InfluenceAsia
Nomination

Science Influence Research / 2021

InfluenceAsia 2021 Scientists 100

InfluenceAsia 2021 Scientists 100 identifies scientists whose work carried durable international authority and clear relevance to Asia's research future in a year defined by vaccine deployment, climate urgency, biomedical translation, digital infrastructure and public demand for trustworthy evidence. The list covers discovery science, medicine, engineering, climate systems, food security, computation, mathematics, materials, energy and public health.

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 2021.

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Ranking Title

InfluenceAsia 2021 Scientists 100

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Edition Year

2021

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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 2021.

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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 replica 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, heritage or field-building contribution creates a substantial Asian connection.

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Time Perspective

Written from the standpoint of the 2021 edition. Later awards, later deaths, later titles and post-2021 outcomes are not used as ranking arguments.

Ranking Introduction

How the 2021 list defines influence

The 2021 edition treats scientific influence as the ability to change what researchers can know, what societies can build, what clinicians can treat, what governments can trust and what future scientists can inherit. Senior foundational figures are included only where their work remained active in living scientific systems in 2021.

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List Introduction

InfluenceAsia 2021 Scientists 100 identifies scientists whose work carried durable international authority and clear relevance to Asia's research future in a year defined by vaccine deployment, climate urgency, biomedical translation, digital infrastructure and public demand for trustworthy evidence. The list covers discovery science, medicine, engineering, climate systems, food security, computation, mathematics, materials, energy and public health.

Editorial Copy

Editorial Lens

The 2021 edition treats scientific influence as the ability to change what researchers can know, what societies can build, what clinicians can treat, what governments can trust and what future scientists can inherit. Senior foundational figures are included only where their work remained active in living scientific systems in 2021.

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 at Scale: Vaccines, Climate Models and the Evidence Infrastructure

In 2021, science moved from emergency response into mass-scale consequence. mRNA vaccines, genomic surveillance, climate modelling, public-health interpretation, battery systems, quantum technologies and AI infrastructure all became visible as strategic scientific assets. The 2021 edition recognizes scientists who did not merely produce knowledge, but helped turn knowledge into systems capable of carrying trust under pressure.

Vaccine platformsclimate sciencetranslational biologyevidence infrastructurecomputational trustenergy transitionAsian research leadershipglobal scientific resilience

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 2021.

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 the 2021 editorial horizon.

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 2021 editorial close, and profiles whose influence rests mainly on disputed or discredited science are excluded.

Top Preview

Top 10 scientists in the 2021 edition

A concise preview of the highest ranked scientists before the full searchable table. Top three: Ugur Sahin, Ozlem Tureci, Shinya Yamanaka.

Rank 1

Ugur Sahin Immunology, Oncology and mRNA Medicine

Sahin leads the 2021 edition because mRNA medicine moved from scientific promise to global deployment at extraordinary speed. His influence combines cancer immunotherapy, vaccine platform design,...

Rank 2

Ozlem Tureci Immunology, Oncology and Translational Medicine

Tureci is ranked second for her central role in mRNA-based immunology and translational vaccine science during the year when COVID-19 vaccination reshaped global life. Her influence in 2021 linked...

Rank 3

Shinya Yamanaka Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine

Yamanaka remains near the top because induced pluripotent stem cell science continued to shape regenerative medicine, disease modelling, drug screening and responsible biomedical translation. In 2021, his...

Rank 4

Tu Youyou Pharmacology and Malariology

Tu is included for a discovery that changed malaria treatment and demonstrated how disciplined modern pharmacology can draw global medical value from deep knowledge traditions. In 2021, artemisinin-based...

Rank 5

Syukuro Manabe Climate Science and Atmospheric Modelling

Manabe enters the 2021 edition at the highest tier because climate modelling became one of the year's most visible scientific languages. His physical models of greenhouse warming helped make climate change...

Rank 6

Tasuku Honjo Immunology and Cancer Therapy

Honjo's work on PD-1 remained one of the foundations of modern cancer immunotherapy. In 2021, checkpoint therapy continued to transform oncology practice, clinical trial strategy and the wider idea that...

Rank 7

Ardem Patapoutian Neuroscience and Sensory Biology

Patapoutian is ranked highly in 2021 for identifying mechanosensitive ion channels that explain how cells convert pressure and touch into biological signals. His work connects neuroscience, pain research,...

