image: For the second year in a row, The Morton Arboretum’s Tree Root Biologist Luke McCormack, Ph.D., has been recognized as one of the most cited and influential researchers worldwide by global information services provider Clarivate’s esteemed annual list of “Highly Cited Researchers.”
Credit: The Morton Arboretum
LISLE, Ill. (Nov. 20, 2024)— For the second year in a row, The Morton Arboretum’s Tree Root Biologist Luke McCormack, Ph.D., has been recognized as one of the most cited and influential researchers worldwide by global information services provider Clarivate’s esteemed annual list of “Highly Cited Researchers.”
The 2024 list, released Nov. 19, includes influential researchers at universities, research institutes and commercial organizations around the world, who have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their research field(s). McCormack, who debuted on the list in 2023, is the first Arboretum staff member thus far to be recognized as a top-cited researcher by Clarivate.
McCormack leads the Arboretum's Root Biology Lab, which helps to enhance the appreciation and management of trees by providing research about roots and their underground activities—often the least understood components of trees and plants. Among other efforts, the lab is examining how root strategies could better help trees cope with waterlogging and drought stress, allowing for a wider diversity of tree species to be selected for and planted in the urban environment.
“Luke’s important work is elevating tree-root science to new levels of impact,” said the Arboretum’s Center for Tree Science Director and Soil Ecologist Meghan Midgley, Ph.D. “We know more than ever before about roots and their associated processes thanks to Luke’s expertise and collaborative research, which have expanded our understanding of the overall health, resilience and productivity of trees and forest ecosystems.”
According to Google Scholar, McCormack has received more than 10,800 citations since joining the Arboretum in 2018. His yearly citations have nearly quadrupled from 2018 to 2024.
McCormack’s research influence includes his contributions to large collaborative groups working across organizations on integrative worldwide databases, such as the free and open access Fine-Root Ecology Database, the largest database of root traits. McCormack has served as a thought leader in several global analyses, many of which used the Fine-Root Ecology Database, including publications in Nature, Nature Ecology and Evolution, New Phytologist and Science Advances.
Among his other top-cited research, McCormack led a 2015 foundational paper published in New Phytologist, entitled "Redefining fine roots improves understanding of below‐ground contributions to terrestrial biosphere processes," which has been cited over 1,200 times.
“It is an honor to be recognized for a second year and see the growing reach of tree-root science,” McCormack said. “This collaborative research is increasing our understanding of the critical role roots play in supporting healthy trees and forests for generations to come.”
Of the 6,886 total Highly Cited Researcher awards worldwide this year, with some individuals receiving multiple recognitions across different fields, 2,507 are from the United States.
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About The Morton Arboretum
The Morton Arboretum is a globally recognized leader in tree research and education. Its 1,700 acre site cares for 106,714 specimens representing 4,067 different kinds of plants. The Arboretum’s Center for Tree Science, Global Tree Conservation Program, Chicago Region Trees Initiative, and Center for Species Survival: Trees are contributing scientific knowledge and technical experience to secure the future of trees locally, nationally, and worldwide. Information about the Arboretum’s scientific work and how it contributes to a greener, healthier world where people and trees thrive together can be found at mortonarb.org.