About Us
Founded in 1944, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and advances its mission of science for the benefit of humanity.
The start of a new year is always a time of optimism, yet more so than ever as we begin 2021. Science has offered hope for some of the world’s most devastating problems, particularly COVID-19 – but in order to continue its forward progress, science needs new researchers to take up the mantle and introduce fresh ideas and approaches.
That’s why we are also finding hope in the form of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s newest members: brilliant young investigators in fields from antibiotics to astrophysics. The Institute recruits only a handful of new scientists each year, searching worldwide for the most talented thinkers, the ones who will take Weizmann – and science – into the future. Here are a few of these remarkable researchers.
As we draw to the close of a year in which humanity faced unprecedented difficulties ranging from COVID-19 to climate change-related fires and storms, we look forward to the new year with hope – an optimism that is fueled by a belief in science and its power to heal the world.
But before we put 2020 behind us, it is worthwhile and inspiring to review the many advances made by Weizmann Institute scientists.
What better way to begin a new year than meeting some of the Weizmann Institute’s new scientists?
Every year, the Institute recruits several talented young researchers, each of whom is already a standout in their field. One reason the selection process is so particular is that, once on campus, the scientists are given everything they need to kick off their careers, such as a custom-built lab that has the equipment required for each specialty. The results speak for themselves.
We are nearing the end of 2019: time to look back on the Weizmann Institute’s year in science. The researchers were so productive that we can only touch on their many breakthroughs in fields from climate change to vaccines, Alzheimer’s disease to quantum computing, personalized cancer treatment to nutrition. Here are just a few of the year’s life-affirming advances:
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is transforming our world – and can save lives. Our scientists used machine learning to create a way to diagnose multiple myeloma before it turns cancerous. This means patients can be monitored with simple blood tests, enabling earlier treatment for multiple myeloma – and hopefully other cancers as well.
On April 2, Patricia Gruber presented the 13th annual Gruber Award for Scientific Excellence to the Weizmann Institute’s Dr. Sivan Refaely-Abramson. Established by Patricia and her late husband, Peter, through their Gruber Foundation, the three-year award recognizes brilliant early-career Weizmann scientists.
April 12, 2019
As we take a moment to reflect on 2018, one thing is clear: the world needs science now more than ever. The past year was a time of flux, which makes us all the more grateful for Weizmann’s unchanging mission of “science for the benefit of humanity.” Scientific progress holds the promise of a better world – and here are just some of the breakthroughs from 2018 that inspire hope:
Prof. Ruth Arnon, renowned co-developer of Copaxone®, one of the world’s leading multiple sclerosis drugs, has developed a universal flu vaccine. The vaccine, which entered Phase III clinical trials in 2018, could protect people against all strains of the virus, for many years, in a single shot.
At the age of eight, Henry Fenichel, a child survivor of the Holocaust, met Dr. Chaim Weizmann. The young boy would go on to become an accomplished physicist, a visiting scientist at the Weizmann Institute, and the co-author of a biography of the Institute's first scientific director.
On November 29, 2018, American Committee supporters from across the U.S. tuned in for new CEO Dave Doneson’s first video conference, “Weizmann Science: Why Basic Research Matters and Merits Our Support.” In conversation with Bonnie Diamond, Senior Vice President of Donor Relations & National Programs, Mr. Doneson illustrated the value of basic science by sharing the stories of three transformative breakthroughs.
November 29, 2018
For Linda McCurdy and Joyce Oleshansky, supporting the Weizmann Institute was “a given,” thanks to their father, the late Pierre Schoenheimer. Today, Linda, Joyce, and their children continue the family's multi-generational legacy at Weizmann, which began with the establishment of a scholarship in memory of their great-uncle.
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