In an era where scientific breakthroughs shape our future, a new study from Stanford University and Elsevier has pinpointed the researchers leading the charge. The updated ranking of the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists reveals not just who’s publishing – but whose work is driving global progress. The massive dataset, analyzing millions of academic papers Recognizing the world’s most impactful scientists based on Scopus data and a composite score (c-score) developed by Stanford researchers The highest cited scientist is Eric S. Lander from the Broad Institute, United States with 697,064 citations. The average H-index for the top 1% of scientists is 322 against an average of 187 for the top 1000 scientists included in the ranking. WORLD 'S BEST SCIENTISTS RANKING How Can Interdisciplinary Online Advanced Degrees Enhance Career Growth? Discover the top 10 scientists of 2025, ranked by the Ad Scientific Index, featuring legends like Newton, Einstein, Curie, and Tesla.