Rank 8

Akira Yoshino Battery Chemistry and Energy Storage

Yoshino is included for practical lithium-ion battery architecture, a scientific foundation of mobile computing, electric mobility and energy storage. In 2021, his contribution remained central to...

Rank 9

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan Structural Biology

Ramakrishnan's ribosome research transformed molecular understanding of protein synthesis and helped define modern structural biology. In 2021, his influence combined discovery science, scientific leadership...

Rank 10

Ada Yonath Crystallography and Structural Biology

Yonath is included for pioneering ribosome crystallography under conditions that once appeared experimentally unreachable. Her work gave biology a structural understanding of translation and antibiotic...

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 2021 ranking order.

InfluenceAsia 2021 Scientists 100 Showing 1-20 of 100 entries.
Rank Scientist Asia Link Field Field Cluster Score Editorial Rationale
1
Ugur Sahin
 Turkey / Germany Immunology, Oncology and mRNA Medicine Medicine and Public Health 99.0 Sahin leads the 2021 edition because mRNA medicine moved from scientific promise to global deployment at extraordinary speed. His influence combines cancer immunotherapy, vaccine platform design, translational discipline and the 2021 proof that a decades-long research architecture could become population-scale public-health infrastructure.
2
Ozlem Tureci
 Turkey / Germany Immunology, Oncology and Translational Medicine Medicine and Public Health 98.8 Tureci is ranked second for her central role in mRNA-based immunology and translational vaccine science during the year when COVID-19 vaccination reshaped global life. Her influence in 2021 linked physician-scientist judgment, platform biology, clinical development and the operational reality of evidence at scale.
3
Shinya Yamanaka
 Japan Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Medicine and Public Health 98.6 Yamanaka remains near the top because induced pluripotent stem cell science continued to shape regenerative medicine, disease modelling, drug screening and responsible biomedical translation. In 2021, his influence represented platform discovery with long-term consequence across laboratories, clinics and ethical debates.
4
Tu Youyou
 China Pharmacology and Malariology Medicine and Public Health 98.4 Tu is included for a discovery that changed malaria treatment and demonstrated how disciplined modern pharmacology can draw global medical value from deep knowledge traditions. In 2021, artemisinin-based therapy remained a central benchmark for lifesaving infectious-disease science.
5
Syukuro Manabe
 Japan / United States Climate Science and Atmospheric Modelling Climate and Earth Systems 98.2 Manabe enters the 2021 edition at the highest tier because climate modelling became one of the year's most visible scientific languages. His physical models of greenhouse warming helped make climate change quantitatively intelligible, policy-relevant and scientifically defensible across generations.
6
Tasuku Honjo
 Japan Immunology and Cancer Therapy Life Sciences 98.0 Honjo's work on PD-1 remained one of the foundations of modern cancer immunotherapy. In 2021, checkpoint therapy continued to transform oncology practice, clinical trial strategy and the wider idea that immune mechanisms can be redirected against advanced disease.
7
Ardem Patapoutian
 Lebanon / United States Neuroscience and Sensory Biology Life Sciences 97.8 Patapoutian is ranked highly in 2021 for identifying mechanosensitive ion channels that explain how cells convert pressure and touch into biological signals. His work connects neuroscience, pain research, physiology and the molecular basis of human perception.
8
Akira Yoshino
 Japan Battery Chemistry and Energy Storage Chemistry, Materials and Energy 97.6 Yoshino is included for practical lithium-ion battery architecture, a scientific foundation of mobile computing, electric mobility and energy storage. In 2021, his contribution remained central to decarbonization strategy, consumer electronics and the electrification of transport.
9
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
 India / United Kingdom / United States Structural Biology Life Sciences 97.4 Ramakrishnan's ribosome research transformed molecular understanding of protein synthesis and helped define modern structural biology. In 2021, his influence combined discovery science, scientific leadership and a public voice for evidence, research standards and institutional responsibility.
10
Ada Yonath
 Israel Crystallography and Structural Biology Chemistry, Materials and Energy 97.2 Yonath is included for pioneering ribosome crystallography under conditions that once appeared experimentally unreachable. Her work gave biology a structural understanding of translation and antibiotic action, remaining essential in 2021 to molecular medicine and drug-discovery reasoning.
11
Yoshinori Ohsumi
