InfluenceAsia
Nomination

Science Influence Research / 2020

InfluenceAsia 2020 Scientists 100

InfluenceAsia 2020 Scientists 100 identifies scientists whose work carries durable international authority and clear relevance to Asia's research future. The list covers discovery science, medicine, engineering, climate and food systems, computation, mathematics, energy, materials, space science and public health. It is an annual editorial ranking of living scientific influence as it stood in 2020.

Publication Frame Full Ranking All Editions

Publication Dataset

Annual editorial frame

A rigorous annual ranking recognizing scientists whose discoveries, tools, research leadership and public relevance shaped Asia's scientific influence in 2020.

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Ranking Title

InfluenceAsia 2020 Scientists 100

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Edition Year

2020

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Publication Position

Annual editorial and research ranking

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Publisher Voice

InfluenceAsia

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Core Proposition

A rigorous annual ranking recognizing scientists whose discoveries, tools, research leadership and public relevance shaped Asia's scientific influence in 2020.

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Editorial Standard

Independent, evidence-led, discipline-aware and publication-ready. The ranking is designed as an original InfluenceAsia list rather than a mirror of any award roster, citation table or institutional index.

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Geographic Scope

Asia and the global Asian scientific community, including scientists whose citizenship, birthplace, research formation, long-term institutional base or field-building contribution creates a substantial Asian connection.

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Time Perspective

Written from the standpoint of the 2020 edition. Later awards, later deaths, later titles and post-2020 outcomes are not used as ranking arguments.

Ranking Introduction

How the 2020 list defines influence

The 2020 edition recognizes scientific influence as a combination of originality, field transformation, practical consequence, cross-border recognition, Asian research-system contribution and relevance to urgent public questions. Senior foundational figures are included only when their discoveries continued to define active scientific, technological or policy agendas in 2020.

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List Introduction

InfluenceAsia 2020 Scientists 100 identifies scientists whose work carries durable international authority and clear relevance to Asia's research future. The list covers discovery science, medicine, engineering, climate and food systems, computation, mathematics, energy, materials, space science and public health. It is an annual editorial ranking of living scientific influence as it stood in 2020.

Editorial Copy

Editorial Lens

The 2020 edition recognizes scientific influence as a combination of originality, field transformation, practical consequence, cross-border recognition, Asian research-system contribution and relevance to urgent public questions. Senior foundational figures are included only when their discoveries continued to define active scientific, technological or policy agendas in 2020.

Editorial Copy

Independence Statement

InfluenceAsia prepared this ranking as an original editorial research product. The list, scoring architecture, placement logic, written profiles and presentation language are controlled by InfluenceAsia. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by the scientists, their employers, award bodies, public agencies, universities, companies or research partners.

Annual Theme

Science Under Pressure: Discovery, Trust and Systems Resilience

In 2020, science was pulled into public view with unusual intensity. Pandemic response, vaccine platforms, diagnostic capacity, misinformation, supply chains, energy transition, climate exposure and digital acceleration made scientific authority a matter of social resilience. The strongest scientists in this edition are not only discoverers; they are architects of tools, evidence, methods and institutions that allow societies to reason under pressure.

Public trustpandemic sciencetranslational discoveryresearch infrastructureAsian scientific leadershipglobal collaborationresilient knowledge systemsresponsible innovation

Selected Objects

Eligibility and inclusion rules

The annual list is organized around verifiable scientific contribution, Asian connection, discipline-aware evidence and the editorial horizon of 2020.

Inclusion Rule

Core Eligible Profiles

Living scientists, physician-scientists, mathematicians, computer scientists, research engineers and science-led inventors whose work had demonstrable international impact by 2020.

Inclusion Rule

Asian Connection

Eligible candidates must have a substantial Asian connection through citizenship, birthplace, heritage, research formation, primary institutional work in Asia, or direct contribution to Asian scientific capacity.

Inclusion Rule

Evidence Threshold

Candidates must be verifiable public figures with a documented scientific field, recognized contribution, and durable international relevance. Ambiguous, fictional, unverifiable or primarily promotional profiles are excluded.

Inclusion Rule

Exclusions

Pure administrators, political figures, celebrity technologists without direct research contributions, deceased figures before the 2020 editorial horizon, and profiles whose influence rests mainly on disputed or discredited science are excluded.

Top Preview

Top 10 scientists in the 2020 edition

A concise preview of the highest ranked scientists before the full searchable table. Top three: Shinya Yamanaka, Tu Youyou, Tasuku Honjo.

Rank 1

Shinya Yamanaka Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine

Yamanaka leads the 2020 edition because induced pluripotent stem cell science remains one of the most consequential biological platform discoveries of the modern era. By 2020, his work had reshaped disease...

Rank 2

Tu Youyou Pharmacology and Malariology

Tu is included for a discovery that changed the treatment of malaria and demonstrated how disciplined modern science can extract global medical value from deep pharmacological traditions. In 2020,...

Rank 3

Tasuku Honjo Immunology and Cancer Therapy

Honjo's work on PD-1 helped create one of the defining medical revolutions of the early twenty-first century: immune checkpoint therapy. In 2020, his influence extended from basic immunology to oncology...

