. Mendelian randomization: genetic anchors for causal inference in epidemiological studies
    2014 2.6k citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  8. Health inequalities among British civil servants: the Whitehall II study
    1991 2.6k citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  9. Reading Mendelian randomisation studies: a guide, glossary, and checklist for clinicians
    2018 2.5k citations Neil M Davies, Michael V. Holmes et al. profile →
  10. Systematic Reviews in Health Care : Meta-Analysis in Context
    2000 2.0k citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  11. Cohort Profile: The ‘Children of the 90s’—the index offspring of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
    2012 2.0k citations Debbie A. Lawlor, George Davey Smith et al. International Journal of Epidemiology profile →
  12. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology Using Mendelian Randomization
    2021 1.9k citations James Yarmolinsky, Neil M Davies et al. JAMA profile →
  13. Robust inference in summary data Mendelian randomization via the zero modal pleiotropy assumption
    2017 1.9k citations George Davey Smith, Jack Bowden et al. International Journal of Epidemiology profile →
  14. Meta-analysis: Principles and procedures
    1997 1.9k citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  15. Investigating and dealing with publication and other biases in meta-analysis
    2001 1.8k citations Jonathan A C Sterne, George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  16. Cohort Profile: The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children: ALSPAC mothers cohort
    2012 1.6k citations George Davey Smith, Debbie A. Lawlor et al. International Journal of Epidemiology profile →
  17. Orienting the causal relationship between imprecisely measured traits using GWAS summary data
    2017 1.4k citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  18. Statins for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease
    2013 1.3k citations George Davey Smith, Shah Ebrahim et al. profile →
  19. A framework for the investigation of pleiotropy in two‐sample summary data Mendelian randomization
    2017 1.1k citations Jack Bowden, Fabiola Del Greco M et al. profile →
  20. meta-analysis bias in location and selection of studies
    1998 1.1k citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  21. Assessing the suitability of summary data for two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses using MR-Egger regression: the role of the I2 statistic
    2016 1.0k citations Jack Bowden, Fabiola Del Greco M et al. International Journal of Epidemiology profile →
  22. Social Determinants of Risk and Outcomes for Cardiovascular Disease
    2015 1.0k citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  23. Using published data in Mendelian randomization: a blueprint for efficient identification of causal risk factors
    2015 1.0k citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  24. Mendelian randomization
    2022 952 citations Eleanor Sanderson, Michael V. Holmes et al. profile →
  25. Problems of reporting genetic associations with complex outcomes
    2003 876 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  26. Evaluating the potential role of pleiotropy in Mendelian randomization studies
    2018 871 citations Jack Bowden, George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  27. Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology using mendelian randomisation (STROBE-MR): explanation and elaboration
    2021 861 citations Neil M Davies, George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  28. Effect of Infant Feeding on the Risk of Obesity Across the Life Course: A Quantitative Review of Published Evidence
    2005 849 citations Richard M. Martin, George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  29. The interleukin-6 receptor as a target for prevention of coronary heart disease: a mendelian randomisation analysis
    2012 788 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  30. Mendelian randomization: prospects, potentials, and limitations
    2004 788 citations George Davey Smith International Journal of Epidemiology profile →
  31. Using multiple genetic variants as instrumental variables for modifiable risk factors
    2011 787 citations Tom Palmer, Debbie A. Lawlor et al. profile →
  32. Meta-analysis Spurious precision? Meta-analysis of observational studies
    1998 731 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  33. Impaired lung function and mortality risk in men and women: findings from the Renfrew and Paisley prospective population study
    1996 703 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  34. Is Income Inequality a Determinant of Population Health? Part 1. A Systematic Review
    2004 671 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  35. A LIFE COURSE APPROACH TO CHRONIC DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY
    2005 670 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  36. Recent Developments in Mendelian Randomization Studies