 Japan Cell Biology and Autophagy Life Sciences 97.0 Ohsumi's work made autophagy a central concept in cell biology, metabolism, infection, aging and neurodegeneration. In 2021, his influence remained active across biomedical programs focused on stress, repair and the cell's capacity to maintain itself.
12
Satoshi Omura
 Japan Natural Products and Infectious Disease Medicine and Public Health 96.8 Omura is ranked for natural-product discovery that changed parasite control and improved human and animal health worldwide. In 2021, his influence underscored the continuing power of microbial chemistry, field-relevant medicine and systematic biological screening.
13
Takaaki Kajita
 Japan Particle Astrophysics and Neutrino Physics Physics and Space Science 96.6 Kajita's neutrino work changed the understanding of particle mass and gave Asian underground physics a defining global achievement. In 2021, his influence remained central to large-scale experimental physics and the search for physics beyond the standard model.
14
Shuji Nakamura
 Japan / United States Semiconductor Engineering and Photonics Physics and Space Science 96.4 Nakamura's blue LED breakthrough reshaped lighting, displays and energy-efficient electronics. In 2021, his influence remained both scientific and practical, reaching global energy use, visual technology, consumer devices and semiconductor materials research.
15
Hiroshi Amano
 Japan Semiconductor Materials and Optoelectronics Physics and Space Science 96.2 Amano is included for turning high-quality gallium nitride into a manufacturable blue LED technology platform. In 2021, the societal impact of this work remained visible in lighting efficiency, displays, communications and reduced-energy infrastructure.
16
Ryoji Noyori
 Japan Chemistry and Asymmetric Catalysis Chemistry, Materials and Energy 96.0 Noyori is ranked for catalytic methods that reshaped fine chemistry, pharmaceutical synthesis and stereoselective molecular design. In 2021, his influence remained embedded wherever selective, efficient and scalable chemistry supported medicine and industrial production.
17
Susumu Tonegawa
 Japan / United States Immunology and Neuroscience Life Sciences 95.8 Tonegawa's explanation of antibody diversity remains one of the central achievements of modern immunology. His later neuroscience work widened his authority, and in 2021 his profile represented rare scientific originality across more than one major biological field.
18
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 2021, genome maintenance remained crucial to both basic science and translational medicine.
19
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 scientific institution building. In 2021, his standing reflected discovery, mentorship and the creation of Indian research capacity across generations.
20
Zhong Nanshan
 China Respiratory Medicine and Public Health Medicine and Public Health 95.2 Zhong remained highly influential in 2021 because respiratory medicine, outbreak communication and public trust continued to dominate global life. His long experience with severe respiratory epidemics made his scientific authority significant in China's pandemic interpretation and clinical response.
21
Chen-Ning Yang
 China / United States Theoretical Physics Physics and Space Science 95.0 Yang is included for field-defining contributions to symmetry, gauge theory and particle physics. In 2021, his influence extended through foundational theory and through his symbolic role in connecting Chinese scientific ambition with the highest level of modern physics.
22
Tsung-Dao Lee
 China / United States Theoretical Physics Physics and Space Science 94.8 Lee's work on parity violation changed modern physics and remained foundational in 2021. Beyond discovery, his influence includes scientific bridge-building, elite training and the sustained visibility of Chinese-born physicists within fundamental research.
23
Shing-Tung Yau
 China / United States Mathematics and Geometric Analysis Mathematics 94.6 Yau is ranked for transforming geometric analysis, differential geometry and mathematical physics. In 2021, his influence ran through Calabi-Yau geometry, general relativity, global mathematical education and sustained institution-building for Chinese and Asian mathematics.
24
S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan
 India / United States Probability Theory and Mathematics Mathematics 94.4 Varadhan is included for deep work in probability theory, large deviations and stochastic processes. In 2021, his influence remained foundational for mathematics, statistical physics, finance, risk, random systems and the theoretical language of uncertainty.
25
Andrew Yao
 China / United States Theoretical Computer Science Computing and AI 94.2 Yao is ranked for contributions to computational complexity, communication complexity, cryptography and algorithms. In 2021, his influence remained central to Asian computer science through theory, elite training and the formation of high-level research environments in China.
26
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 2021, as AI became a strategic infrastructure layer, his long-term influence on intelligent systems, education and applied computing remained highly visible.
