Four Pennington Biomedical Researchers Recognized among the World’s Most Highly Cited Researchers

November 13, 2025 · Baton Rouge, LA

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Dr. Steven Heymsfield, Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk, Dr. Eric Ravussin and Dr. Donna Ryan rank among the world’s most influential researchers

Four researchers from LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center have been named among the world’s most highly cited scientists, according to the 2025 Highly Cited Researchers list from Clarivate Analytics.

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Steven Heymsfield, Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk, Dr. Eric Ravussin, and Dr. Donna Ryan are recognized among the top 1 percent of researchers whose work has demonstrated significant and broad influence in their respective fields. The list identifies scientists whose publications rank among the most cited globally over the past 11 years, as measured in the Web of Science database.

This year’s list recognizes 6,868 researchers representing more than 1,300 institutions across 60 countries and regions.

“Having four of our scientists named to Clarivate's 2025 Highly Cited Researchers list is an extraordinary achievement for Pennington Biomedical,” said Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center. “This prestigious recognition, based on a decade of citation impact, identifies the world's most influential researchers – and Drs. Heymsfield, Katzmarzyk, Ravussin, and Ryan have earned their place among them. They are pioneers whose work has fundamentally changed how the world understands and addresses obesity, metabolism and public health. Their sustained excellence reflects not only their individual brilliance but the strength of our entire research community here in Louisiana.”

Pennington Biomedical’s Highly Cited Researchers:

• Steven Heymsfield, MD, LSU Boyd Professor and Professor of Metabolism & Body Composition, has a lifetime h-index of 145 with 1,407 publications cited more than 86,000 times. His most cited paper, “Epidemiology of sarcopenia among the elderly in New Mexico,” published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, has been cited more than 2,900 times.  
• Peter Katzmarzyk,PhD, Associate Executive Director for Population and Public Health Sciences, Professor, and Marie Edana Corcoran Endowed Chair in Pediatric Obesity and Diabetes, has a lifetime h-index of 114 with 874 publications cited more than 81,000 times. His paper, “Effect of Physical Inactivity on Major Non-Communicable Diseases Worldwide: An Analysis of Burden of Disease and Life Expectancy,” published in Lancet, has been cited more than 5,900 times.
• Eric Ravussin, PhD, LSU Boyd Professor and Douglas L. Gordon Chair in Diabetes and Metabolism, has a lifetime h-index of 124 with 876 publications cited more than 65,000 times. His paper, “Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity,” published in Lancet, has been cited more than 7,200 times.
• Donna Ryan, MD, Professor Emeritus, has a lifetime h-index of 81 with 687 publications cited more than 38,000 times. Her paper, “Cardiovascular Effects of Intensive Lifestyle Intervention in Type 2 Diabetes,” published in the New England Journal of Medicine, has been cited more than 2,000 times.

“We celebrate the Highly Cited Researchers 2025 for advancing innovation and inspiring the global research community to tackle society’s greatest challenges with creativity and ingenuity,” said Bar Veinstein, President of Academia & Government at Clarivate, in a news release. "As research environments become more complex, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity by continuing to strengthen the foundations of our Highly Cited Researchers program.”