2023.09.20
Professor YANAGISAWA Masashi Receives Clarivate Citation Laureates
Just before Nobel Prize Week, Clarivate Analytics, a British academic information service company, announces the “Clarivate Citation Laureates” for researchers worldwide who are likely to win Nobel Prizes in the future.
This year’s Clarivate Citation Laureates were announced on September 19. Professor YANAGISAWA Masashi, Director of the International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, was awarded in the ” Physiology or Medicine” field.
Clarivate analyzes academic articles published by researchers around the world and nominates the Citation Laureates based on factors such as the number of citations, the impact on a research field, records of other awards, and research areas previously focused by Nobel Prizes. Since many winners of the Citation Laureates later receive the Nobel Prize, the media, both domestic and international, refer to the award as “the closest academic award to the Nobel Prize”. Since the award was established in 2002, 71 Citation Laureates have received the Nobel Prize. Nobel Laureates YAMANAKA Shinya (2012, Physiology or Medicine), NAKAMURA Shuji (2014, Physics), OHSUMI Yoshinori (2016, Physiology or Medicine), and HONJO Tasuku (2018, Physiology or Medicine) have also received the Citation Laureates in the past.
Professor YANAGISAWA received the award for his work on the genetics and physiology of the sleep-wake cycle and for his discovery of orexin that is also implicated in the etiology of narcolepsy as an important sleep regulator. Co-recipients were Dr. Emmanuel Mignot of Stanford University and Dr. Clifford B. Saper of Harvard University. Professor YANAGISAWA and his colleagues’ research has “influenced a wide range of fields in sleep science and has triggered a significant progress in research related to narcolepsy” (Clarivate), with more than 4,000 citations (4,121/ 1998 regarding the paper). At a press conference held in Tokyo on September 19, Professor YANAGISAWA expressed his joy at receiving the award as follows:
“This is a very prestigious place to stand. I am very happy that the field of basic sleep research has been recognized and awarded such a major prize.”
In addition to Professor YANAGISAWA, the other Japanese recipients were Professor Emeritus KATAOKA Kazunori of the University of Tokyo (Vice Director of the Kawasaki City Industrial Promotion Foundation) in Chemistry. The press conference was attended by many Tokyo-based media, who requested individual interviews after the announcement, indicating the high level of interest in the prize.
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