27
Shafi Goldwasser
 Israel / United States Cryptography and Computational Theory Computing and AI 93.8 Goldwasser is included for foundational work in probabilistic encryption, zero-knowledge proofs and computational complexity. In 2021, her influence was embedded in secure digital systems and the mathematical foundations of trust in networked life.
28
Adi Shamir
 Israel Cryptography and Computer Science Computing and AI 93.6 Shamir is ranked for public-key cryptography, cryptanalysis and secure computation. By 2021, his work remained part of the invisible infrastructure of digital communication, authentication, financial exchange and cybersecurity.
29
Manjul Bhargava
 India / Canada / United States Mathematics and Number Theory Mathematics 93.4 Bhargava is included for reshaping number theory through original methods in arithmetic statistics and algebraic structures. In 2021, he represented a rare combination of technical brilliance, mathematical communication and broad influence across elite research communities.
30
Ngo Bao Chau
 Vietnam / France Mathematics and Representation Theory Mathematics 93.2 Ngo is ranked for proving the fundamental lemma and elevating Vietnamese mathematics onto the highest international stage. In 2021, his profile linked abstract mathematical depth with the institution-building needed for emerging scientific communities to gain global visibility.
31
Caucher Birkar
 Iran / United Kingdom Mathematics and Algebraic Geometry Mathematics 93.0 Birkar is included for major advances in birational geometry, especially work on Fano varieties and the minimal model program. His 2021 influence reflected mathematical depth and a powerful Asian story of talent moving from difficult circumstances to global leadership.
32
Elon Lindenstrauss
 Israel Mathematics and Dynamical Systems Mathematics 92.8 Lindenstrauss is ranked for landmark work connecting ergodic theory, number theory and homogeneous dynamics. In 2021, his influence remained strongest in advanced mathematics, where his methods continued to inform deep questions about structure, distribution and rigidity.
33
Nima Arkani-Hamed
 Iran / Canada / United States Theoretical Physics Physics and Space Science 92.6 Arkani-Hamed is included for original approaches to particle physics, extra dimensions, scattering amplitudes and future collider thinking. In 2021, he remained one of the most influential theoretical voices shaping how physicists imagine the next layer of fundamental reality.
34
Cumrun Vafa
 Iran / United States String Theory and Mathematical Physics Physics and Space Science 92.4 Vafa is ranked for contributions to string dualities, black hole entropy, quantum gravity and the interaction of geometry with field theory. In 2021, his influence remained central to high-energy theory and to the mathematical language of fundamental physics.
35
Huda Zoghbi
 Lebanon / United States Neuroscience and Human Genetics Life Sciences 92.2 Zoghbi is included for discoveries connecting genes, brain development and neurodevelopmental disease, including Rett syndrome mechanisms. In 2021, her work remained influential across neuroscience, pediatrics, molecular genetics and translational efforts to understand nervous-system disorders.
36
Omar M. Yaghi
 Jordan / United States Reticular Chemistry and Materials Science Chemistry, Materials and Energy 92.0 Yaghi is ranked for pioneering metal-organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks, opening new approaches to porous materials. In 2021, his work mattered to gas storage, water harvesting, carbon capture, catalysis and the design of functional materials.
37
David Ho
 Taiwan / United States Virology and HIV Medicine Medicine and Public Health 91.8 Ho is included for transforming HIV treatment through combination antiretroviral therapy and viral-dynamics insight. In 2021, his coronavirus countermeasure work reinforced his profile as a scientist whose laboratory thinking affects pandemic preparedness and antiviral strategy.
38
Yuk Ming Dennis Lo
 Hong Kong Genomic Medicine and Liquid Biopsy Medicine and Public Health 91.6 Lo is ranked 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 2021, his influence bridged genomics, diagnostics, obstetrics, oncology and laboratory medicine.
39
Feng Zhang
 China / United States Genome Engineering and Neurotechnology Life Sciences 91.4 Zhang is included for contributions to optogenetics and CRISPR genome-editing technologies. In 2021, gene editing remained central to biomedical possibility, platform biology and ethical debate, making his tools influential across biology and medicine.
40
Xiaowei Zhuang
 China / United States Bioimaging and Single-Molecule Biology Life Sciences 91.2 Zhuang is ranked for super-resolution imaging and spatial methods that allow biology to be observed with extraordinary precision. In 2021, her work helped define how scientists see molecular organization inside cells and tissues.
41
Yitang Zhang
