Nature’s 10 people who helped shape science in 2021
Updated: Sep 12
An Omicron investigator, a Mars explorer and an AI ethics pioneer are some of the people behind the year’s big research stories.
Nature’s 10 list explores key developments in science this year and some of the people who played important parts in these milestones. Along with their colleagues, these individuals helped to make amazing discoveries and brought attention to crucial issues. Nature’s 10 is not an award or a ranking. The selection is compiled by Nature’s editors to highlight key events in science through the compelling stories of those involved.
Nature’s 10
Winnie Byanyima: Vaccine warrior
Friederike Otto: Weather detective
Zhang Rongqiao: Mars explorer
Timnit Gebru: AI ethics leader
Tulio de Oliveira: Variant tracker
John Jumper: Protein predictor
Victoria Tauli-Corpuz: Indigenous defender
Guillaume Cabanac: Deception sleuth
Meaghan Kall: COVID communicator
Janet Woodcock: Drug chief