Rank 4

Akira Yoshino Battery Chemistry and Energy Storage

Yoshino is ranked near the top because practical lithium-ion battery architecture became a foundation of mobile computing, electric mobility and energy storage. In 2020, his scientific contribution sat at the...

Rank 5

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan Structural Biology

Ramakrishnan's ribosome research transformed the molecular understanding of protein synthesis and helped anchor modern structural biology. His 2020 influence combined discovery science, international...

Rank 6

Ada Yonath Crystallography and Structural Biology

Yonath is included for pioneering ribosome crystallography under conditions many considered experimentally impossible. Her work gave biology a structural view of translation and antibiotic action, and by 2020...

Rank 7

Yoshinori Ohsumi Cell Biology and Autophagy

Ohsumi's work made autophagy a central language of cell biology, metabolism, aging, immunity, infection and neurodegeneration. In 2020, the influence of his discoveries remained visible across biomedical...

Rank 8

Satoshi Omura Natural Products and Infectious Disease

Omura is ranked for natural-product discovery that changed parasite control and improved human and animal health globally. His 2020 relevance reflects the continuing importance of microbial chemistry,...

Rank 9

Takaaki Kajita Particle Astrophysics and Neutrino Physics

Kajita's neutrino work changed the understanding of particle mass and connected underground observatories to fundamental physics. In 2020, his influence remained central to Asian leadership in large-scale...

Rank 10

Shuji Nakamura Semiconductor Engineering and Photonics

Nakamura's blue LED breakthrough reshaped lighting, displays and energy-efficient electronics. His 2020 influence was practical and scientific at once: a materials and device achievement that reached billions...

Full Ranking

Search, filter and review all 100 entries

Use the controls to filter by Asia link, subregion or field cluster. The table shows 20 entries per page while preserving the 2020 ranking order.

InfluenceAsia 2020 Scientists 100 Showing 1-20 of 100 entries.
Rank Scientist Asia Link Field Field Cluster Score Editorial Rationale
1
Shinya Yamanaka
 Japan Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Medicine and Public Health 98.9 Yamanaka leads the 2020 edition because induced pluripotent stem cell science remains one of the most consequential biological platform discoveries of the modern era. By 2020, his work had reshaped disease modelling, regenerative medicine, drug screening and ethical thinking around cell reprogramming.
2
Tu Youyou
 China Pharmacology and Malariology Medicine and Public Health 98.6 Tu is included for a discovery that changed the treatment of malaria and demonstrated how disciplined modern science can extract global medical value from deep pharmacological traditions. In 2020, artemisinin-based therapy remained central to infectious-disease survival across large parts of the world.
3
Tasuku Honjo
 Japan Immunology and Cancer Therapy Life Sciences 98.3 Honjo's work on PD-1 helped create one of the defining medical revolutions of the early twenty-first century: immune checkpoint therapy. In 2020, his influence extended from basic immunology to oncology practice, clinical trial design and the global redefinition of cancer treatment.
4
Akira Yoshino
 Japan Battery Chemistry and Energy Storage Chemistry, Materials and Energy 98.0 Yoshino is ranked near the top because practical lithium-ion battery architecture became a foundation of mobile computing, electric mobility and energy storage. In 2020, his scientific contribution sat at the center of consumer electronics, decarbonization strategy and the electrified future of transport.
5
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
 India / United Kingdom / United States Structural Biology Life Sciences 97.7 Ramakrishnan's ribosome research transformed the molecular understanding of protein synthesis and helped anchor modern structural biology. His 2020 influence combined discovery science, international scientific leadership and a public voice for research standards, evidence and institutional integrity.
6
Ada Yonath
 Israel Crystallography and Structural Biology Chemistry, Materials and Energy 97.5 Yonath is included for pioneering ribosome crystallography under conditions many considered experimentally impossible. Her work gave biology a structural view of translation and antibiotic action, and by 2020 remained a benchmark for persistence, method innovation and molecular-level biomedical insight.
7
Yoshinori Ohsumi
 Japan Cell Biology and Autophagy Life Sciences 97.2 Ohsumi's work made autophagy a central language of cell biology, metabolism, aging, immunity, infection and neurodegeneration. In 2020, the influence of his discoveries remained visible across biomedical research programs trying to understand cellular maintenance under stress.
8
Satoshi Omura
 Japan Natural Products and Infectious Disease Medicine and Public Health 97.0 Omura is ranked for natural-product discovery that changed parasite control and improved human and animal health globally. His 2020 relevance reflects the continuing importance of microbial chemistry, field-facing medicine and drug discovery pipelines rooted in careful biological screening.
9
Takaaki Kajita
 Japan Particle Astrophysics and Neutrino Physics Physics and Space Science 96.8 Kajita's neutrino work changed the understanding of particle mass and connected underground observatories to fundamental physics. In 2020, his influence remained central to Asian leadership in large-scale experimental physics and to the global search for physics beyond the standard model.
10
Shuji Nakamura
 Japan / United States Semiconductor Engineering and Photonics Physics and Space Science 96.6 Nakamura's blue LED breakthrough reshaped lighting, displays and energy-efficient electronics. His 2020 influence was practical and scientific at once: a materials and device achievement that reached billions of users while changing the economics of illumination and visual technology.
11
Isamu Akasaki
 Japan Semiconductor Materials and Blue LEDs Chemistry, Materials and Energy 96.4 Akasaki is included for foundational work on gallium nitride and blue light-emitting diodes. In 2020, his contribution remained embedded in energy-efficient lighting, display systems and the broader credibility of long-horizon semiconductor materials research.
12
Hiroshi Amano
 Japan Semiconductor Materials and Optoelectronics Physics and Space Science 96.2 Amano's work with high-quality gallium nitride helped turn blue LED science into a manufacturable technology platform. In 2020, the societal reach of this work was visible in lighting efficiency, displays, communications and the transition to lower-energy infrastructure.
13
Ryoji Noyori
 Japan Chemistry and Asymmetric Catalysis Chemistry, Materials and Energy 96.0 Noyori is included for catalytic methods that reshaped fine chemistry, pharmaceutical synthesis and stereoselective molecular design. In 2020, his influence remained important wherever efficient, selective and scalable chemistry mattered to medicine, materials and industrial production.
14
Susumu Tonegawa
 Japan / United States Immunology and Neuroscience Life Sciences 95.8 Tonegawa's explanation of antibody diversity is one of the central achievements of modern immunology. His later neuroscience work widened his influence, and in 2020 his scientific profile represented deep originality across more than one major biological field.
15
Aziz Sancar
 Turkey / United States DNA Repair and Molecular Biology Life Sciences 95.6 Sancar is included for illuminating DNA repair mechanisms that connect molecular biology to cancer, aging, circadian biology and environmental damage. In 2020, the importance of genome maintenance made his work highly relevant to both basic science and translational medicine.
16
C. N. R. Rao
 India Materials Chemistry and Solid-State Science Chemistry, Materials and Energy 95.4 Rao is one of Asia's defining materials chemists, with influence across oxides, nanomaterials, solid-state chemistry and research institution building. In 2020, his standing reflected not only output and discovery, but the creation of scientific capacity for generations of Indian researchers.
17
Yuan Longping
 China Agronomy and Hybrid Rice Agriculture and Food Systems 95.2 Yuan is ranked for hybrid rice science that shaped food security across Asia and beyond. In 2020, his work remained a living reference point for agricultural innovation, yield improvement and the responsibility of scientific research to address hunger at continental scale.
18
Zhong Nanshan
 China Respiratory Medicine and Public Health Medicine and Public Health 95.0 Zhong's influence in 2020 was unusually visible because respiratory medicine, outbreak communication and public trust became global priorities. His long experience with severe respiratory epidemics made his scientific authority central to China's pandemic response and to wider discussions of clinical evidence.
19
Chen-Ning Yang
 China / United States Theoretical Physics Physics and Space Science 94.8 Yang is included for field-defining contributions to symmetry, gauge theory and particle physics. In 2020, his influence extended through foundational theory and through his symbolic role in connecting Chinese scientific ambition with the highest level of twentieth-century physics.
