Clarivate Plc, a leading global provider of transformative intelligence, today announced the Citation Laureates 2026, 22 researchers honored for Nobel-class discoveries, including pioneers of GLP-1 medicines and other world-changing advances.

Among them, Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, president of Southern University of Science and Technology, and a professor at Tsinghua University, was honored for experimental observation of the quantum anomalous Hall Effect, becoming the second Citation Laureates from Chinese mainland.

Selected by experts at the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) at Clarivate, these individuals have made pioneering contributions that continue to shape science and society.

Since the program's inception, 89 Citation Laureates have gone on to receive Nobel Prizes, often years after their initial recognition by Clarivate.

Bar Veinstein, President, Academia & Government at Clarivate, said: "For more than two decades, Citation Laureates has been among the world's most closely watched data-led indicators of exceptional research influence. The Citation Laureates program recognizes researchers whose discoveries demonstrate the extraordinary value of fundamental research. Many of the advances we honor this year, from GLP-1 medicines to precision gene editing and optical medical imaging, began as scientific questions explored decades ago. Today, they are improving lives, informing policy and helping shape the future. We are proud to recognize these researchers and the lasting impact of their work."

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 profound societal importance, including:

· Physiology or Medicine: GLP-1 biology and obesity treatment, optical imaging, and immune system research

· Physics: Advanced OLED displays, energy-efficient computing materials, and quantum electronics

· Chemistry: Self-assembled nanomaterials, biological electron transfer, and precision gene editing

· Economics: The digital economy, monetary policy and central banking, and organizational innovation and economic dynamism

The Citation Laureates program helps researchers, institutions, funders and policymakers identify highly influential research, while offering science media, Nobel observers and the wider public insight into discoveries shaping the future.

Among this year's most visible discoveries are the scientific advances underpinning GLP-1 medicines, recognizing Daniel J. Drucker, Jens Juul Holst and Svetlana Mojsov. Their foundational discoveries helped enable GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines, which have transformed the treatment of diabetes and obesity for millions of people worldwide and continue to demonstrate benefits across a growing range of health conditions.

Daniel J. Drucker, Senior Investigator at Sinai Health's Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, and University Professor, Department of Medicine Division of Endocrinology, the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre-Novo Nordisk Chair in Incretin Biology, University of Toronto, said: "It is an honor to be recognized as a Citation Laureate. The story of GLP-1 medicines demonstrates the power of curiosity-driven research. What began as a quest to understand how gut hormones regulate metabolism has led to therapies that are improving the lives of millions of people worldwide. It is a reminder that fundamental science can have impacts far beyond what researchers initially imagine."

The 2026 Laureates are affiliated with leading academic institutions in seven countries/regions, reflecting the global nature of Nobel-class research. Sixteen are based in the United States, and one each in Canada, Denmark, Israel, Japan, Chinese mainland, and Switzerland.

Since 2002, ISI analysts have used publication and citation data from the Web of Science Core Collection to identify researchers whose work is of Nobel class. Out of more than 67 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.

The Citation Laureates 2026 are: