Newswise — LA JOLLA, CA—La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) is pleased to announce that eight researchers at the Institute have been named to Clarivate's 2023 Highly Cited Researchers list. This achievement means the scientists have had studies rank in the top 1 percent—by citations—in their field in the last decade, based on Web of Science data, analyzed by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI).

Clarivate calls these scientists "pioneers," noting that ranking on the Highly Cited Researchers list is a sign that a scientist has published significant findings and influenced their field of study.

LJI scientists on the 2023 Highly Cited Researchers list include:

Shane Crotty, Ph.D., LJI Professor and Chief Scientific Officer

Crotty studies how the immune system's B cells recognize potential threats and how they produce antibodies to protect the body against pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and HIV. His research is important for improving vaccine design and combating emerging diseases. Learn more about the Crotty Lab

Jason A. Greenbaum, Ph.D., Director of the LJI Bioinformatics Core

Greenbaum directs LJI's Bioinformatics Core Facility, which provides valuable data analysis, analysis tools, customizable databases, technical and statistical reviews, and training for LJI researchers.

Alba Grifoni, Ph.D., LJI Research Assistant Professor 

Grifoni combines experimental research and bioinformatics tools to uncover how the immune system's T cells recognize and fight pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2 and mpox. Her research highlights how future vaccines can recruit T cells and prevent severe infections. Learn more about the Grifoni Lab

Bjoern Peters, Ph.D., LJI Professor

Peters harnesses bioinformatics to understand and predict how the body will respond to infectious diseases, allergens, cancers, and more. He co-directs the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB), the Cancer Epitope Database and Analysis Resource (CEDAR), and the HIPC Coordinating Center (HCC), which fuel immune system studies around the world. Learn more about the Peters Lab

Alessandro Sette, Dr.Biol.Sci., LJI Professor

Sette is a renowned T cell expert and co-director of the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) and the Cancer Epitope Database and Analysis Resource (CEDAR). His laboratory focuses on how T cells recognize pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, mpox, and pertussis. He also studies the roles of T cells in autoimmune diseases, and his lab has uncovered potentially harmful T cell activity associated with Parkinson's disease. Learn more about the Sette Lab

John Sidney, Ph.D., LJI Senior Staff Scientist

Sidney is a member of the Sette Lab and an expert on cell surface proteins, called MHC molecules, and the system that encodes these molecules, called the HLA system. Sidney studies MHC-peptide binding to predict how the immune system will respond to diseases such as HIV, HPV, Parkinson’s, hepatitis C, cancer and heart disease.

Daniela Weiskopf, Ph.D., LJI Research Assistant Professor

Weiskopf studies T cell responses to pathogens such as dengue virus, SARS-CoV-2, Chikungunya virus, and COVID-19 vaccines. Her work is critical for understanding how long T cells "remember" past infections—an insight that may help guide vaccine design. Learn more about the Weiskopf Lab

Learn more:

LJI Fact Sheet

LJI Center for Vaccine Innovation

LJI Center for Autoimmunity and Inflammation

About La Jolla Institute

The La Jolla Institute for Immunology is dedicated to understanding the intricacies and power of the immune system so that we may apply that knowledge to promote human health and prevent a wide range of diseases. Since its founding in 1988 as an independent, nonprofit research organization, the Institute has made numerous advances leading toward its goal: life without disease. Visit lji.org for more information.