September is World Alzheimer’s Month – a fact that highlights the disease’s unfortunate status as a major, ongoing, global health crisis. There are many intersecting reasons that Alzheimer’s disease is on the rise; ironically, most of them are also advances, such as better healthcare, prevention, nutrition, safety, and the like, all of which lead to increased longevity. And while Alzheimer’s is a disease of the aging brain, there is also a significant genetic component to this devastating illness. As of now, despite many years and many billions of dollars, there is no truly effective treatment, much less a cure.
September 2017
How Weizmann Institute scientists are advancing food security in an insecure era
Thanks to advances in healthcare, sanitation, safety, and nutrition, people today are living longer than ever; in fact, in the West, the fastest-growing demographic is age 85 and up.
Did you know that May is National Cancer Research Month? As the American Association of Cancer Research states, this observance “recognizes the importance of cancer research”: after all, without basic research and the skilled scientists pursuing it, we would never have means of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Cancer research has been a major focus of the Weizmann Institute of Science since its early days. Our scientists were among the first in the world to demonstrate that cancer develops in a multistage process; since then, they have made major advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Today they are deeply invested in the development of personalized cancer therapies.
May 2017
On March 21, the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Dr. Ulyana Shimanovich received the 11th Annual Gruber Award for Scientific Excellence. Established by philanthropist Patricia Gruber and her late husband Peter Gruber through their Gruber Foundation, the prestigious award provides valuable affirmation and support for talented young scientists just beginning their careers.
May 12, 2017
Now an undergraduate at Harvard, Joshua Meier is making his mark in the lab and as a startup entrepreneur. Here, he recalls his formative summer at the Weizmann Institute.
The Weizmann Institute’s diverse, creative autism research is exemplified by three recent projects: investigating the immune system-brain development connection, using optogenetics to turn autistic behaviors on and off, and determining the causes of social shyness.
Weizmann Institute alumnus Dr. Jeffrey Rothenberg is an accomplished physician, a celebrated professor, and a prolific artist. Here, he discusses how his Weizmann education broadened his horizons, gave him an appreciation for the arts and humanities, and served as the springboard to his entire career.
April 05, 2017
In Issue No. 47 of Weizmann Views, serendipity leads Dr. Ofer Yizhar to his life’s work: pioneering the remarkable new field of optogenetics. Optogenetics combines optics – the branch of physics concerned with light – and genetics to offer previously unimaginable new ways of studying the brain. Dr. Yizhar's work has particular import for the understanding of autism.
©2018 American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
