Twenty-six academics from the University of Sydney have been named in the annual Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers List, recognising the most influential researchers whose papers rank in the top one percent of citations for their field.
Professor Julie Cairney, interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), said this is an outstanding result that reflects the expertise and impact of research at the University of Sydney.
“I’m incredibly proud of the research community at the University of Sydney. It’s their dedication to excellence and passion for tackling the world’s biggest challenges for the benefit of all that inspired our research mission,” said Professor Cairney.
“The Highly Cited Researchers List showcases how the impactful discoveries made at Sydney are valued by the global academic community, forming the foundation for future research projects and making a difference in their own right.”
This year’s list features researchers from across the University’s schools, faculties, and multidisciplinary research institutes. It includes seasoned academics with established careers and a long track record of research publications and impact, as well as some of our early-to-mid-career researchers, including two Sydney Horizon Fellows.
Uniting the researchers on the list is a strong focus on real-world impact, engagement with industry and government, and collaboration across disciplines to generate truly innovative and transformational ideas.
Sydney’s 2025 highly cited researchers
List ordered by title and alphabetical order.
Professor Thomas Astell-Burt | School of Architecture, Design and Planning; Westmead Applied Research Centre; Charles Perkins Centre; Sydney Environment Institute; Sydney Southeast Asia Centre; Net Zero Institute
Thomas Astell-Burt is a Professor of Cities and Planetary Health, Director of the Centre for Flourishing Cities, and a Principal Investigator at the Westmead Applied Research Centre. He leads interdisciplinary research programs that use large cohort studies and randomised trials to explore how reconnecting people in cities with nature can reduce loneliness, enhance health, and promote human flourishing.
Professor Emeritus Adrian Bauman | Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health; Charles Perkins Centre
Adrian Bauman AO FAHMS FACSM FAFPHM is Emeritus Professor of Public Health in the Sydney School of Public Health who researches disease prevention. His projects span physical activity epidemiology, population health surveillance, and the evaluation of public health programs and awareness campaigns. Professor Bauman chairs the University-wide physical activity network. He is co-director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Physical Activity, Obesity and Nutrition.
Professor PJ Cullen | School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Faculty of Engineering; Net Zero Institute; Sydney Nano Institute
PJ Cullen is a leader in researching how plasma, the fourth state of matter, can be harnessed to reduce industry's traditional reliance on the chemicals currently used in products such as fertilisers, disinfectants and antibiotics. Professor Cullen is commercialising this research through the company PlasmaLeap Technologies, of which he is CEO. He has led breakthroughs including using plasma to turn thin air into ammonia for fertiliser production.
Professor Russell Dale | Faculty of Medicine and Health; Brain and Mind Centre; Kids Neuroscience Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead
Russell Dale is a Professor of Paediatric Neurology who has has dedicated his career as a researcher and clinician to improving the lives of children with brain disease. Professor Dale has led consensus guidelines, clinical trials and treatment recommendations to improve the recognition and treatment of children with neuroinflammatory conditions including multiple sclerosis, autoimmune demyelination and autoimmune encephalitis. He is devoted to a program of work to increase recognition of the role of the immune system in neurodevelopment and how genes plus environmental factors can result in neurodevelopmental disorders such as Tourette syndrome, OCD, autism and ADHD.
Professor Jacob George | Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health; Charles Perkins Centre; Westmead Institute for Medical Research
Jacob George AM MBBS FRACP FAASLD FGESA FAAHMS is a hepatologist and Robert W Storr Chair of Hepatic Medicine in the Sydney Medical School. Professor George studies the causes and development of liver disease and liver cancer, incorporating research translation by linking laboratory and clinical research. His work has been instrumental in improving treatments for patients with viral fatty liver disease, hepatitis B and C, and liver cancer.
Professor Glenda Halliday | School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health; Brain and Mind Centre; Charles Perkins Centre
Glenda Halliday AC FAAS FAAHMS is a neuroscientist and research neuropathologist, specialising in neurodegeneration. Professor Halliday is an NHMRC Leadership Fellow, recognising her influential work to improve outcomes for patients with Parkinson’s disease, alcohol toxicity, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia and motor degenerative diseases. She was named NSW Scientist of the Year in 2022.
Professor David A. Hensher | Business School
David Hensher AM FASSA FCILT FAITPM CompIEAust MAPA is a Professor of Management and the founding Director of the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies. His research examines discrete choice analysis among product consumers and end users, transport economics, and transport strategy and policy. His work informs best practice management strategies for existing and proposed transport infrastructure, with the aim of improving the liveability of cities by reducing travel time and cost while improving safety.
Professor Ian Hickie | Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health; Brain and Mind Centre; Sydney Policy Lab; Sydney Environment Institute; Net Zero Institute; Charles Perkins Centre; Sydney Southeast Asia Centre
Ian Hickie AO FRANZCP FASSA FAHM FRSN is a Professor of Psychiatry and Co-Director of Health and Policy at the Brain and Mind Centre, one of the University’s flagship multidisciplinary research and a hub for bringing together researchers, clinicians, and mental health support services. Professor Hickie has led major public health campaigns in Australia to support early intervention for young people with mental health conditions, based on his extensive research, clinical expertise, and co-designed with young Australians. He is supported by an NHMRC L3, Investigator Grant.
