This week, Clarivate™ named their list of Highly Cited Researchers for 2024 — an elite group that demonstrates significant and broad influence in their field of research. Each researcher selected has authored multiple Highly Cited Papers™ which rank in the top 1% by citations for their field(s) and publication year in the Web of Science, Clarivate’s collection of journal citations, over the past decade. Citation activity is not the sole selection indicator; it is complemented by qualitative analysis and expert judgment to assess community-wide recognition from an international network of citing authors.
Clarivate honored 6,636 researchers spanning 59 countries and regions this year. From Pitt’s two dozen researchers named to the list this year, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center has eight members, including Greg Delgoffe, Kirk Erickson, Valerian Kagan, John Kirkwood, Jeremy Rich, Yulia Tyurina, Dario Vignali, and Simon Watkins.
Greg Delgoffe, PhD
Dr. Delgoffe studies the intersection of metabolism and immunity in cancer. His research focuses on how nutrient deprivation in the tumor environment drives cell exhaustion, effectively starving tumor-infiltrating T cells and preventing their function. Dr. Delgoffe’s work has advanced the understanding of how metabolic pathways influence therapies, such as immunotherapy. He is the Director of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center’s Tumor Microenvironment Center.
Kirk Erickson, PhD
Dr. Erickson investigates the influence of physical activity on brain health throughout life. His work has received extensive funding, including support for a multi-site Phase III clinical trial studying exercise and cognitive function in healthy older adults. Recognized for his contributions, he earned the prestigious Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award from the University of Pittsburgh.
Valerian Kagan, PhD, DSc
Dr. Kagan is one of the world’s most recognized leaders and prominent authorities in the field of free radical biology and medicine. He has pioneered the field of redox lipidomics, deepening the understanding of how enzymes in oxidative metabolism produce lipid molecules that signal cell death and help clear damaged or dead cells. At Pitt, he is the director of the Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health.
John Kirkwood, MD
Dr. Kirkwood’s research focuses on melanoma immunobiology, therapy, and prevention. His translational studies established the first effective adjuvant therapy of melanoma, identified the immunological basis of this therapy, and are now probing the role of molecularly targeted agents that may improve the efficacy of anti-PD1 immunotherapy.
Jeremy Rich, MD
Dr. Rich’s work aims to identify novel therapeutic paradigms in the treatment of advanced cancers, primarily malignant brain tumors, through the prism of stem cell biology to identify core regulatory pathways amenable to pharmacologic targeting. His research has made contributions to the understanding of therapeutic resistance, circadian rhythm, cancer epigenetics, tumor microenvironment, epitranscriptomics, tumor organoids/bioprinting, cancer metabolism, and cancer metabolism.
Yulia Tyurina, PhD
Dr. Tyurina aims to understand the fundamental role of phospholipids and their oxygenated species in cell death pathways. Her studies have discovered the importance of cardiolipin-oxygenated species in apoptosis and the impact of reactive oxygen species in triggering cell death pathways.
Dario Vignali, PhD
Dr. Vignali’s research focuses on understanding the inhibitory mechanisms, including inhibitory receptors and regulatory T cells, that limit anti-tumor immunity in cancer patients. He oversees discovery-based programs working to identify novel targets for therapeutic intervention and facilitate the translation of novel therapeutic modalities.
Simon Watkins, PhD
Dr. Watkins develops, builds, and applies computer-aided microscopes and analysis tools to image subcellular events in fixed and living systems at all levels of resolution. He is the founder and director of the Center for Biology Imaging at the University of Pittsburgh— one of the largest optical imaging centers in the country.
Visit Clarivate’s website to access the full 2024 Highly Cited Researchers list and browse previous years’ archives.
