Professor Younan Xia, Brock Family Chair and GRA Eminent Scholar in Nanomedicine in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been listed on the Reuters' Press List for "Highly Cited Researchers of 2014". "Highly Cited Researchers 2014" represents the world’s leading scientific minds. Over three thousand researchers earned the distinction by writing the greatest numbers of reports officially designated by Essential Science Indicators℠ as "Highly Cited Papers"—ranking among the top 1% most cited for their subject field and year of publication, earning them the mark of exceptional impact in their field.

Professor Xia received his Ph.D. degree in physical chemistry from Harvard University in 1996, his M.S. degree in inorganic chemistry from University of Pennsylvania  in 1993, and his B.S. degree in chemical physics from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 1987.

Xia is known for the co-invention of soft lithography, with his Ph.D. mentor Professor George M. Whitesides at Harvard University. Currently the focus of Xia's research is on the advancement of nanomedicine, the development of new chemistry, physics, and technological applications of nanostructured materials.