Zhijian “James” Chen, Ph.D., a professor of molecular biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, is a winner of the 2026 Japan Prize in Life Sciences. [Video still: UTSW]
UT Southwestern Medical Center just ranked No. 1 among health care institutions worldwide in the most recent Nature Index rankings for publishing high-quality research across all subjects for the 12-month period that ended Feb. 28, 2026. UTSW also ranked No. 1 among health care institutions globally for research in the natural sciences and biological sciences.
Nature Index tracks health care research articles published in top science journals, offering a snapshot of landmark discoveries from 6,545 institutions around the world.
For UTSW during the ranking period, that included more than 500 research papers published in nearly 100 journals, ranging from Nature and Science to Circulation and The Journal of the American Medical Association. The work includes research on the effects of GLP-1 medications, reprogramming heart cells to restore function after a heart attack, identifying fibroblast populations that fuel the spread of cancer, studying how different parts of the hippocampus in the brain impact memory and more, UTSW said.
“This ranking reflects the depth and excellence of our research enterprise,” said Joan Conaway, Ph.D., vice provost and dean of basic research at UT Southwestern, who holds the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair in Cellular and Molecular Biology. “Our scientists are working at the highest level to advance knowledge across disciplines to better understand diseases and translate those insights into meaningful progress for patients.”
In the health care category, UT Southwestern also ranked first during the same period among 1,192 health care institutions in North America and 995 entities in the United States.
“This recognition highlights the sustained efforts of our faculty and trainees,” said Dr. W.P. Andrew Lee, executive vice president for academic affairs, provost and dean of UT Southwestern Medical School, who holds the Atticus James Gill, M.D. Chair in Medical Science. “By supporting rigorous research and collaboration, we’re able to translate discoveries into real-world impact.”
Recent breakthroughs
The award is another win for an organization with significant research credentials. Six UTSW faculty members are Nobel laureates. Five faculty members have received the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award. That award is considered the nation’s top biomedical research award, including Steven McKnight, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry, in 2025; and Zhijian “James” Chen, Ph.D., professor of molecular biology in the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, in 2024.
Earlier this year, Chen won the Japan Prize in Life Sciences in recognition of his groundbreaking research on how the body’s immune system protects against such threats as bacteria and viruses.
In the last few years, UTSW researchers reported discoveries spanning a broad range of health concerns.
They identified a protein that causes human cell membranes to burst during necroptosis, a form of programmed cell death. The discovery could lead to new treatments for severe infections, inflammatory diseases, neurodegeneration and cancer — including conditions such as Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer’s, ALS and several tumor types.
UTSW researchers also found a link between blindness in animal models and a brain-wide cellular stress response that’s a common risk factor for dementia. Their findings could help explain the connection between vision or hearing loss and dementia.
A research enterprise at scale
UT Southwestern has more than 1 million square feet of research space supporting an estimated 6,200 research projects a year. The medical school receives more than $816 million in annual funding from state and federal agencies, individuals, and corporations.
UTSW’s research centers include the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, one of 11 U.S. Nutrition Obesity Research Centers and a National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Rare Disease Center of Excellence. UTSW also is designated as a National Cancer Institute Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) site in liver, lung and kidney cancers.
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