 China / United States Mathematics and Number Theory Mathematics 91.0 Zhang is included for the breakthrough on bounded gaps between prime numbers, a result that revitalized a major area of number theory. His 2021 influence reflected a rare mathematical event: a single paper opening a new path in a classical problem.
42
Pan Jianwei
 China Quantum Information and Quantum Communication Physics and Space Science 90.8 Pan is ranked for making China a central force in quantum communication, satellite-based quantum experiments and photonic quantum science. In 2021, his work symbolized Asia's capacity to lead frontier-scale physics and strategic information technologies.
43
Xiaodong Wang
 China / United States Apoptosis and Biomedical Research Medicine and Public Health 90.6 Wang is included for discoveries in programmed cell death and molecular pathways relevant to cancer, immunity and development. His 2021 influence also reflected the growth of high-standard biomedical research ecosystems connected to China.
44
Hualan Chen
 China Virology and Veterinary Infectious Disease Medicine and Public Health 90.4 Chen is ranked for contributions to avian influenza surveillance, viral evolution and vaccine research. In 2021, zoonotic disease science remained publicly urgent, placing her work at the intersection of animal health, human risk and outbreak preparedness.
45
Nieng Yan
 China / United States Structural Biology and Membrane Proteins Life Sciences 90.2 Yan is included for high-impact structural biology of membrane transporters and channels, including systems that are experimentally difficult and medically important. In 2021, her influence represented technical excellence and the rising global authority of Chinese structural biology.
46
Yigong Shi
 China Structural Biology and Cell Mechanisms Life Sciences 90.0 Shi is ranked for structural studies of apoptosis, spliceosomes and fundamental cellular machinery, as well as institution-building in China. In 2021, his influence combined molecular discovery with the architecture of next-generation Asian life science.
47
Wang Yifang
 China Experimental Particle Physics and Neutrinos Physics and Space Science 89.8 Wang is included for leadership in neutrino physics, including the Daya Bay experiment and China's broader particle-physics infrastructure. In 2021, his influence reflected how Asian-led large experiments could produce globally important measurements.
48
Xiang Zhang
 China / Hong Kong / United States Nanophotonics and Metamaterials Physics and Space Science 89.6 Zhang is ranked for influential work in metamaterials, nanophotonics and materials physics. In 2021, his profile linked frontier research with leadership in a major Asian university system and with the translation of optical ideas into strategic technologies.
49
Yi Cui
 China / United States Nanomaterials, Energy and Environment Climate and Earth Systems 89.4 Cui is included for nanomaterials research in batteries, energy storage, environmental technology and advanced characterization. In 2021, his work was especially relevant to sustainable energy, battery safety and clean-technology materials.
50
Peidong Yang
 China / United States Nanoscience and Artificial Photosynthesis Chemistry, Materials and Energy 89.2 Yang is ranked for semiconductor nanowires, nanoscale materials and hybrid systems for energy conversion. In 2021, his influence sat at the frontier of artificial photosynthesis, renewable fuels and the chemistry-materials interface needed for sustainability.
51
Xiaogang Liu
 China / Singapore Nanomaterials and Photon Upconversion Chemistry, Materials and Energy 89.0 Liu is included for optical nanomaterials, photon upconversion and imaging-related chemical systems. In 2021, his work strengthened Singapore's visibility in materials chemistry and offered tools relevant to sensing, bioimaging, photonics and diagnostics.
52
Vivian Yam
 Hong Kong Inorganic Chemistry and Photochemistry Chemistry, Materials and Energy 88.8 Yam is ranked for organometallic photochemistry, luminescent metal complexes and supramolecular assemblies. In 2021, her influence linked inorganic chemistry to OLEDs, sensing, solar-energy concepts and the international visibility of Hong Kong science.
53
Chi-Huey Wong
 Taiwan / United States Glycoscience and Chemical Biology Chemistry, Materials and Energy 88.6 Wong is included for chemoenzymatic synthesis, glycan science and carbohydrate-based biomedical chemistry. In 2021, his work remained important to vaccines, antibodies, diagnostics and the broader effort to make complex biological sugars experimentally tractable.
54
Yuan Tseh Lee
 Taiwan / United States Chemical Dynamics Chemistry, Materials and Energy 88.4 Lee is ranked for crossed molecular beam research and the molecular-level understanding of chemical reactions. In 2021, his influence remained important in physical chemistry and in the development of Taiwan's scientific identity on the world stage.
55
Wen-Hsiung Li
 Taiwan / United States Molecular Evolution and Genomics Life Sciences 88.2 Li is included for contributions to molecular evolution, genome comparison and statistical approaches to evolutionary biology. By 2021, his work was part of the conceptual toolkit used to interpret genomes, divergence and evolutionary change.
