Of world’s population of researchers, Highly Cited Researchers are 1 in 1,000
Two Brigham Young University professors have been named as two of the most influential researchers in the world, with one earning the distinction for the first time and another extending a years-long streak on the list.
Julianne Holt-Lunstad, BYU Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, was named a “Highly Cited Researcher” for the first time in her career, joining C. Arden Pope, III, BYU Professor of Economics and Karl G. Maeser Distinguished University Professor, Emeritus, as two of the “1 in 1,000” researchers worldwide with the designation.
“I’m always happy about this honor, but I’m pleased to see Dr. Holt-Lunstad join the list,” said Pope, who earned the honor for the eighth year in a row. “I’m very happy for her well-deserved recognition.”
According to Clarivate, the institution that tracks academic research citations worldwide, “Highly Cited Researchers” demonstrate broad and significant influence in their field of research. Specifically, each researcher on the list has authored multiple highly-cited papers which rank in the top 1% by citations for their field over the past 10+ years.
This year’s Highly Cited Researchers came from 60 countries and regions.
Dr. Holt-Lunstad is an international scientific expert on social connection and loneliness. Her research focuses on the individual and population health effects, biological mechanisms and effective strategies to mitigate risk and promote protection associated with social connection. Her 112 publications have been cited 14,330 times across 11,808 research articles. She also has 21 citations in 18 policy documents and two citing patents.
She is the founding scientific chair and board member for the U.S. Foundation for Social Connection, the Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection, and the lead scientific editor for the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on loneliness. She currently serves as a technical adviser to the World Health Organization.
Professor Pope is widely known for his influential research on the impact of fine particulate air pollution. Pope’s nearly 200 research publications have been cited 99,101 times in 72,919 research articles. His research has also been cited 86 times in 63 patents and has been cited 157 times in 85 policy documents.
Pope was a fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health and served on various scientific and U.S. EPA advisory boards and committees. With a long-time Harvard collaborator, Pope recently coauthored a book, "Particles of Truth: A Story of Discovery, Controversy and the Fight for Healthy Air" (MIT Press 2025)." This book provides a real-life account of the discovery of the health effects of air pollution and efforts to protect the quality of the air we breath.
Past BYU professors to earn the Highly Cited Researcher distinction include Thomas Sederberg (computer science), Keith Crandall (biology) and Michael Scott (civil engineering).