20
Tsung-Dao Lee
 China / United States Theoretical Physics Physics and Space Science 94.6 Lee's work on parity violation changed modern physics and remained foundational in 2020. Beyond discovery, his influence includes scientific bridge-building, elite training and the sustained visibility of Chinese-born physicists within the global architecture of fundamental research.
21
Shing-Tung Yau
 China / United States Mathematics and Geometric Analysis Mathematics 94.4 Yau is ranked for transforming geometric analysis, differential geometry and mathematical physics. By 2020, his influence ran through Calabi-Yau geometry, general relativity, global mathematical education and sustained institution-building for Chinese and Asian mathematics.
22
Andrew Yao
 China / United States Theoretical Computer Science Computing and AI 94.2 Yao is included for deep contributions to computational complexity, communication complexity, cryptography and algorithms. In 2020, his influence remained central to Asian computer science through both theory and the formation of high-level research environments in China.
23
Raj Reddy
 India / United States Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science Computing and AI 94.0 Reddy is a foundational figure in artificial intelligence, speech recognition and human-computer interaction. In 2020, as AI became more public and commercially decisive, his long-term influence on intelligent systems, education and applied computing was especially visible.
24
Shafi Goldwasser
 Israel / United States Cryptography and Computational Theory Computing and AI 93.8 Goldwasser is ranked for foundational work in probabilistic encryption, zero-knowledge proofs and computational complexity. In 2020, her influence was embedded in secure digital systems, modern cryptographic theory and the mathematical foundations of trust in networked life.
25
Adi Shamir
 Israel Cryptography and Computer Science Computing and AI 93.6 Shamir is included for public-key cryptography, cryptanalysis and foundational contributions to secure computation. By 2020, his work was part of the invisible infrastructure of global digital communication, authentication and financial exchange.
26
Manjul Bhargava
 India / Canada / United States Mathematics and Number Theory Mathematics 93.4 Bhargava is ranked for reshaping number theory through original methods in arithmetic statistics, algebraic structures and classical problems. In 2020, he represented a rare combination of technical brilliance, mathematical communication and broad influence across elite research communities.
27
Ngo Bao Chau
 Vietnam / France Mathematics and Representation Theory Mathematics 93.2 Ngo is included for proving the fundamental lemma and elevating Vietnamese mathematics onto the highest international stage. In 2020, his profile linked abstract mathematical depth with the institution-building required for emerging scientific communities to gain global visibility.
28
Caucher Birkar
 Iran / United Kingdom Mathematics and Algebraic Geometry Mathematics 93.0 Birkar is ranked for major advances in birational geometry, especially work on Fano varieties and the minimal model program. His 2020 influence reflected both mathematical depth and a powerful Asian story of talent moving from difficult circumstances to global leadership.
29
Elon Lindenstrauss
 Israel Mathematics and Dynamical Systems Mathematics 92.8 Lindenstrauss is included for landmark work connecting ergodic theory, number theory and homogeneous dynamics. In 2020, his influence remained strongest in advanced mathematics, where his methods continued to inform deep questions about structure, distribution and rigidity.
30
Nima Arkani-Hamed
 Iran / Canada / United States Theoretical Physics Physics and Space Science 92.6 Arkani-Hamed is ranked for original approaches to particle physics, extra dimensions, scattering amplitudes and future collider thinking. In 2020, he remained one of the most influential theoretical voices shaping how physicists imagine the next layer of fundamental reality.
31
Cumrun Vafa
 Iran / United States String Theory and Mathematical Physics Physics and Space Science 92.4 Vafa is included for major contributions to string dualities, black hole entropy, quantum gravity and the interaction of geometry with field theory. In 2020, his influence remained central to high-energy theory and to the mathematical language of fundamental physics.
32
Huda Zoghbi
 Lebanon / United States Neuroscience and Human Genetics Life Sciences 92.2 Zoghbi is ranked for discoveries connecting genes, brain development and neurodevelopmental disease, including Rett syndrome mechanisms. In 2020, her work was influential across neuroscience, pediatrics, molecular genetics and translational efforts to understand disorders of the nervous system.
33
Omar M. Yaghi
 Jordan / United States Reticular Chemistry and Materials Science Chemistry, Materials and Energy 92.0 Yaghi is included for pioneering metal-organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks, opening new approaches to porous materials. In 2020, his work mattered to gas storage, water harvesting, carbon capture, catalysis and the design logic of next-generation functional materials.
34
Ugur Sahin
 Turkey / Germany Immunology, Oncology and mRNA Medicine Medicine and Public Health 91.8 Sahin's 2020 influence was defined by the rapid mobilization of mRNA vaccine science against COVID-19, built on years of cancer immunotherapy research. His profile represents translational readiness: the ability to convert platform biology into urgent public-health intervention.
35
Ozlem Tureci
 Turkey / Germany Immunology, Oncology and Translational Medicine Medicine and Public Health 91.6 Tureci is included for leadership in cancer immunotherapy and mRNA-based medicine, with exceptional 2020 relevance through pandemic vaccine development. Her influence combines physician-scientist discipline, platform translation and the operational science needed to move research toward population-scale use.
36
David Ho
 Taiwan / United States Virology and HIV Medicine Medicine and Public Health 91.4 Ho is ranked for transforming HIV treatment through combination antiretroviral therapy and viral-dynamics insight. In 2020, his renewed work on coronavirus countermeasures reinforced his status as a scientist whose laboratory thinking affects pandemic preparedness and antiviral strategy.
37
Yuk Ming Dennis Lo
 Hong Kong Genomic Medicine and Liquid Biopsy Medicine and Public Health 91.2 Lo is included for discovering and translating cell-free fetal DNA in maternal blood, creating the basis for non-invasive prenatal testing and broader liquid biopsy applications. In 2020, his influence bridged genomics, diagnostics, obstetrics, oncology and clinical laboratory medicine.
38
Feng Zhang
 China / United States Genome Engineering and Neurotechnology Life Sciences 91.0 Zhang is ranked for contributions to optogenetics and CRISPR genome editing technologies. In 2020, gene editing stood at the center of biomedical possibility and ethical debate, making his tools and experimental systems globally influential across biology and medicine.
39
Xiaowei Zhuang