56
Mien-Chie Hung
 Taiwan / United States Cancer Biology and Molecular Oncology Medicine and Public Health 88.0 Hung is ranked for cancer biology work connected to oncogenic signalling, translational oncology and therapeutic resistance. In 2021, his influence reflected the continuing importance of molecular pathways in precision cancer research and Asian biomedical leadership.
57
Tak Wah Mak
 Hong Kong / Canada Immunology and Cancer Biology Life Sciences 87.8 Mak is included for the discovery of the T-cell receptor and later work in immune regulation, apoptosis and cancer metabolism. In 2021, his influence stretched from foundational immunology to the scientific basis of modern immunotherapy.
58
Lap-Chee Tsui
 Hong Kong / Canada Human Genetics Life Sciences 87.6 Tsui is ranked for co-discovery of the cystic fibrosis gene and leadership in human genetics. In 2021, his scientific legacy remained central to gene mapping, inherited-disease research and the translation of molecular genetics into clinical understanding.
59
Malik Peiris
 Sri Lanka / Hong Kong Virology and Emerging Infectious Disease Medicine and Public Health 87.4 Peiris is included for major contributions to influenza, SARS-related coronavirus research and outbreak virology. In 2021, his expertise remained directly relevant to pandemic diagnostics, surveillance and the interpretation of emerging respiratory viruses.
60
Gagandeep Kang
 India Vaccinology, Microbiology and Public Health Medicine and Public Health 87.2 Kang is ranked for vaccine research, enteric infections, child health and public-health science in India. In 2021, her influence represented the crucial bridge between laboratory evidence, clinical trials, community health and vaccine implementation.
61
Soumya Swaminathan
 India Tuberculosis, HIV and Global Health Science Medicine and Public Health 87.0 Swaminathan is included for research on tuberculosis and HIV, and for bringing scientific discipline to international public-health decision-making. In 2021, her science-facing global health leadership made her one of Asia's most visible medical scientists.
62
K. VijayRaghavan
 India Developmental Biology and Science Leadership Life Sciences 86.8 VijayRaghavan is ranked for developmental genetics, neurogenetics and the building of Indian biological research capacity. In 2021, his influence also reflected the importance of scientific advisory leadership when evidence-based public decisions carried exceptional weight.
63
Ashoke Sen
 India String Theory and Theoretical Physics Physics and Space Science 86.6 Sen is included for contributions to string dualities, tachyon condensation, black hole entropy and quantum gravity. In 2021, he remained one of India's most internationally respected theoretical physicists and a central figure in high-energy theory.
64
Abhay Ashtekar
 India / United States Quantum Gravity and Relativity Physics and Space Science 86.4 Ashtekar is ranked for creating variables and frameworks that reshaped loop quantum gravity. In 2021, his influence remained visible wherever researchers explored the interface of general relativity, cosmology, quantum mechanics and mathematical geometry.
65
Subra Suresh
 India / Singapore / United States Materials Science and Biomechanics Chemistry, Materials and Energy 86.2 Suresh is included for research spanning materials science, mechanical behavior of materials and biological systems, along with high-level research leadership. In 2021, his profile connected engineering science, global academic governance and Asia's top-tier university ambitions.
66
M. S. Swaminathan
 India Agricultural Genetics and Food Security Agriculture and Food Systems 86.0 Swaminathan is ranked for scientific leadership in plant breeding, food security and the Green Revolution in India. In 2021, his work remained relevant to climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable productivity and science's responsibility to reduce hunger.
67
Gurdev Khush
 India / Philippines / United States Rice Genetics and Plant Breeding Agriculture and Food Systems 85.8 Khush is included for rice breeding work that improved yields and food security across Asia. In 2021, his influence remained embedded in agricultural systems, crop genetics and the international story of rice science as a tool of development.
68
Rohini Godbole
 India Particle Physics Phenomenology Physics and Space Science 85.6 Godbole is ranked for particle physics phenomenology, collider physics and sustained advocacy for women in science. In 2021, her influence combined technical contributions to high-energy physics with strengthening scientific participation and visibility in India.
69
Narendra Karmarkar
 India / United States Optimization and Algorithms Computing and AI 85.4 Karmarkar is included for an interior-point algorithm that changed linear programming and practical optimization. In 2021, his influence remained visible in operations research, computational mathematics and the algorithmic infrastructure behind logistics, networks and allocation.
