Afrin and Sushant script a rare global honour for Jamia. Read the report here:
Prof. Sushant Ghosh and Dr. Misba Afrin from the Centre for Theoretical Physics (CTP), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), have been honoured with the IOP Publishing 2025 Top Cited Paper Award (India) in Astrophysics and Astronomy. This prestigious recognition is awarded to the top 1 per cent most-cited articles in a subject category. The awards are especially significant, with two out of three awards presented in India in this category this year going to Jamia.
The award recognises two impactful papers published in The Astrophysical Journal by Prof. Sushant Ghosh and Dr. Misba Afrin: “Tests of Loop Quantum Gravity from the Event Horizon Telescope Results of Sgr A” and “Testing Horndeski Gravity from EHT Observational Results for Rotating Black Holes.” These research papers have become highly cited in the international scientific community, reflecting their meaningful contribution to understanding black holes and testing fundamental theories of gravity.
Prof. Sushant G. Ghosh, Professor and Director of CTP, Jamia, is an internationally recognised researcher in black hole physics, general relativity, and astrophysics. He has led several international collaboration projects and is a 2018 Fulbright Fellow. He previously served as Director (Research) at JMI and was the Founder Director of the Multidisciplinary Centre for Advanced Research and Studies (MCARS). His research has received numerous awards, including the President of India’s Award for Research.
Dr. Misba Afrin, who finished her PhD under Prof. Ghosh’s supervision, is currently a National Postdoctoral Fellow at the prestigious Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata. A University Gold Medalist in M.Sc. from JMI, Dr. Afrin has made significant contributions to black hole shadows, gravitational lensing, and testing gravity using Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations.
This award to Prof. Sushant Ghosh and Dr. Misba Afrin adds to the Centre for Theoretical Physics’ remarkable record, bringing the total number of IOP India awards in Astrophysics won by Prof. Ghosh and his collaborators to seven since 2022. Speaking on the accomplishment, Prof. Ghosh said: “This award is a proud moment for our Black Hole group at CTP. Dr. Misba Afrin is one of the brightest minds I have supervised, and it is gratifying to see her outstanding contributions recognised at such an early stage of her career.”
Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia, Prof. Mazhar Asif and Registrar, JMI, Prof. Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi extended their congratulations to the scholars (Prof. Sushant Ghosh and Dr. Misba Afrin) on their extraordinary achievement, stating that they were extremely proud of Prof. Ghosh and Dr. Afrin. This prestigious award emphasises the university’s commitment to research excellence, innovation, and global scientific impact, said the VC.
IOP Publishing, UK, is a leading scientific society dedicated to advancing physics worldwide. Its Top Cited Paper Award recognizes the most influential and widely cited research, showcasing contributions that have a continuing impact on the global scientific community.
This award to Prof. Sushant Ghosh and Dr. Misba Afrin further reinforces Jamia’s position as a hub for cutting-edge research while inspiring young researchers, said university official.