 China / United States Bioimaging and Single-Molecule Biology Life Sciences 90.8 Zhuang is included for super-resolution imaging and spatial transcriptomic methods that allow biology to be observed with extraordinary precision. In 2020, her work helped define how scientists see molecular organization inside cells and tissues.
40
Yitang Zhang
 China / United States Mathematics and Number Theory Mathematics 90.6 Zhang is ranked for the breakthrough on bounded gaps between prime numbers, a result that revitalized a major area of number theory. His 2020 influence reflected a rare mathematical event: a single paper opening a new path in a classical problem.
41
Pan Jianwei
 China Quantum Information and Quantum Communication Physics and Space Science 90.4 Pan is included for making China a central force in quantum communication, satellite-based quantum experiments and photonic quantum science. In 2020, his work symbolized Asia's capacity to lead frontier-scale physics and strategic information technologies.
42
Xiaodong Wang
 China / United States Apoptosis and Biomedical Research Medicine and Public Health 90.2 Wang is ranked for fundamental discoveries in programmed cell death and molecular pathways relevant to cancer, immunity and development. His 2020 influence also reflected the growth of high-standard biomedical research ecosystems connected to China.
43
Hualan Chen
 China Virology and Veterinary Infectious Disease Medicine and Public Health 90.0 Chen is included for major contributions to avian influenza surveillance, viral evolution and vaccine research. In 2020, zoonotic disease science had exceptional public relevance, and her work stood at the intersection of animal health, human risk and outbreak preparedness.
44
Nieng Yan
 China / United States Structural Biology and Membrane Proteins Life Sciences 89.8 Yan is ranked for high-impact structural biology of membrane transporters and channels, including work that clarified difficult molecular systems. In 2020, her influence represented technical excellence, international mobility and the rising global authority of Chinese structural biology.
45
Yigong Shi
 China Structural Biology and Cell Mechanisms Life Sciences 89.6 Shi is included for structural studies of apoptosis, spliceosomes and fundamental cellular machinery, as well as his role in building ambitious research institutions. In 2020, his influence combined molecular discovery with the architecture of China's next-generation life-science ecosystem.
46
Wang Yifang
 China Experimental Particle Physics and Neutrinos Physics and Space Science 89.4 Wang is ranked for leadership in neutrino physics, especially the Daya Bay experiment and China's broader particle-physics infrastructure. In 2020, his influence reflected how Asian-led large experiments could make globally important measurements in fundamental physics.
47
Xiang Zhang
 China / Hong Kong / United States Nanophotonics and Metamaterials Physics and Space Science 89.2 Zhang is included for influential work in metamaterials, nanophotonics and materials physics, including concepts that changed the imagination of optical engineering. In 2020, his profile linked frontier research with leadership in a major Asian university system.
48
Yi Cui
 China / United States Nanomaterials, Energy and Environment Climate and Earth Systems 89.0 Cui is ranked for nanomaterials research in batteries, energy storage, environmental technology and advanced characterization. In 2020, his work was especially relevant to sustainable energy, battery safety, clean technologies and the materials foundations of climate response.
49
Peidong Yang
 China / United States Nanoscience and Artificial Photosynthesis Chemistry, Materials and Energy 88.8 Yang is included for semiconductor nanowires, nanoscale materials and hybrid systems for energy conversion. In 2020, his influence sat at the frontier of artificial photosynthesis, renewable fuels and the chemistry-materials interface needed for sustainable technologies.
50
Xiaogang Liu
 China / Singapore Nanomaterials and Photon Upconversion Chemistry, Materials and Energy 88.6 Liu is ranked for optical nanomaterials, photon upconversion and imaging-related chemical systems. In 2020, his work strengthened Singapore's visibility in materials chemistry and offered tools relevant to sensing, bioimaging, photonics and advanced diagnostics.
51
Vivian Yam
 Hong Kong Inorganic Chemistry and Photochemistry Chemistry, Materials and Energy 88.4 Yam is included for organometallic photochemistry, luminescent metal complexes and supramolecular assemblies. In 2020, her influence linked fundamental inorganic chemistry to OLEDs, sensing, solar-energy concepts and the global visibility of Hong Kong science.
52
Chi-Huey Wong
 Taiwan / United States Glycoscience and Chemical Biology Chemistry, Materials and Energy 88.2 Wong is ranked for chemoenzymatic synthesis, glycan science and carbohydrate-based biomedical chemistry. In 2020, his work remained important to vaccines, antibodies, diagnostics and the broader effort to make complex biological sugars experimentally tractable.
53
Yuan Tseh Lee
 Taiwan / United States Chemical Dynamics Chemistry, Materials and Energy 88.0 Lee is included for crossed molecular beam research and the molecular-level understanding of chemical reactions. In 2020, his influence remained important in physical chemistry and in the development of Taiwan's scientific identity on the world stage.
54
Wen-Hsiung Li
 Taiwan / United States Molecular Evolution and Genomics Life Sciences 87.8 Li is ranked for major contributions to molecular evolution, genome comparison and statistical approaches to evolutionary biology. By 2020, his work was part of the conceptual toolkit used to interpret genomes, divergence and evolutionary change.
55
Mien-Chie Hung
 Taiwan / United States Cancer Biology and Molecular Oncology Medicine and Public Health 87.6 Hung is included for cancer biology work connected to oncogenic signalling, translational oncology and therapeutic resistance. In 2020, his influence reflected the continuing importance of molecular pathways in precision cancer research and Asian leadership in biomedical science.
56
Tak Wah Mak
 Hong Kong / Canada Immunology and Cancer Biology Life Sciences 87.4 Mak is ranked for the discovery of the T-cell receptor and later work in immune regulation, apoptosis and cancer metabolism. In 2020, his influence stretched from foundational immunology to the scientific basis of modern immunotherapy.
57
Lap-Chee Tsui
 Hong Kong / Canada Human Genetics Life Sciences 87.2 Tsui is included for co-discovery of the cystic fibrosis gene and leadership in human genetics. In 2020, his scientific legacy remained central to gene mapping, inherited-disease research and the translation of molecular genetics into clinical understanding.
58
Malik Peiris
 Sri Lanka / Hong Kong Virology and Emerging Infectious Disease Medicine and Public Health 87.0 Peiris is ranked for major contributions to influenza, SARS-related coronavirus research and outbreak virology. In 2020, his expertise was directly relevant to the pandemic moment, giving his work unusual urgency across diagnostics, surveillance and public-health science.
59
Gagandeep Kang
 India Vaccinology, Microbiology and Public Health Medicine and Public Health 86.8 Kang is included for vaccine research, enteric infections, child health and public-health science in India. In 2020, her influence represented the crucial bridge between laboratory evidence, clinical trials, community health and vaccine implementation in low-resource settings.