    2017 662 citations Jack Bowden, George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  37. Triangulation in aetiological epidemiology
    2016 656 citations Debbie A. Lawlor, George Davey Smith et al. International Journal of Epidemiology profile →
  38. An examination of multivariable Mendelian randomization in the single-sample and two-sample summary data settings
    2018 634 citations Eleanor Sanderson, George Davey Smith et al. International Journal of Epidemiology profile →
  39. TRPV3 is a temperature-sensitive vanilloid receptor-like protein
    2002 633 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  40. Measuring socioeconomic position in health research
    2007 622 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  41. Mendelian randomisation for mediation analysis: current methods and challenges for implementation
    2021 587 citations Eleanor Sanderson, George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  42. Improving the accuracy of two-sample summary-data Mendelian randomization: moving beyond the NOME assumption
    2018 547 citations Jack Bowden, Fabiola Del Greco M et al. International Journal of Epidemiology profile →
  43. Education and occupational social class: which is the more important indicator of mortality risk?
    1998 546 citations George Davey Smith et al. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health profile →
  44. Improving the visualization, interpretation and analysis of two-sample summary data Mendelian randomization via the Radial plot and Radial regression
    2018 536 citations Jack Bowden, Fabiola Del Greco M et al. International Journal of Epidemiology profile →
  45. Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease
    2015 511 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  46. Subgroup analyses in randomized trials: risks of subgroup-specific analyses;
    2004 502 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  47. Evaluating the relationship between circulating lipoprotein lipids and apolipoproteins with risk of coronary heart disease: A multivariable Mendelian randomisation analysis
    2020 491 citations Tom G. Richardson, Eleanor Sanderson et al. PLoS Medicine profile →
  48. Variation inPCSK9andHMGCRand Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes
    2016 491 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  49. Collider scope: when selection bias can substantially influence observed associations
    2017 478 citations Marcus R. Munafò, Amy E. Taylor et al. International Journal of Epidemiology profile →
  50. CARDIOVASCULAR AND CATECHOLAMINE RESPONSES TO LARYNGOSCOPY WITH AND WITHOUT TRACHEAL INTUBATION
    1987 437 citations George Davey Smith et al. British Journal of Anaesthesia profile →
  51. Polygenic Prediction of Weight and Obesity Trajectories from Birth to Adulthood
    2019 432 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  52. Mendelian randomization in cardiometabolic disease: challenges in evaluating causality
    2017 409 citations Michael V. Holmes, George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  53. Robust research needs many lines of evidence
    2018 392 citations Marcus R. Munafò, George Davey Smith profile →
  54. Mendelian Randomization: Concepts and Scope
    2021 389 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  55. Association Between Maternal Use of Folic Acid Supplements and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children
    2013 379 citations George Davey Smith et al. JAMA profile →
  56. Quantitative Serum Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Metabolomics in Large-Scale Epidemiology: A Primer on -Omic Technologies
    2017 374 citations Debbie A. Lawlor, George Davey Smith et al. American Journal of Epidemiology profile →
  57. Best (but oft-forgotten) practices: the design, analysis, and interpretation of Mendelian randomization studies
    2016 356 citations Jack Bowden, Caroline L. Relton et al. profile →
  58. Systematic identification of genetic influences on methylation across the human life course
    2016 351 citations George Davey Smith, Caroline L. Relton et al. profile →
  59. Evidence for causal effects of lifetime smoking on risk for depression and schizophrenia: a Mendelian randomisation study
    2019 349 citations Hannah Sallis, George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  60. Mendelian Randomization: New Applications in the Coming Age of Hypothesis-Free Causality
    2015 324 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  61. Adult height, nutrition, and population health
    2016 271 citations George Davey Smith et al. profile →
  62. Use of genetic variation to separate the effects of early and later life adiposity on disease risk: mendelian randomisation study
    2020 178 citations Tom G. Richardson, Eleanor Sanderson et al. profile →
  63. Characterising metabolomic signatures of lipid-modifying therapies through drug target mendelian randomisation
    2022 159 citations Tom G. Richardson, George Davey Smith et al. profile →

