Papers regarding treatments for difficult diseases, energy efficiency, and understanding human emotion are among the multitude of groundbreaking research that has earned four College of Science professors a spot on 2021’s list of “Highly Cited Researchers.”

Each year, Clarivate Analytics produces this list based on citation data from the Web of Science. This online platform tracks research papers’ mentions in other papers’ citations. The list features more than 6,000 scientific researchers around the world who have produced papers that rank in the top 1 percent by citations in their fields between 2009 and 2021.

The following College of Science faculty were named on 2021’s list, each of whom has appeared on the list in previous years:

• Arun Bansil, a University Distinguished Professor of Physics, studies how electrons behave in complex materials. His work provides novel insight into how to design new materials for quantum information systems, more efficient batteries, and superconductors that could eventually work at room temperature.
• Albert-László Barabási the Robert Gray Dodge Professor of Network Science and Distinguished Professor of Physics, studies complex systems such as sub-cellular networks and the extent to which complex systems can be controlled. His research into the science of success shows that the top performers aren’t always recognized as the best in their fields.
• Lisa Feldman Barrett a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology, studies the nature of emotion from the perspectives of both psychology and neuroscience. Her lab’s research uses experiential, behavioral, psychophysiological and brain-imaging techniques to study emotions.
• Kim Lewis a University Distinguished Professor of Biology, has produced major discoveries in the fight against bacterial infections. He has discovered a new antibiotic that kills pathogens without encountering any detectable resistance and investigated promising new treatments for Lyme disease.