60
Soumya Swaminathan
 India Tuberculosis, HIV and Global Health Science Medicine and Public Health 86.6 Swaminathan is ranked for research on tuberculosis and HIV, and for bringing scientific discipline to international public-health decision-making. In 2020, her role as a science-facing global health leader made her one of Asia's most visible medical scientists.
61
K. VijayRaghavan
 India Developmental Biology and Science Leadership Life Sciences 86.4 VijayRaghavan is included for developmental genetics, neurogenetics and the building of Indian biological research capacity. In 2020, his influence also reflected the importance of scientific advisory leadership during a period when evidence-based public decisions carried exceptional weight.
62
Ashoke Sen
 India String Theory and Theoretical Physics Physics and Space Science 86.2 Sen is ranked for major contributions to string dualities, tachyon condensation, black hole entropy and quantum gravity. In 2020, he remained one of India's most internationally respected theoretical physicists and a central figure in high-energy theory.
63
Abhay Ashtekar
 India / United States Quantum Gravity and Relativity Physics and Space Science 86.0 Ashtekar is included for creating variables and frameworks that reshaped loop quantum gravity. In 2020, his influence remained visible wherever researchers explored the interface of general relativity, cosmology, quantum mechanics and mathematical geometry.
64
Subra Suresh
 India / Singapore / United States Materials Science and Biomechanics Chemistry, Materials and Energy 85.8 Suresh is ranked for research spanning materials science, mechanical behavior of materials and biological systems, along with high-level research leadership. In 2020, his profile connected engineering science, global academic governance and Asia's ambition to build top-tier universities.
65
M. S. Swaminathan
 India Agricultural Genetics and Food Security Agriculture and Food Systems 85.6 Swaminathan is included for scientific leadership in plant breeding, food security and the Green Revolution in India. In 2020, his work remained relevant to climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable productivity and the responsibility of science to reduce hunger.
66
Gurdev Khush
 India / Philippines / United States Rice Genetics and Plant Breeding Agriculture and Food Systems 85.4 Khush is ranked for rice breeding work that improved yields and food security across Asia. In 2020, his influence remained embedded in agricultural systems, crop genetics and the international story of rice science as a tool of human development.
67
Rohini Godbole
 India Particle Physics Phenomenology Physics and Space Science 85.2 Godbole is included for particle physics phenomenology, collider physics and sustained advocacy for women in science. In 2020, her influence combined technical contributions to high-energy physics with a broader role in strengthening scientific participation and visibility in India.
68
Narendra Karmarkar
 India / United States Optimization and Algorithms Computing and AI 85.0 Karmarkar is ranked for an interior-point algorithm that changed linear programming and practical optimization. In 2020, his influence remained visible in operations research, computational mathematics and the algorithmic infrastructure behind logistics, networks and resource allocation.
69
Lov Grover
 India / United States Quantum Computing and Algorithms Computing and AI 84.8 Grover is included for the quantum search algorithm that became one of the basic reference points of quantum computing. In 2020, as quantum information moved from theory toward hardware competition, his algorithmic contribution retained exceptional conceptual importance.
70
Madhu Sudan
 India / United States Theoretical Computer Science Computing and AI 84.6 Sudan is ranked for contributions to probabilistically checkable proofs, hardness of approximation, error-correcting codes and computation theory. In 2020, his work remained fundamental to understanding reliability, verification and the limits of efficient computation.
71
Nergis Mavalvala
 Pakistan / United States Gravitational-Wave Physics and Quantum Measurement Physics and Space Science 84.4 Mavalvala is included for leadership in gravitational-wave detection and quantum measurement science. In 2020, her appointment to a major scientific leadership role and long LIGO contribution made her a visible example of Asian-origin excellence in frontier physics.
72
Asifa Akhtar
 Pakistan / Germany Epigenetics and Chromatin Biology Life Sciences 84.2 Akhtar is ranked for work on chromatin regulation, gene expression and dosage compensation. In 2020, her influence reflected both high-level molecular biology and the international rise of Asian-born women scientists in elite research leadership.
73
Atta-ur-Rahman
 Pakistan Natural Product Chemistry and Science Capacity Chemistry, Materials and Energy 84.0 Atta-ur-Rahman is included for natural product chemistry, organic chemistry and the development of scientific capacity in Pakistan. In 2020, his influence remained tied to research output, institution-building and the visibility of chemical sciences in the Muslim world.
74
Firdausi Qadri
 Bangladesh Immunology, Microbiology and Vaccines Medicine and Public Health 83.8 Qadri is ranked for infectious-disease immunology, enteric vaccines and diagnostics in Bangladesh. In 2020, her work represented the kind of locally grounded, globally relevant science needed to address cholera, typhoid and vaccine access in vulnerable communities.
75
Pardis Sabeti
 Iran / United States Computational Genetics and Infectious Disease Medicine and Public Health 83.6 Sabeti is included for genomic methods that connect human evolution, pathogen surveillance and outbreak response. In 2020, her influence was especially relevant because rapid sequencing, diagnostics and genomic epidemiology became central tools of pandemic science.
76
Akira Endo
 Japan Biochemistry and Cardiovascular Medicine Medicine and Public Health 83.4 Endo is ranked for discovering the first statin, a contribution that transformed cardiovascular prevention. In 2020, the public-health reach of statin therapy remained enormous, making his work one of Asia's most consequential biomedical discoveries.
77
Hideo Hosono
 Japan Materials Science and Superconductors Physics and Space Science 83.2 Hosono is included for transparent oxide semiconductors, iron-based superconductors and functional materials discovery. In 2020, his influence connected basic materials chemistry to electronics, display technology and the search for new superconducting systems.
78
Sumio Iijima
 Japan Nanotechnology and Carbon Nanotubes Chemistry, Materials and Energy 83.0 Iijima is ranked for carbon nanotube research that catalyzed modern nanotechnology. In 2020, his influence endured across materials science, nanoscale electronics, microscopy and the wider scientific imagination around one-dimensional carbon structures.
79
Hideo Ohno
 Japan Spintronics and Semiconductor Physics Physics and Space Science 82.8 Ohno is included for pioneering semiconductor spintronics and magnetic materials research. In 2020, his influence remained important to the long-term pursuit of new information technologies that combine electronic charge, spin and materials engineering.