Peers — A (Enhanced Table)

Peers by citation overlap · career bar shows stage (early→late) cites · hero ref

Name h Career Trend Papers Cites
George Davey Smith United Kingdom 182 39.6k 32.5k 29.4k 29.3k 26.8k 2.0k 218.3k
Graham A. Colditz United States 210 19.1k 0.5× 49.0k 1.5× 9.3k 0.3× 16.8k 0.6× 14.6k 0.5× 1.4k 167.0k
Walter C. Willett United States 258 22.5k 0.6× 98.0k 3.0× 13.9k 0.5× 26.2k 0.9× 20.9k 0.8× 1.9k 255.3k
David Moher Canada 159 11.9k 0.3× 66.6k 2.0× 30.5k 1.0× 18.9k 0.6× 57.3k 2.1× 815 506.2k
JoAnn E. Manson United States 208 21.9k 0.6× 47.9k 1.5× 8.2k 0.3× 15.8k 0.5× 16.0k 0.6× 1.7k 167.3k
Douglas G. Altman United Kingdom 220 17.6k 0.4× 73.6k 2.3× 39.0k 1.3× 31.3k 1.1× 75.4k 2.8× 655 618.4k
John P. A. Ioannidis United States 165 12.1k 0.3× 20.6k 0.6× 8.2k 0.3× 15.2k 0.5× 17.9k 0.7× 1.1k 189.3k
Jennifer Tetzlaff Canada 30 7.0k 0.2× 32.9k 1.0× 16.7k 0.6× 11.3k 0.4× 32.2k 1.2× 42 273.2k
Matthias Egger Switzerland 134 7.5k 0.2× 25.2k 0.8× 12.5k 0.4× 11.7k 0.4× 32.9k 1.2× 780 212.8k
Julian P. T. Higgins United Kingdom 118 8.5k 0.2× 18.9k 0.6× 10.5k 0.4× 14.5k 0.5× 23.9k 0.9× 471 205.3k
Meir J. Stampfer United States 183 14.8k 0.4× 39.4k 1.2× 7.3k 0.2× 16.2k 0.6× 15.6k 0.6× 854 142.3k

Countries citing papers authored by George Davey Smith

Since Specialization
Citations

This map shows the geographic impact of George Davey Smith's research. It shows the number of citations coming from papers published by authors working in each country. You can also color the map by specialization and compare the number of citations received by George Davey Smith with the expected number of citations based on a country's size and research output (numbers larger than one mean the country cites George Davey Smith more than expected).

Fields of papers citing papers by George Davey Smith

Since Specialization
Physical SciencesHealth SciencesLife SciencesSocial Sciences

This network shows the impact of papers produced by George Davey Smith. Nodes represent research fields, and links connect fields that are likely to share authors. Colored nodes show fields that tend to cite the papers produced by George Davey Smith. The network helps show where George Davey Smith may publish in the future.

Co-authorship network of co-authors of George Davey Smith

This figure shows the co-authorship network connecting the top 25 collaborators of George Davey Smith. A scholar is included among the top collaborators of George Davey Smith based on the total number of citations received by their joint publications. Widths of edges represent the number of papers authors have co-authored together. Node borders signify the number of papers an author published with George Davey Smith. George Davey Smith is excluded from the visualization to improve readability, since they are connected to all nodes in the network.