70
Lov Grover
 India / United States Quantum Computing and Algorithms Computing and AI 85.2 Grover is ranked for the quantum search algorithm that became a basic reference point of quantum computing. In 2021, as quantum information moved toward hardware competition, his algorithmic contribution retained exceptional conceptual importance.
71
Madhu Sudan
 India / United States Theoretical Computer Science Computing and AI 85.0 Sudan is included for contributions to probabilistically checkable proofs, hardness of approximation, error-correcting codes and computation theory. In 2021, his work remained fundamental to understanding reliability, verification and the limits of efficient computation.
72
Nergis Mavalvala
 Pakistan / United States Gravitational-Wave Physics and Quantum Measurement Physics and Space Science 84.8 Mavalvala is ranked for leadership in gravitational-wave detection and quantum measurement science. In 2021, her scientific leadership and long LIGO contribution made her a visible example of Asian-origin excellence in frontier physics.
73
Asifa Akhtar
 Pakistan / Germany Epigenetics and Chromatin Biology Life Sciences 84.6 Akhtar is included for work on chromatin regulation, gene expression and dosage compensation. In 2021, her influence reflected both high-level molecular biology and the international rise of Asian-born women scientists in elite research leadership.
74
Atta-ur-Rahman
 Pakistan Natural Product Chemistry and Science Capacity Chemistry, Materials and Energy 84.4 Atta-ur-Rahman is ranked for natural product chemistry, organic chemistry and the development of scientific capacity in Pakistan. In 2021, his influence remained tied to research output, institution-building and the visibility of chemical sciences in the Muslim world.
75
Firdausi Qadri
 Bangladesh Immunology, Microbiology and Vaccines Medicine and Public Health 84.2 Qadri is included for infectious-disease immunology, enteric vaccines and diagnostics in Bangladesh. In 2021, her work represented locally grounded, globally relevant science addressing cholera, typhoid, vaccine access and vulnerable-community health.
76
Pardis Sabeti
 Iran / United States Computational Genetics and Infectious Disease Medicine and Public Health 84.0 Sabeti is ranked for genomic methods connecting human evolution, pathogen surveillance and outbreak response. In 2021, rapid sequencing, diagnostics and genomic epidemiology remained central tools of pandemic science, strengthening the relevance of her work.
77
Akira Endo
 Japan Biochemistry and Cardiovascular Medicine Medicine and Public Health 83.8 Endo is included for discovering the first statin, a contribution that transformed cardiovascular prevention. In 2021, the public-health reach of statin therapy remained enormous, making his work one of Asia's most consequential biomedical discoveries.
78
Hideo Hosono
 Japan Materials Science and Superconductors Physics and Space Science 83.6 Hosono is ranked for transparent oxide semiconductors, iron-based superconductors and functional materials discovery. In 2021, his influence connected basic materials chemistry to electronics, display technology and the search for new superconducting systems.
79
Sumio Iijima
 Japan Nanotechnology and Carbon Nanotubes Chemistry, Materials and Energy 83.4 Iijima is included for carbon nanotube research that catalyzed modern nanotechnology. In 2021, his influence endured across materials science, nanoscale electronics, microscopy and the scientific imagination around one-dimensional carbon structures.
80
Hideo Ohno
 Japan Spintronics and Semiconductor Physics Physics and Space Science 83.2 Ohno is ranked for pioneering semiconductor spintronics and magnetic materials research. In 2021, his influence remained important to the pursuit of information technologies that combine electronic charge, spin and materials engineering.
81
Kenichi Iga
 Japan Photonics and Optical Communications Physics and Space Science 83.0 Iga is included for the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser concept, a device family central to optical communications, sensing and data transmission. In 2021, his contribution remained embedded in high-speed networks and compact photonic systems.
82
Shimon Sakaguchi
 Japan Immunology and Regulatory T Cells Life Sciences 82.8 Sakaguchi is ranked for discovering and defining regulatory T cells, reshaping understanding of immune tolerance, autoimmunity and cancer immunity. In 2021, his influence remained highly relevant to immunotherapy, transplant biology and immune-system balance.
83
Masayo Takahashi
 Japan Ophthalmology and Regenerative Medicine Medicine and Public Health 82.6 Takahashi is included for pioneering clinical work using induced pluripotent stem cells in retinal disease. In 2021, her influence represented the difficult move from stem-cell platform discovery to responsible human therapeutic testing.
84
Kazutoshi Mori
