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 future of humanity.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/the-importins-of-anxiety/
Dec 11, 2018...
In genetically engineered mice lacking the protein importin alpha-5 (right), a molecule called MeCP2 (red), known to affect anxiety behaviors, stayed on the outside of the nuclei (blue) of brain neurons, instead of getting inside the nuclei as it does in regular mice (left). Images were obtained with a confocal microscope and displayed using computational reconstruction.
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—December 11, 2018—According to some estimates, up to one in three people around the world may experience severe anxiety in their lifetime. In a study published in Cell Reports, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have revealed a previously unknown mechanism underlying anxiety. Targeting this biochemical pathway may help develop new therapies to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety disorders.
Jul 19, 2016...
Stress-coping molecule Urocortin-3 (green) and its receptor, CRFR2 (red), expressed in the mouse brain region responsible for social behavior. Viewed under a confocal microscope
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—July 19, 2016—Meeting new people can be both stressful and rewarding. Research at the Weizmann Institute of Science, reported yesterday in Nature Neuroscience, suggests that a molecule involved in regulating stress in the brain may help determine how willing we are to leave the safety of our social group and strike up new relationships.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/lighting-up-the-mechanisms-of-brain-disease/
Mar 28, 2017...
It was late 2005, and Dr. Ofer Yizhar was busily conducting neurobiology research at Tel Aviv University for his doctorate, unaware that his life plans were about to change, when a fellow doctoral student burst into the lab, a scientific paper in hand.
“You won’t believe what they did in this paper,” he told Dr. Yizhar, who was surprised to read that scientists were able to genetically modify a neuron – a brain cell – to make it sensitive to light.
May 20, 2015... Prof. Alon Chen studies the biology of conditions such as stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. In this video, he explains the mechanism of action behind these conditions and what happens when the system goes awry.
Feb 22, 2012...
Scientists now have a better understanding of the way that stress impacts the brain. New research, published by Cell Press in the January 26 issue of the journal Neuron, reveals pioneering evidence for a new mechanism of stress adaptation and may eventually lead to a better understanding of why prolonged and repeated exposure to stress can lead to anxiety disorders and depression.
Most stressful stimuli cause the release of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) from neurons in the brain. This is typically followed by rapid changes in CRH gene expression. In more practical terms, as soon as the CRH-containing neurons run out of CRH, they are already receiving directions to make more. CRH controls various reactions to stress, including immediate "fight-or-flight" responses as well as more delayed adaptive responses in the brain. Regulation of CRH activity is critical for adaptation to stress, and abnormal regulation of CRH is linked with multiple human psychiatric disorders.
Oct 10, 2005... NEW YORK, NY—October 10, 2005—The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, and New York University have joined forces to present a special forum on neural science. Four leaders in this dynamic field will explain some of the latest developments in brain research to a select group of invited guests. Titled "Unveiling the Secrets of the Brain," the event will take place at the Helen and Martin Kimmel Center for University Life in New York City on Monday, October 31, from 9:30am to 1:30pm.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/sleep-off-addiction-to-cigarettes/
Nov 20, 2014...
Nov. 20, 2014 — Bad smells during sleep may teach smokers to dislike cigarettes and help them cut back, a new study hints.
Smokers who were exposed to the smell of cigarettes along with an unpleasant odor during a single night of sleep smoked less for days afterward, the researchers found.
This study shows that "sleep learning can influence later wake behavior," says Anat Arzi. She's a PhD student at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.
Jun 01, 2017...
Humans are exposed to stress at different intensities throughout life but many researchers maintain that the critical effect of stress occurs prenatally, inside the womb.
Stress affects the body and can trigger illness – from psychiatric disorders to heart disease. Humans are exposed to stress at different intensities throughout life: as children, in adolescence, and in old age. But when is the impact of stress on our systems most powerful? Many researchers maintain that the critical effect occurs prenatally, inside the womb. This hypothesis was, until recently, based mainly on statistical data indicating a correlation between stress during pregnancy and susceptibility to disease. Now, Weizmann Institute of Science research, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, establishes, for the first time, a clear causal link between prenatal stress and the onset of eating disorders. Furthermore, in a study in mice, researchers successfully prevented the onset of a compulsive eating disorder by the sole means of a unique diet.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/understanding-the-anxious-brain/
Feb 03, 2017... Everyone experiences anxiety at times, but for some people, it’s a pervasive condition that can turn the ordinary into the distressing. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 1 of every 10 women and 4 of every 100 men will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some time in their lives – for example, as a result of trauma experienced in war or from all-too-common events such as accidents, crime, or sudden health conditions. Even more people suffer from generalized anxiety without a specific memory of an experience they can point to as a cause.
Jul 15, 2013...
Scientists have found that very high levels of stress in the mother can also overwhelm the barrier enzyme in the placenta, allowing the stress hormone cortisol to cross into the foetus’s brain. Photo: PA
Researchers have discovered a key component of the placenta that normally protects unborn babies from high levels of hormones that build up in their mothers’ blood when she is stressed.
In some mothers, however, this protective element can be faulty, allowing the foetus to be exposed to stress hormones and leaving a child more prone to anxiety and depression in later life.
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