The much-anticipated Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List for 2026 has been officially released. A total of 10 researchers from Yantian-based BGI Group were named to the "Single-Year Citation Impact" list.

This prestigious list highlights the world's leading scientists who have made a substantial impact in their respective fields through citation-based influence. For researchers, institutions, and science enthusiasts, it is a vital resource for recognizing excellence and tracking cutting-edge scientific contributions.

Compiled jointly by Stanford University and Elsevier, the list identifies the top 2% of scientists worldwide by standardized citation metrics. It evaluates research impact using both career-long and single-year citation data across 22 scientific fields and 174 sub-fields to ensure fair and comprehensive representation. The selection metric, the composite indicator (c-score), accounts for the number of citations, co-authorship adjustments, and authorship positions, focusing on meaningful impact rather than mere productivity.

The "Single-Year Citation Impact" list is based on 2025 citation data and focuses on evaluating scientists' contributions within a single year.

Among the BGI researchers named to the list, several have been included for multiple years. Yang Huanming, co-founder and chairman of BGI Group, has been named for five consecutive years, while Xu Xun, chief researcher at BGI Group, has been included for seven consecutive years since 2020. Four others — Liu Longqi, executive director of BGI Life Science Research Institute, Chen Ao, senior vice president of MGI, Sahu Sunil Kumar of BGI Life Science Research Institute, and Zhang Chi of BGI Genomics — made the list for the first time. Also named were Li Junhua and Jie Zhuye of BGI Life Science Research Institute, and Xiao Liang, chief scientist of BGI Nutrition, among others.

In addition to this list, BGI researchers have been named to the Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers list for 12 consecutive years and to Elsevier's Highly Cited Chinese Researchers list for 12 consecutive years. 

In the 2026 Nature Index Research Leaders rankings, BGI Group ranked first globally among biotech companies and has held the top spot in the Asia-Pacific region for 11 consecutive years.

As of Oct. 10, 2026, BGI has published 6,262 papers in total, including 964 in top journals such as Nature, Science, Cell, and the New England Journal of Medicine.