Clarivate™ has revealed the annual list of Highly Cited Researchers™ 2025. This small fraction of the global researcher population contributes disproportionately to extending the frontiers of knowledge and contributing to innovations that make the world healthier, more sustainable and which drive societal impact.
Based on citation data together with other quantitative metrics, qualitative analysis and expert judgement, a new list is determined each year by Clarivate’s in-house team at the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI).
Announced today, Clarivate has recognized 6,868 individuals with 7,131 awards from more than 1,300 institutions in 61 countries and regions. The number of Highly Cited Researcher designations exceeds the number of unique individuals who demonstrate significant and broad influence in their fields of research because some researchers are recognized in more than one Essential Science Indicators (ESI) field of research.
For 2025, there are 379 Highly Cited Researcher awards in the ESI field of Clinical Medicine including VHIO’s Josep Tabernero, who has been recognized for the tenth consecutive year, Enriqueta Felip who has now been listed for the eighth successive year, and Ana Oaknin who has been recognized for two years in a row. For the first year, Elena Élez has been listed in the Cross-Field category which recognizes individuals whose work has a significant impact across multiple disciplines.
“I am thrilled to have been listed as a Highly Cited Researcher 2025. This recognition is not about individual contributions or achievements, but the result of cross-border team science of excellence, conducted in collaboration with many leading research centers including VHIO. These precious partnerships enable the international oncology community to gain continued wins against cancer,” said Josep Tabernero, VHIO’s Director and Head of the Medical Oncology Department at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital.
“I couldn’t agree more,” added Enriqueta Felip, Head of the Thoracic Tumors Group and co-Director of Clinical Research at VHIO, who also leads the Thoracic Cancer Unit at Vall d’Hebron. “I am privileged to work alongside so many other dedicated colleagues and hugely talented investigators nationally and globally. It is thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our translational teams and talents, research partners, and other specialties that we continue to make important progress against this disease.”
“Collaboration in oncology is fundamental to addressing unmet clinical needs. While Highly Cited Researcher designation celebrates the work of individual investigators, impactful research in oncology is highly collaborative, counting on the collective work and shared dedication of healthcare teams and professionals who work together to improve outcomes for cancer patients,” observed Ana Oaknin, Head of VHIO’s Gynecological Malignancies Group and the Gynecological Tumors Unit at Vall d’Hebron.
“I am truly honored to have been designated as a Highly Cited Researcher for cross-field impact. Interdisciplinary collaboration is also key to advancing progress against cancer. By applying diverse perspectives, approaches, and technologies, we will continue to make significant headway in addressing the many unanswered questions in the field,” said Elena Élez, Head of VHIO’s Gastrointestinal Tract Tumors Group and Attending Physician of the Gastrointestinal Tumors Service at Vall d’Hebron.
On behalf of all at VHIO, we congratulate Josep, Enriqueta, Ana and Elena for this important recognition.
To access Clarivate’s list Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers 2025
