Dr Rebecca Cheung recognised in the 2026 Stanford–Elsevier World’s Top 2% Scientists List 

Dr Rebecca Cheung, Senior Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University’s Academy of Future Education (AoFE), has been included in the Single-year Impact category of the 2026 Stanford–Elsevier World’s Top 2% Scientists List.

The publicly available dataset is divided into two lists: career-long citation impact, which measures a researcher’s impact over their entire career to the end of 2025, and single-year citation impact, which ranks citation impact over the most recent calendar year.

The rankings draw on Scopus data and use a composite indicator, the c-score, as the primary evaluation metric. This incorporates several measures, including total citations, the h-index, the co-authorship-adjusted hm-index, and citations to papers on which researchers are the sole author, first author, or last author.

The rankings also cross-reference the Retraction Watch database to identify retracted publications and their associated citations, providing additional information on research integrity.

Dr Cheung’s research programme on mental well-being aligns with AoFE’s commitment to research-led impact on real-world practice. In collaboration with schools and non-profit organisations, she bridges the gap between basic and applied research by designing and evaluating well-being interventions for students, teachers, and parents.

She also serves as an advisor and a board director for non-governmental organisations, such as JUST FEEL and StoryTaler, to promote social-emotional learning and mental health literacy.

To date, she has delivered findings through 12 book chapters and 98 peer-reviewed journal articles, with key contributions appearing in Journal of Happiness Studies, Mindfulness, and Journal of Counseling Psychology. Recognising her contributions, the Association for Psychological Science named her a Rising Star in 2018.

Dr Cheung is an Associate Editor for the Mindfulness, Journal of Child and Family Studies, and Journal of Psychology and AI. She is dedicated to advancing evidence-based practices that foster well-being in global communities.

Dr Cheung’s recognition in the 2026 Stanford–Elsevier World’s Top 2% Scientists List highlights the international academic impact of her research and the Academy of Future Education’s commitment to research excellence.

By Xiaoyan Jin