Van Andel Institute’s Dr. Russell Jones named to Highly Cited Researchers list

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Nov. 12, 2025) — Van Andel Institute’s Russell Jones, Ph.D., is included in this year’s Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers list, a distinction marking him as a leader in his field.

Jones investigates metabolism at the cellular level to understand how it affects cell behavior and health, with a specific eye on cancer and the immune system. By revealing how cancer cells use metabolic processes to fuel their growth and spread, he hopes to develop new treatments that help patients by changing the standard of care for cancer. He is chair of VAI’s Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming and director of the VAI Metabolism & Nutrition (MeNu) Program.

“The Highly Cited Researchers list identifies and celebrates exceptional individual researchers who demonstrate significant and broad influence in their fields,” said David Pendlebury, head of research analysis at the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate. “They exemplify excellence in their research as well as integrity in their publication and citation practices. These researchers continue to shape the future of science, technology and academia globally and deliver innovation that drives societal progress.”

The greatly anticipated annual list identifies researchers who demonstrated notable and far-reaching impact in their chosen area or areas of study through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade. Their names are drawn from the publications that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and publication year in the Web of Science™ citation index.

Citations, or references to a scientist’s published work by other researchers, are universally considered to be a measure of influence and impact in the scientific community. Jones has appeared on the list in previous years.