Rising Stars of Science World Ranking 2024 (3rd edition)

by Imed Bouchrika, PhD

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

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On August 7, Research.com released the 2024 edition of its annual global list of the rising stars of science. In this report, a diverse group of young scientists from around the world are acknowledged for making major contributions to the literature in their respective professions. These individuals, like many of their more senior contemporaries, have created many world-changing solutions and innovative discoveries that have influenced the scientific arena, enhancing the subsequent research of scientists worldwide with their discoveries.

No region has a monopoly on these youthful scientists, as evidenced by our 2024 world ranking. The top 10 individuals are based on three different continents, with Asia providing the most substantial representation. In the interim, the "rising stars" are involved in a diverse array of academic disciplines, including medicine, mechanical engineering, and biology and chemistry. This demonstrates that the global scientific community is not impeded by age, location, or preferred discipline in the pursuit of a significant impact.

For the 2024 report, our research team assessed over 166,880 scientist profiles. It subjected their body of work to several key metrics, including H-indexes, citations, awards, the share of contributions within a given discipline, and other relevant achievements.

The H-index threshold for consideration was adjusted accordingly per discipline, amounting to 30 or 40 in many cases. This ranking only considers scientists who published their first paper less than 13 years ago. Moreover, the country associated with each scientist is based on the nation representing their affiliated institution, not their nationality.

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The key findings from the rising stars of science ranking

• The top-ranking rising star in 2024 is Mohsen Sheikholeslami from Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Iran, with an H-index of 137.
• China has the highest number of rising stars in science in 2024 with 358, followed by the United States with 153, and Iran with 48.
• Among the top 20 rising stars, six are from China, five are from the United States, while Iran and Italy have two each. The rest are from the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, and Australia.
• Among the top 20 rising stars, 8 are from Asia, five are from North America, five are from Europe, and one is from Oceania.
• The Chinese Academy of Sciences produced the most scholars in the top 1,000 rising stars, with 23, followed by Tsinghua University with 13 and Hunan University with 12 scientists.
• The average H-index for the top 1% of the rising stars is 98, against an average of 49 for the leading 1,000 scholars.
• The average number of citations for the top 1% of the rising stars is 58,902, against an average of 11,075 for the top 1,000 scholars.
• The average number of publications for the top 1% of the rising stars is 334, against an average of 177 for the top 1,000 scholars.
• The rising star with the most citations is Professor Amir Kasaeian from Tehran, Iran. He has 155,147 citations.
• The rising star with the most publications is Professor Simplice A. Asongu from the African Governance and Development Institute, Cameroon. He has 1,008 citations.

The full ranking for the 2024 list of the world's rising stars of science can be found here:

RISING STARS OF SCIENCE RANKING

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Countries with the highest number of scientific rising stars

Similar to the previous year, China has the largest representation in the top 1,000 in the 2024 rankings. The Asian nation has 358 scientists on the list, accounting for 35.8% of the top 1,000 young scientists and representing a slight increase over the 2023 total of 353. In addition, four scientists in the top 10 are from China. This underscores the commitment to research that Chinese institutions and academicians have demonstrated.

The United States follows China with a count of 153, representing 15.3% of the top 1,000. Only one American scientist ranked among the top 10, while five others were included in the top 20. Despite a notable decline from the 171 total in 2023, the country continues to exert a strong influence on the scientific community and the development of new researchers.

Iran is in third with 48 scientists, slightly decreasing from the previous year's total of 51. The world's top-ranked young scientist is from Iran, and other Iranian scientists made it to the top 20. If Iran maintains its current trajectory, it has the potential to claim a bigger share of the top 1,000 young scientists in future editions of this ranking.

Rounding up the top 10 countries with the highest share of young scientists in the top 1,000 are Australia (46), the United Kingdom (43), India (36), Germany (26), Italy (20), Canada (19), and Singapore (18).

Since most of the young scientists in the ranking are connected with Asian institutions, it points to a bright future for the scientific community of the continent as it keeps pushing new frontiers and expanding body of knowledge.

Institutions with the highest number of scientific rising stars

The 2024 rating emphasizes the superiority of Asian institutions in nurturing young academics. Asia is home to seven of the top 10 and 15 of the top 20 institutions with the highest number of scientific emerging stars. North America and Europe each have two institutions ranked in the top 20, while Oceania has only one.

The institution with the highest number of scientific rising stars is the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), with 23, one scientist less than the institution's 24 in the 2023 ranking. Coming in second is Tsinghua University with 12 scientists, Hunan University with 12 scientists, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology with 11 scientists.

The University of Technology Sydney is at the 5th spot with 10 scientists. Completing the top 10 institutions are Google (10), Zhejiang University (9), ETH Zurich (9), Fudan University (8), and Islamic Azad University (8).

Of the top 20, 16 institutions are based in Asia, and two each from Europe and North America.

What advanced academic programs offer for emerging scientists?