80
Kenichi Iga
 Japan Photonics and Optical Communications Physics and Space Science 82.6 Iga is ranked for the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser concept, a device family central to optical communications, sensing and data transmission. In 2020, his contribution remained embedded in the infrastructure of high-speed networks and compact photonic systems.
81
Shimon Sakaguchi
 Japan Immunology and Regulatory T Cells Life Sciences 82.4 Sakaguchi is included for discovering and defining regulatory T cells, reshaping understanding of immune tolerance, autoimmunity and cancer immunity. In 2020, his influence remained highly relevant to immunotherapy, transplant biology and immune-system balance.
82
Masayo Takahashi
 Japan Ophthalmology and Regenerative Medicine Medicine and Public Health 82.2 Takahashi is ranked for pioneering clinical work using induced pluripotent stem cells in retinal disease. In 2020, her influence represented the difficult move from stem-cell platform discovery to responsible human therapeutic testing.
83
Kazutoshi Mori
 Japan Cell Biology and Protein Quality Control Life Sciences 82.0 Mori is included for major discoveries in the unfolded protein response, a pathway central to stress biology and disease. In 2020, his work informed research into cellular quality control, neurodegeneration, metabolism and secretory-pathway stress.
84
Atsushi Miyawaki
 Japan Bioimaging and Fluorescent Protein Technology Life Sciences 81.8 Miyawaki is ranked for fluorescent protein tools and imaging technologies that allow live biological processes to be seen in detail. In 2020, his influence was widespread across neuroscience, cell biology, developmental biology and microscopy-driven discovery.
85
Shigekazu Nagata
 Japan Apoptosis and Immunology Life Sciences 81.6 Nagata is included for fundamental work on apoptosis, Fas signaling and immune homeostasis. In 2020, his discoveries remained important to cancer biology, immune regulation, developmental biology and the molecular understanding of programmed cell death.
86
Akira Suzuki
 Japan Organic Chemistry and Cross-Coupling Chemistry, Materials and Energy 81.4 Suzuki is ranked for cross-coupling chemistry that became a standard tool in pharmaceutical, materials and fine-chemical synthesis. In 2020, Suzuki coupling remained a routine but profound example of discovery becoming global laboratory infrastructure.
87
Ei-ichi Negishi
 Japan / United States Organic Chemistry and Cross-Coupling Chemistry, Materials and Energy 81.2 Negishi is included for organometallic cross-coupling chemistry that expanded the precision of carbon-carbon bond formation. In 2020, his work remained foundational to synthetic strategy in drug discovery, materials chemistry and complex molecular construction.
88
Makoto Kobayashi
 Japan Particle Physics Physics and Space Science 81.0 Kobayashi is ranked for theoretical work explaining CP violation through quark mixing, a central element of particle physics. In 2020, his influence remained embedded in the standard model and in the intellectual lineage of flavor physics.
89
Toshihide Maskawa
 Japan Particle Physics Physics and Space Science 80.8 Maskawa is included for the theoretical framework of quark mixing and CP violation developed with Kobayashi. In 2020, his work remained a foundational reference for particle physics, matter-antimatter questions and the architecture of the standard model.
90
Hideki Shirakawa
 Japan Polymer Chemistry and Conductive Materials Chemistry, Materials and Energy 80.6 Shirakawa is ranked for conductive polymers, a breakthrough that helped expand electronics beyond traditional inorganic materials. In 2020, his influence continued through organic electronics, flexible devices, polymer chemistry and materials innovation.
91
Nam-Gyu Park
 South Korea Perovskite Solar Cells Chemistry, Materials and Energy 80.4 Park is included for pioneering stable perovskite solar-cell research that helped open a major field in photovoltaics. In 2020, his work mattered to renewable-energy materials, solar efficiency and the global race for next-generation photovoltaic technologies.
92
Taeghwan Hyeon
 South Korea Nanochemistry and Functional Nanomaterials Chemistry, Materials and Energy 80.2 Hyeon is ranked for the controlled synthesis of uniform nanoparticles and functional nanomaterials. In 2020, his influence was visible in catalysis, energy, biomedical imaging and South Korea's position in high-impact nanoscience.
93
Sang Yup Lee
 South Korea Metabolic Engineering and Synthetic Biology Life Sciences 80.0 Lee is included for metabolic engineering, systems biotechnology and microbial production platforms. In 2020, his influence linked biological design to sustainable chemicals, industrial biotechnology and the engineering of cells as production systems.
94
Kimoon Kim
 South Korea Supramolecular Chemistry Chemistry, Materials and Energy 79.8 Kim is ranked for cucurbituril chemistry and host-guest supramolecular systems. In 2020, his work remained important to molecular recognition, self-assembly, functional materials and South Korea's international chemistry profile.
95
Jin-Soo Kim
 South Korea Genome Editing and Molecular Tools Life Sciences 79.6 Kim is included for genome-editing research and the development of molecular tools for targeted genetic modification. In 2020, his influence sat within the broader global movement toward precise editing technologies in biology, agriculture and medicine.
96
Daniel Shechtman
 Israel Materials Science and Quasicrystals Chemistry, Materials and Energy 79.4 Shechtman is ranked for the discovery of quasicrystals, a result that changed crystallography and materials science. In 2020, his influence remained a model of disciplined evidence overcoming scientific resistance.
97
Aaron Ciechanover
 Israel Biochemistry and Protein Degradation Chemistry, Materials and Energy 79.2 Ciechanover is included for work on ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation, a pathway central to cell regulation and disease. In 2020, his influence remained visible across cancer biology, drug discovery and molecular medicine.
98
Avram Hershko
 Israel Biochemistry and Protein Degradation Chemistry, Materials and Energy 79.0 Hershko is ranked for foundational discoveries in the ubiquitin system and controlled protein breakdown. In 2020, the continuing biomedical relevance of proteostasis, cellular regulation and targeted degradation kept his work scientifically current.
99
Michael Levitt
 Israel / United States Computational Chemistry and Structural Biology Chemistry, Materials and Energy 78.8 Levitt is included for computational models of complex chemical systems and molecular structures. In 2020, his influence connected chemistry, biology and computation, showing how simulation became a necessary language for understanding molecules at scale.
100
Amnon Shashua
 Israel Computer Vision, AI and Autonomous Systems Computing and AI 78.6 Shashua completes the 2020 list for contributions to computer vision, machine perception and applied AI systems. His influence reflects a research-to-deployment pathway in which scientific ideas about vision became central to autonomous driving and assistive technologies.