 Japan Cell Biology and Protein Quality Control Life Sciences 82.4 Mori is ranked for discoveries in the unfolded protein response, a pathway central to stress biology and disease. In 2021, his work informed research into cellular quality control, neurodegeneration, metabolism and secretory-pathway stress.
85
Atsushi Miyawaki
 Japan Bioimaging and Fluorescent Protein Technology Life Sciences 82.2 Miyawaki is included for fluorescent protein tools and imaging technologies that allow live biological processes to be observed in detail. In 2021, his influence was widespread across neuroscience, cell biology, developmental biology and microscopy-driven discovery.
86
Shigekazu Nagata
 Japan Apoptosis and Immunology Life Sciences 82.0 Nagata is ranked for fundamental work on apoptosis, Fas signaling and immune homeostasis. In 2021, his discoveries remained important to cancer biology, immune regulation, developmental biology and programmed cell death.
87
Akira Suzuki
 Japan Organic Chemistry and Cross-Coupling Chemistry, Materials and Energy 81.8 Suzuki is included for cross-coupling chemistry that became a standard tool in pharmaceutical, materials and fine-chemical synthesis. In 2021, Suzuki coupling remained a routine but profound example of discovery becoming global laboratory infrastructure.
88
Koichi Tanaka
 Japan Analytical Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry Chemistry, Materials and Energy 81.6 Tanaka is ranked for soft laser desorption methods that expanded mass spectrometry for large biomolecules. In 2021, his contribution remained important to proteomics, biomolecular analysis and the measurement technologies behind modern life science.
89
Hideki Shirakawa
 Japan Polymer Chemistry and Conductive Materials Chemistry, Materials and Energy 81.4 Shirakawa is included for conductive polymers, a breakthrough that helped expand electronics beyond traditional inorganic materials. In 2021, his influence continued through organic electronics, flexible devices, polymer chemistry and materials innovation.
90
Makoto Kobayashi
 Japan Particle Physics Physics and Space Science 81.2 Kobayashi is ranked for theoretical work explaining CP violation through quark mixing, a central element of particle physics. In 2021, his influence remained embedded in the standard model and in the intellectual lineage of flavor physics.
91
Nam-Gyu Park
 South Korea Perovskite Solar Cells Chemistry, Materials and Energy 81.0 Park is included for pioneering stable perovskite solar-cell research that helped open a major field in photovoltaics. In 2021, his work mattered to renewable-energy materials, solar efficiency and next-generation photovoltaic technologies.
92
Taeghwan Hyeon
 South Korea Nanochemistry and Functional Nanomaterials Chemistry, Materials and Energy 80.8 Hyeon is ranked for controlled synthesis of uniform nanoparticles and functional nanomaterials. In 2021, 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 80.6 Lee is included for metabolic engineering, systems biotechnology and microbial production platforms. In 2021, 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 80.4 Kim is ranked for cucurbituril chemistry and host-guest supramolecular systems. In 2021, 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 80.2 Kim is included for genome-editing research and targeted genetic modification tools. In 2021, 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 80.0 Shechtman is ranked for the discovery of quasicrystals, a result that changed crystallography and materials science. In 2021, his influence remained a model of disciplined evidence overcoming scientific resistance.
97
Aaron Ciechanover
 Israel Biochemistry and Protein Degradation Chemistry, Materials and Energy 79.8 Ciechanover is included for work on ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation, a pathway central to cell regulation and disease. In 2021, his influence remained visible across cancer biology, drug discovery and molecular medicine.
98
Avram Hershko
 Israel Biochemistry and Protein Degradation Chemistry, Materials and Energy 79.6 Hershko is ranked for foundational discoveries in the ubiquitin system and controlled protein breakdown. In 2021, 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 79.4 Levitt is included for computational models of complex chemical systems and molecular structures. In 2021, 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 79.2 Shashua completes the 2021 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, 2021 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

2021 Relevance

Relevance to the scientific, public-health, technological, environmental or institutional questions that were especially visible in 2021.

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 2021 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 2021 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, 2021 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

2021 Time Control

The editorial voice is anchored to 2021. Later recognitions may confirm a scientist's standing, but they are not used as the basis of the 2021 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.