Emerging scientists can enhance their research impact and career trajectory by pursuing further academic qualifications that align with their specialized fields. Advanced programs offer deep dives into interdisciplinary research methodologies, provide exposure to modern data analytics, and promote collaborative innovation, all of which are essential in a fast-evolving scientific landscape. For instance, enrolling in one of the fastest online masters programs can offer flexible yet rigorous coursework that balances ongoing research commitments with advanced training. This strategic integration of continued education supports the development of leadership skills and technical expertise, enabling emerging researchers to meet the dynamic demands of both academia and industry.

What strategies can further accelerate career advancement for emerging scientists?

Emerging scientists must navigate challenges such as limited funding opportunities, evolving interdisciplinary demands, and the need for effective mentorship to sustain and build on their research impact. Strategic career development moves—including targeted networking initiatives, participation in collaborative research projects, and a focus on acquiring practical leadership skills—play a pivotal role in overcoming early-career limitations. Additionally, supplementing research expertise with advanced studies can expand technical and managerial competencies, as seen through options like master's degree options, offering exposure to emerging methodologies and robust industry practices.

H-index ranking – leaders, averages, and distribution

World Ranking Leaders

The 2024 scoreboard of emerging science stars shows a significant change compared to the 2023 ranking. While several individuals maintained their position within the top 20, there were scientists whose H-index rankings had a substantial increase within a year, propelling them into the leaderboard. Additionally, there were those who made their debut in the top 10.

Keeping the top spot in the world ranking for 2024 is Professor Mohsen Sheikholeslami from the Babol Noshirvani University of Technology. For this year, Professor Sheikholeslami's H-index increased from 132 to 137 and he also earned a total of 50,205 citations and 557 publications. Professor Sheikholeslami is ranked first in Asia and Iran.

Climbing a notch higher is Professor Matthew D. Hellmann from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, who secured spot 2 in our 2024 ranking. With an H-index of 98, he has been cited 67,096 times by fellow research scholars, with 418 publications. Professor Hellmann is ranked first in North America and the United States.

The highest 3 on the top 1000 list is occupied by Professor Hao Bin Wu of Zhejiang University in China with an H-index of 97. Professor Wu has a total of 40,027 citations and has completed 251 publications. He is ranked second in Asia and first in China.

Professor S. Caudill from the National Institute for Subatomic Physics is ranked fourth in the Rising Stars list with an H-index of 96 and 51,758 citations. Professor Caudill also holds 295 publications and is ranked first in Europe and the Netherlands.

At the fifth spot is Professor Florian Fischer from Charité - University Medicine Berlin with an H-index of 95. Professor Fischer has amassed 124,426 citations, with published articles reaching 310. Professor Fischer is ranked second in Europe and first in Germany.

Continental Leaders

For Asia, Professor Mohsen Sheikholeslami from the Babol Noshirvani University of Technology is ranked first with an H-index of 137. He occupies the highest position in the global standings.

For North America, Professor Matthew D. Hellmann from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is listed first with an H-index of 91. He is second in the world ranking.

Leading Europe is Professor S. Caudill from the National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Netherlands with an H-index of 96. He is fourth in the world ranking.

Oceania is led by Professor Xiaoguang Duan from the University of Adelaide, Australia, who has an H-index of 90. He holds the 12th spot in the world ranking.

The rising star holding the top spot for Africa is Professor Abdon Atangana from the University of the Free State in South Africa, with an H-index of 68. He is 75th in the world ranking.

For South America, the top rising star is Professor José C. S. dos Santos from the Universidade Federal do Ceará in Brazil, with an H-index of 52. He is number 335 in the world.

Averages and Distribution

In the 2023 world ranking, the top 1% of the ranked young scientists have an average H-index of 98, while the average H-index for the top 1000 is 49. In terms of H-index distribution, only one scientist has an index in the 130-139 range, 11 are in the 90-99 range, 17 are within the 80-89 bracket, and the rest of the rising stars garnered an H-index below 80.

As far as citations are concerned, the average of the top 1% is 58,902, while the average of the top 1,000 scholars is 11,075. The scholar with the most citations in the 2024 world rankings is Professor Amir Kasaeian of Iran (155,147), followed by Florian Fischer of Germany (124,426), and Shafiu Mohammed of Nigeria (120,284).

Regarding publications, the average of the top 1% is 334 against an average of 177 for the top 1,000 rising stars. The scholar with the most publications is Professor Simplice A. Asongu from the African Governance and Development Institute, Cameroon, with 1,008, followed by Pau Loke Show with 824, and Professor Yu-Ming Chu with 689.

You can learn more about the methodology used to create the ranking here.

About Research.com

All research was coordinated by Imed Bouchrika, Ph.D., a computer scientist with a well-established record of collaboration on a number of international research projects with different partners from the academic community. His role was to make sure all data remained unbiased, accurate, and up-to-date.

Research.com is the number one research portal for science and educational rankings. Our mission is to make it easier for professors, research fellows, and students to progress with their research and find the top experts in a wide range of scientific disciplines. Research.com is also a leading educational platform that helps students find the best colleges, academic opportunities, and career paths.