All Works

20 of 20 papers shown
1.
Power, Grace M., Tom Palmer, Nicole M. Warrington, et al.. (2025). A structural mean modeling Mendelian randomization approach to investigate the lifecourse effect of adiposity: applied and methodological considerations. American Journal of Epidemiology. 195(1). 21–31.
2.
3.
Farhat, Luís C., George Davey Smith, André Fujita, et al.. (2023). Networks of Neurodevelopmental Traits, Socioenvironmental Factors, Emotional Dysregulation in Childhood, and Depressive Symptoms Across Development in Two U.K. Cohorts. American Journal of Psychiatry. 180(10). 755–765. 1 indexed citations
4.
Bjø‌rngaard, Johan Hå‌kon, Rønnaug Ødegård, Ben Brumpton, et al.. (2020). Genetic associations with temporal shifts in obesity and severe obesity during the obesity epidemic in Norway: A longitudinal population-based cohort (the HUNT Study). PLoS Medicine. 17(12). e1003452–e1003452. 8 indexed citations
5.
Peters, Tricia M., Michael V. Holmes, J. Brent Richards, et al.. (2020). Sex Differences in the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease Associated With Type 2 Diabetes: A Mendelian Randomization Analysis. Diabetes Care. 44(2). 556–562. 26 indexed citations
6.
Yarmolinsky, James, Caroline L. Relton, Artitaya Lophatananon, et al.. (2019). Appraising the role of previously reported risk factors in epithelial ovarian cancer risk: A Mendelian randomization analysis. PLoS Medicine. 16(8). e1002893–e1002893. 58 indexed citations
7.
Treur, Jorien L., Ditte Demontis, George Davey Smith, et al.. (2019). Investigating causality between liability to ADHD and substance use, and liability to substance use and ADHD risk, using Mendelian randomization. Addiction Biology. 26(1). e12849–e12849. 64 indexed citations
8.
Bowden, Jack, Fabiola Del Greco M, Cosetta Minelli, et al.. (2018). Improving the accuracy of two-sample summary-data Mendelian randomization: moving beyond the NOME assumption. International Journal of Epidemiology. 48(3). 728–742. 547 indexed citations breakdown →
9.
Østergaard, Søren Dinesen, Janne Tidselbak Larsen, Liselotte Petersen, George Davey Smith, & Esben Agerbo. (2018). Psychosocial Adversity in Infancy and Mortality Rates in Childhood and Adolescence. Epidemiology. 30(2). 246–255. 8 indexed citations
10.
11.
Dixon, Padraig, George Davey Smith, Stephanie von Hinke, Neil M Davies, & William Hollingworth. (2016). Estimating Marginal Healthcare Costs Using Genetic Variants as Instrumental Variables: Mendelian Randomization in Economic Evaluation. PharmacoEconomics. 34(11). 1075–1086. 20 indexed citations
12.
McMahon, George, Amy E. Taylor, George Davey Smith, & Marcus R. Munafò. (2014). Phenotype Refinement Strengthens the Association of AHR and CYP1A1 Genotype with Caffeine Consumption. PLoS ONE. 9(7). e103448–e103448. 35 indexed citations
13.
Smith, George Davey & Shah Ebrahim. (2008). Mendelian Randomization: Genetic Variants as Instruments for Strengthening Causal Inference in Observational Studies. 5(6). 547–55. 31 indexed citations
14.
Smith, George Davey & Shah Ebrahim. (2003). ‘Mendelian randomization’: can genetic epidemiology contribute to understanding environmental determinants of disease?*. International Journal of Epidemiology. 32(1). 1–22. 3542 indexed citations breakdown →
15.
Rasmussen, Finn, George Davey Smith, & Jonathan A C Sterne. (2001). Birth characteristics of offspring and parental diabetes (abstract). Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. 153. 1 indexed citations
16.
Corne, David, George Davey Smith, & Martin J. Oates. (2000). Telecommunications Optimization: Heuristic and Adaptive Computation Techniques. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. eBooks. 7 indexed citations
17.
Smith, George Davey, et al.. (1998). Socioeconomic Factors and Determinants of Mortality. JAMA. 280(20). 1744–1744. 13 indexed citations
18.
COTTON, B.R., et al.. (1998). Intraperitoneal bupivacaine or lidocaine does not provide analgesia after total abdominal hysterectomy. British Journal of Anaesthesia. 80(2). 245–247. 34 indexed citations
19.
Carroll, Douglas, et al.. (1996). Blood pressure reactions to the cold pressor test and the prediction of future blood pressure status: data from the Caerphilly study.. PubMed. 10(12). 777–80. 26 indexed citations
20.
Hanning, C.D., et al.. (1988). THE MORPHINE HYDROGEL SUPPOSITORY. British Journal of Anaesthesia. 61(2). 221–227. 14 indexed citations

Rankless uses publication and citation data sourced from OpenAlex, an open and comprehensive bibliographic database. While OpenAlex provides broad and valuable coverage of the global research landscape, it—like all bibliographic datasets—has inherent limitations. These include incomplete records, variations in author disambiguation, differences in journal indexing, and delays in data updates. As a result, some metrics and network relationships displayed in Rankless may not fully capture the entirety of a scholar's output or impact.

Explore authors with similar magnitude of impact

Breakdown of academic impact, for papers by Graham A. Colditz Breakdown of academic impact, for papers by Walter C. Willett Breakdown of academic impact, for papers by David Moher Breakdown of academic impact, for papers by JoAnn E. Manson Breakdown of academic impact, for papers by Douglas G. Altman Breakdown of academic impact, for papers by John P. A. Ioannidis Breakdown of academic impact, for papers by Jennifer Tetzlaff Breakdown of academic impact, for papers by Matthias Egger Breakdown of academic impact, for papers by Julian P. T. Higgins Breakdown of academic impact, for papers by Meir J. Stampfer
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