In the survey, published in the November issue of The Scientist, Princeton University, the TrudeauInstitute, Michigan State University, and University of Alabama atBirmingham rounded out the top 5 in the U.S. Among internationalinstitutions, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, University of Liverpool, andMurdoch Children's Research Institute in Australia took top honors.

Several of the top rankedinstitutions have consistently performed year after year -- includingthe J. David Gladstone Institutes, which leapt from 7th in 2007 to 1st in2008, and the Trudeau Institute, which solidified its position in the top 5for another year. Surprisingly, some of 2007's top performers did not makethe 2008 list, leaving openings for newcomers like Princeton University andMichigan State University to jump ahead in the rankings.

The international analysis also showed a fluctuation from 2007, withDalhousie University in Canada moving from 1st to 7th and Israel claimingtop honors with two institutes, Weizmann Institute of Science and HebrewUniversity of Jerusalem, both newcomers claiming 1st and 2nd placepositions.

Overall, analysis showed Australia as the best country in which to doresearch. Runners-up were Israel, Belgium, the U.S., and Canada.

Survey respondents were asked to assess their working environments byindicating their level of agreement with 41 criteria in 8 different areas.With over 2300 qualified responses, a total of 73 institutions wererepresented -- 54 from the U.S. and 19 internationally.

Categories included the quality of mentoring, infrastructure & environment,pay, research resources and tenure. The most important factor in a strongwork environment cited in this year's survey was the relationship withcoworkers and mentors.

"To be a top-ranked institution is an incredible honor," says RichardGallagher, Editor-in-Chief of The Scientist, "and many of theseinstitutions are highly-ranked by our readers year after year."

The Top 15 U.S. Institutions: 1. J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 2. Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 3. Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, NY 4. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 5. University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 6. Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO 7. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 8. Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK 9. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 10. University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 11. Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 12. University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 13. Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA 14. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 15. Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WAThe Top 10 International Institutions: 1. Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 2. Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel 3. University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK 4. Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia 5. Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium 6. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada 7. Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada 8. University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium 9. Ghent University, Ghent and Merelbeke, Belgium 10. Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, Merelbeke and Melle, Belgium

The Scientist's Best Places to Work (BPTW) survey series -- includingAcademia, Postdoc, and Industry -- is currently in its 6th year. Fullresults of the "Best Places to Work in Academia 2008," methodology, andother BPTW surveys are available online at www.the-scientist.com/bptw.

The Scientist's November issue, available on select newsstands, throughsubscription and online at www.the-scientist.com, features detailed surveyresults and rankings of the top 40 U.S. institutions and the top 10international institutions. The online magazine also includes extras likeinteractive charts, additional data and a slideshow featuring some of thewinners.

About The Scientist:

The Scientist, the magazine of the life sciences, has informed andentertained life scienceprofessionals around the world for over 20 years. We provide print andonline coverage of the latest developments in the life sciences includingtrends in research, new technology, business and careers. We reach leadingresearchers in academia and industry that are interested in maintaining abroad view of the life sciences by reading insightful articles that arecurrent, concise and entertaining. For more information about TheScientist, visit www.the-scientist.com.

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If you'd like more information or to schedule an interview with oureditors, please contact:Leslie SchultzEmail Contact215-351-1660 x3001