Research Dimensions

Six weighted dimensions behind the ranking

Placement reflects the combined strength of discovery originality, international influence, applied consequence, Asia-system contribution, 2020 relevance and field architecture. No single factor automatically determines rank.

25% weight

Discovery Originality

The degree to which the scientist introduced a new discovery, method, theory, material, platform, algorithm, treatment model or research direction.

20% weight

Global Scientific Influence

International recognition across disciplines, research communities, major laboratories, professional networks and enduring scientific literature.

15% weight

Applied and Societal Consequence

Real-world importance in medicine, public health, agriculture, energy, communication, computing, industry, policy or quality of life.

15% weight

Asia Knowledge-System Contribution

Contribution to Asian research institutions, talent formation, regional scientific confidence, Asian-led projects, or global visibility of Asian science.

15% weight

2020 Relevance

Relevance to the scientific, public-health, technological, environmental or institutional questions that were especially visible in 2020.

10% weight

Leadership and Field Architecture

Capacity to build fields, laboratories, platforms, collaborations, standards, schools of thought or durable scientific communities.

Methodology

Scoring, review process and limits

InfluenceAsia uses a 100-point editorial research framework. Scores are comparative indicators within this 2020 edition, not laboratory measurements, financial valuations, citation counts or prize points.

Method Element

Scoring Model

InfluenceAsia uses a 100-point editorial research framework. Scores are comparative indicators within this 2020 edition, not laboratory measurements, financial valuations, citation counts or prize points.

Method Element

Review Process

Candidates are assessed by discipline clusters, then normalized across fields to reduce bias toward biomedical visibility, physics prizes, public-health prominence or technology commercialization alone.

Method Element

Ranking Logic

Placement reflects the combined strength of discovery originality, international influence, applied consequence, Asia-system contribution, 2020 relevance and field architecture. No single factor automatically determines rank.

Method Element

Verification Standard

Every included scientist must have a verifiable identity, recognized field and defensible scientific contribution. Profiles with unverifiable claims, primarily promotional narratives, or unresolved credibility concerns are excluded.

Method Element

2020 Time Control

The editorial voice is anchored to 2020. Later recognitions may confirm a scientist's standing, but they are not used as the basis of the 2020 ranking copy.

Method Element

Limits

Scientific influence is uneven across disciplines, publication cultures, languages, institutional systems and disclosure practices. InfluenceAsia therefore treats the final order as a professional editorial ranking rather than a mechanical calculation.