NOMIS Awardees Andrea Ablasser, Anthony Hyman and David Autor have been named 2025 Clarivate Citation Laureates, honored for their Nobel-class research and pioneering contributions that have shaped science, society and global progress. Ablasser received the distinction in the field of physiology or medicine “for elucidating the cGAS-STING pathway, a fundamental mechanism of innate immunity.” In the field of chemistry, Hyman was recognized “for discoveries on the role of phase-separated biomolecular condensates in biochemical organization of the cell.” And in the field of economics, Autor was recognized “for seminal analysis of wage structure, earnings inequality, educational advance, and technological change.”
Clarivate Plc (NYSE:CLVT), a leading global provider of transformative intelligence, today announced the Citation Laureates 2025 – a distinguished group of 22 researchers whose work is of Nobel class. Selected by experts at the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) at Clarivate, these individuals have made pioneering contributions that are shaping the future of science and society.
Since the program’s inception, 83 Citation Laureates have gone on to receive Nobel Prizes, often years after their initial recognition by Clarivate.
Citation Laureates’ foundational research papers rank among the most highly cited in their fields, reflecting exceptional influence across disciplines and borders. This year’s Laureates have advanced knowledge in fields of urgent global relevance, including:
Physiology or Medicine: Leukemia, appetite regulation, and immune system research
Physics: Signal processing, quantum computing, interstellar chemistry, and image compression
Chemistry: Energy storage, green chemistry, sustainable energy, and cell engineering
Economics: Remote work, automation, inequality, poverty, and the economic impact of culture and discrimination
The 2025 Laureates are affiliated with leading academic institutions in eight countries/regions. Ten are based in the United States, three in France, two each in Germany, Japan, and Switzerland, and one each in Canada, the Netherlands, and – for the first time – Mainland China.
Tao Zhang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, is recognized for pioneering work in single-atom catalysis, a breakthrough that enables more efficient and sustainable chemical reactions. His selection as the first Citation Laureate based in Mainland China reflects the country’s growing influence in global science. According to the latest G20 research and innovation scorecard from ISI, Mainland China led the G20 in research output in 2024 with nearly 900,000 papers — triple its 2015 volume.
Zhang said: ”It is my great honor to receive the Citation Laureates 2025 award, which is a full recognition of the originality and international impact of our work. In the past, my collaborators and I created the concept of Single-Atom Catalysis by standing on the shoulders of others. Looking ahead, I hope that more young scientists will stand on our shoulders to drive catalysis and chemistry to a higher level. I believe that the integration of Single-Atom Catalysis with artificial intelligence will shape a new paradigm of atomically precise catalysis, making catalyst rational design possible and accelerating the advancement of global new energy and green chemical industries.”
Emmanuel Thiveaud, Senior Vice President for Research & Analytics, Academia & Government at Clarivate, said: “Each year, the Citation Laureates program highlights researchers whose work has transformed their disciplines and delivered profound societal impact. Their research is not only highly cited but deeply influential. At Clarivate, we are proud to honor these pioneers whose contributions often foreshadow Nobel recognition and help shape a better future.”
Since 2002, ISI analysts have used publication and citation data from the Web of Science Core Collection to identify potential Nobel Prize recipients. Out of 64 million articles and proceedings indexed since 1970, less than 0.02% have been cited more than 2,000 times. Citation Laureates are selected from this elite group through rigorous citation analysis and expert insight.
Continue reading the Clarivate release: Clarivate Unveils Citation Laureates 2025 – Highlighting Nobel-Class Research with Global Impact
Feature image: (left to right) NOMIS Awardees Andrea Ablasser (photo: Gropperfilm); Anthony Hyman (photo: Sven Döring); and David Autor (photo: Timothy Archibald)