Professor Anita Ho-Baillie | School of Physics, Faculty of Science; Sydney Nano Institute; Net Zero Institute
Anita Ho-Baillie FAIP FRSN FRSC is the John Hooke Chair of Nanoscience and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow. Professor Ho-Baillie’s research integrates the development of new materials and devices at the nanoscale for clean solar energy generation. Her work has broken world records in energy production from next generation solar cells, helping fuel the transition to a net zero carbon energy grid and energy generation for space-based electronics.
Professor Edward C. Holmes | Sydney School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health
Edward Holmes FAA FRS is a Professor of Virology and NHMRC Leadership Fellow. He researches the evolution and emergence of infectious diseases, in particular the way RNA viruses transfer between humans and other animals. His work has contributed to breakthroughs in the tracing and treatment of infections including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, dengue, HIV, hepatitis C, myxoma, RHDV and Yersinia pestis – the bacteria which causes plague.
Professor Kourosh Kalantar Zadeh | School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Faculty of Engineering; Sydney Nano Institute
Kourosh Kalantar Zadeh FTSE FIEAust FAAAS FEurASc FRSC FIET FRSN FRACI is an ARC Laureate Fellow and multidisciplinary leader in chemical engineering, materials sciences, electronics, and biomedical engineering. Professor Kalantar-Zadeh is an entrepreneur known for his significant contributions to innovations that span several industries, including transparent conductive glass used in mobile phones, smart electronic windows for aircraft, and globally deployed hazardous gas sensors. He also led his team to the development of the world’s first ingestible commercial chemical sensors for non-invasive medical diagnostics that aids in the prevention, diagnosis and monitoring of gut disorders.
Professor Manfred Lenzen | School of Physics, Faculty of Science; Sydney Environment Institute; Charles Perkins Centre
Manfred Lenzen is Professor of Sustainability Research in the Integrated Sustainability Analysis (ISA) team with a background in nuclear physics and a focus on renewable energy technologies. Professor Lenzen’s research combines several sustainability themes, including passive solar architecture, embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions, life-cycle assessment and energy input-versus-output analysis. His extensive research outputs are actively contributing to more sustainable energy systems and the transition to healthier, data-backed societies.
Professor Yonghui Li | School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Yonghui Li FIEEE is Director of the Wireless Engineering Laboratory and ARC Industry Laureate Fellow. Professor Li’s research on wireless communications focuses on internet of things (IoT) technologies, machine-to-machine communications, signal processing, network protocols, machine learning, wireless networked control, and human and machine collaborations. His research spans multiple forms of wireless transmission, including 5G/6G, millimetre wave communications, wireless AI, long range Wi-Fi and advanced channel coding. This research underpins recent advances that enable everything 5G smartphones, smart home devices, and complex industrial machinery.
Professor Qing Li | School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Qing Li is Director of the Centre for Advanced Materials Technology (CAMT) and President of International Society of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization (ISSMO). His research focuses on the computational design for additive manufacturing of lightweight, multifunctional materials and structure, with transformative applications across aerospace, automotive, mechanical, manufacturing, and biomedical engineering. A passionate advocate for industry collaboration, Professor Li partners with leading organisations to design, optimise and translate these cutting-edge materials and intelligent structures into real world innovations, from high-performance components engineered for extreme and complex environments that drive technological and societal impact to bioengineered prosthetic systems that advance healthcare and enhance human wellbeing.
Professor Laurence Macia | School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health; Sydney Nano Institute; Charles Perkins Centre
Laurence Macia is a Professor of Immunology in the Nutritional Immunometabolism Lab, Heada Beckett Fellow, and Academic Director of Sydney Cytometry, one of the University’s Core Research Facilities. Her research spans autoimmunity – where the body’s immune system begins attacking its own body rather than foreign pathogens – and the influence of diet and environmental health. Professor Macia’s work on diabetes, cardiovascular disease, maternal and child health, and infection is informed by her experience as a clinician with a focus on improving patient outcomes.
Professor Alex McBratney | School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science; Sydney Environment Institute; Net Zero Institute
Alex McBratney M FAA is a Professor of Digital Agriculture and Soil Science, ARC Laureate Fellow. He pioneered advancements in pedometrics, precision and digital agriculture, digital soil mapping, AgTech innovation, and soil security. His research seamlessly integrates theoretical, methodological, and applied approaches to produce highly detailed soil information that supports both agricultural and conservation efforts. By providing land and environmental managers with real-time insights into soil conditions and predictive models of future soil security, his work empowers informed landcare decisions and fosters sustainable agricultural practices – ensuring the ongoing security of food, climate, water, and agricultural productivity.
