By Kali Kotoski
A dynamic quartet of Midwest Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Center scientists has been named the world’s most highly cited researchers. They are collaboratively developing antiviral therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses with pandemic potential including pathogens like Lassa Fever, Zika, and Ebola.
This accolade recognizes the remarkable influence their research has had on enhancing worldwide comprehension of virulent viruses, thereby advancing the scientific foundation necessary to tackle both pandemic and endemic viral outbreaks. The Midwest AViDD Center is based in the University of Minnesota's Medical School and collaborates with 17 universities across the United States, Italy, and Singapore.
The annual Clarivate list of Highly Cited Researchers includes scientists whose published multiple academic papers rank in the top 1% of citations in their field over a publication year. Clarivate is a world-class analytics company known for calculating the impact factor of research.
In 2023, Clarivate acknowledged 7,125 researchers from over 1,300 institutions across 67 countries as Highly Cited Researchers. These select individuals account for the top one-thousandth of the world's scientific community, which is more than 7 million strong.
The Midwest AViDD Center’s awarded researchers are:
- Dr. Fang Li from the University of Minnesota has been honored in the field of Microbiology. He serves as the overall Co-Director of the Midwest AViDD Center, holds the Edmund Wallace Tulloch and Anna Marie Tulloch Endowed Chair in the Department of Pharmacology, and is the founding Director of the Center for Coronavirus Research.
- Dr. Michael Farzan works in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Boston Children’s Hospital and is a Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard University. He is a Deputy Investigator for two projects at the Midwest AViDD Center and was recognized in the Cross-Field category.
- Dr. Lanying Du is a Distinguished University Professor in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University. She is a Principal Investigator for one project and Deputy Investigator for another at the Midwest AViDD Center and was recognized in the Microbiology category.
- Dr. Stanley Perlman is a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine. He is also a University of Iowa Distinguished Chair and was recognized in the Microbiology and Immunology categories. At the Midwest AViDD Center, he plays a key role in the animal testing core.
“We celebrate the Highly Cited Researchers whose contributions transform our world by helping to make it healthier, more sustainable and more secure,” said Bar Veinstein, President of Academia and Government at Clarivate.
Dr. Li has received recognition for the third consecutive year. Alongside him, his former postdoctoral trainees, Dr. Jian Shang and Dr. Yushun Wan, have also been named. With these three from Dr. Li's laboratory, a total of twenty-nine researchers from the University of Minnesota have made it onto this year's list of highly cited researchers.