The list identifies scientists who’ve disproportionately influenced their fields of research over the past decade.
LA JOLLA, CA—An annual list of the most highly cited scientific papers in the world has put a spotlight on more than a dozen Scripps Research scientists who have expanded the frontiers of knowledge in chemistry, immunology, microbiology and cross-disciplinary fields.
The 2020 Highly Cited Researchers list includes researchers from more than 60 nations who rank in the top 1 percent of citations in their field over the prior decade, as measured by Web of Science, world’s largest publisher-neutral citation index. Scientists from Scripps Research have landed 15 spots on list.
In the scientific arena, research papers that are cited heavily in other contemporary research are seen as significantly influencing innovation by laying a new foundation of knowledge on a given topic.
“We congratulate all of the Scripps Research scientists who are named on this list, as it is a reflection of their game-changing contributions to their given fields over the past 10 years,” says Jamie Williamson, PhD, executive vice president of Research and Academic Affairs at Scripps Research. “Through their hard work and ingenuity, they have redefined what’s possible in basic research and in and drug discovery for human health—both of which are the pillars of academic investigations that benefit all of society.”
This year, the list encompasses 6,167 Highly Cited Researchers. Among the top 1,000 are MacArthur Fellows and Scripps Research professors Phil Baran and Jin-Quan Yu, each of whom has independently transformed the field of organic chemistry. Also high on the list are Ben Cravatt and Ardem Patapoutian, who earlier this year was awarded the 2020 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience.
In addition, Scripps Research’s Dennis Burton and Ian Wilson are named twice, earning a spot in separate categories for microbiology and immunology. The institute is also represented on the list by Robyn Stanfield, John Yates III, Ryan McBride, James Paulson and William Schief. Laura Walker and Damian Ekiert—former graduate students at Scripps Research who are now leading successful scientific careers elsewhere—are also on the list for work they completed while affiliated with the institute.
The United States continues to dominate the list as the home to the highest number of Highly Cited Researchers, representing 41.5 percent of the list. Mainland China follows at 12.1 percent, with United Kingdom, Germany and Australia rounding out the top five nations.
For more information, contact press@scripps.edu