Professor Budiman Minasny | School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science; Sydney Southeast Asia Centre; Net Zero Institute
Budiman Minasny is a Professor in Soil-Landscape Modelling and leader of Soil, Carbon, and Water theme at the Sydney Institute of Agriculture. His research examines the role of soil in managing climate change, food, water, energy security, and maintaining biodiversity. He is globally recognised as a leader in digital soil mapping and modelling, and for his discovery of the causes and controls of soil distribution over space and time. Professor Minasny uses emerging technologies, including machine learning and spectroscopy technologies, to rapidly collect and analyse soil data at scale to inform sustainable land management decisions.
Professor Dietmar Müller | School of Geosciences, Faculty of Science; Sydney Southeast Asia Centre; Net Zero Institute
Dietmar Müller SIO/UCSD FAA FAGU is a Professor of Geophysics who has established the Marine Studies Institute and EarthByte research group at the University. Professor Müller pursues open and collaborative innovation through the development of open-source software and creative commons datasets for paleogeographic data. His research brings together plate tectonics, geodynamics, and paleogeography and machine learning with a focus on the evolution of ocean basins, the development of mineral resources, and the deep carbon cycle.
Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis | School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health; Charles Perkins Centre
Emmanuel (Manos) Stamatakis is a Professor of Physical Activity and Population Health, NHMRC Leadership Fellow, and Director of the Mackenzie Wearables Hub at the Charles Perkins Centre. He leads the Physical Activity and Exercise Theme at the Charles Perkins Centre, with a program of research examining the health effects of physical activity and sleep across large, international patient cohorts and wearable device data. Professor Stamatakis’ findings have informed physical activity recommendations for adults leading sedentary lifestyles, including ways to increase health through short bursts of ‘incidental’ exercise, such as vigorous play, walking, and even cleaning.
Professor Albert Zomaya | School of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering; Net Zero Institute; Sydney Nano Institute
Albert Zomaya FAA FRSN FIEEE is the Peter Nicol Russell Chair Professor of Computer Science and an ARC Professorial Fellow. Professor Zomaya's research interests are in parallel and distributed computing, networking, complex systems, and machine learning. These technologies drive the innovation behind edge and cloud computing, technologies that power the world’s most critical systems – from banking and finance to telecommunications, social media, healthcare, research, and education. Simply put, his goal is to make the systems that underpin today’s connected, data-driven society faster, smarter, and more reliable – for everyone, everywhere.
Associate Professor Matteo Carlino | Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health; Melanoma Institute Australia
Matteo Carlino FRACP is a Clinical Associate Professor and consultant Medical Oncologist, specialising in melanoma, complex non-melanoma, and gastrointestinal cancers. Associate Professor Carlino has been a principal investigator in over 50 clinical trials, translating his research from the lab into innovations in clinical practice that improve outcomes for patients.
Associate Professor Arunima Malik | School of Physics, Faculty of Science; Discipline of Accounting, Governance and Regulation, Business School; Sydney Southeast Asia Centre; Net Zero Institute
Arunima Malik is an Associate Professor in Sustainability and won the Frontiers Planet Prize 2025. Professor Malik’s research explores sustainability performance in supply chain networks at multiple scales, including local and global perspectives. Her interdisciplinary work bridges the Science and Business fields, with an emphasis on assessing sustainability impacts of organisations, sectors and nations by using big-data modelling to unravel environmental, social and economic dimensions with links to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Associate Professor Alexander Menzies | Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health;
Alexander Menzies is a Medical Oncologist and Associate Professor of Melanoma Medical Oncology. He has subspecialty interest in melanoma and breast cancer. He has been an investigator on over 200 clinical trials of systemic therapies in melanoma and breast cancer, and has co-established a network between several major melanoma centres across Australia, Europe and the US to provide opportunities for junior research staff to lead high-impact, original clinical and translational research.
Associate Professor Emily Stockings | Faculty of Medicine and Health; The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use
Emily Stockings is an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, Deputy Director of Research and Strategy and Program Lead of 'Smoking, Vaping & Mental Health' at The Matilda Centre. Associate Professor Stockings is a global authority on tobacco and e-cigarette control. Her recent research includes the co-development and evaluation of the OurFutures vaping prevention program with her team at The Matilda Centre, which was shown to be effective in reducing the odds of teen vaping by 65 percent in an randomised controlled trial of 5000 students. The program has since been commercialised via the OurFutures Institute and has received federal investment for a national rollout.
Dr Jasmine Fardouly | School of Psychology, Faculty of Science
Jasmine Fardouly is a Senior Lecturer, Sydney Horizon Fellow, and ARC DECRA Fellow. Dr Fardouly leads a research program investigating positive and negative social media content for users’ body image. This research has formed the basis of new mental health interventions and informed national policy on social media use.
Dr Zengxia Pei | School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Faculty of Engineering; Sydney Nano Institute; Net Zero Institute
Zengxia Pei is a Lecturer, Sydney Horizon Fellow, and ARC Future Fellow. Dr Pei researches nanomaterials for sustainable energy storage and conversion, with special interests in aqueous batteries, polymer electrolytes, and electrocatalysis. He leads a research group that aims to develop advanced aqueous batteries as a new generation of affordable energy storage technology supporting net-zero emissions.