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.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/former-village-fool-takes-the-prize/
Mar 08, 2008...
When she mounted the podium of the sumptuous hall at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris to receive her $100,000 prize on Thursday, Weizmann Institute of Science Prof. Ada Yonath could justifiably tell herself: “You have reached your scientific target!”
Ironically, one of Israel’s most distinguished scientists - male or female - was for decades treated “like the village fool” by Israeli and foreign colleagues who had doubts about her findings in the rather obscure and complex field of ribosomal crystallography
Dec 22, 2003...
Anyone who has had a scare with cancer can relate to this line from the Woody Allen movie Deconstructing Harry: "The three most beautiful words in the English language aren't 'I love you,' but 'It is benign.'"
Thanks to technology developed in Prof. Hadassa Degani's laboratory, that relief may be had without the invasive, painful procedures that have accompanied cancer diagnosis methods until now. Prof. Degani discussed her breakthrough diagnostic method in a talk at MIT sponsored by ACWIS New England.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/advancing-women-advancing-science/
Dec 09, 2016...
So says Nessa Rappaport, Senior Program Officer of the Charles H. Revson Foundation – and the Weizmann Institute of Science couldn’t agree more.
The Revson Foundation’s actions speak as clearly as those words; along with several other valued, generous individuals and organizations, it supports the Weizmann Institute’s National Postdoctoral Award Program for Advancing Women in Science.
2017 marks 10 years since the program was established to help close science’s gender gap; now, as 2016 draws to a close, it is the perfect time to look at the impacts of this remarkable effort.
Aug 01, 2019...
What is your field of study?
I did my doctorate in high-energy physics – particle physics – and my research is on astroparticles.
Could you explain to laypeople what that means?
As we all learned in high school, we are made of molecules, atoms, protons, neutrons and electrons. But we can actually go down to a more precise resolution because the protons and neutrons are composed of smaller particles, called quarks. And there are also a great many more particles that are created at very high energies. With particle accelerators – if they are particle accelerators such as the sun, gamma-ray bursts and supernovas –
Sep 13, 2017...
Prof. Michal Schwartz photo: Rami Zarnegar
Selecting the Woman of the Year is never easy; it amounts to a statement of values, meaning, and priorities. The selection is based on a single overriding value: excellence. Schwartz, who does her research at the Weizmann Institute of Science, is likely to dramatically change the course of medicine. After years of research, she discovered a mechanism for treating degenerative brain diseases that runs counter to the accepted scientific axioms.
Jul 24, 2019...
Israeli crystallographer Ada Yonath – whose pioneering work on the structure of the ribosome won her the Nobel Prize in 2009 – has one advice for women struggling to make a mark in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM): Forget what society thinks and go after what you want.
At the 69th Lindau Nobel Laureates meeting here, the 80-year-old scientist admitted to PTI in an interview that it isn’t easy being a woman scientist.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/maya-schuldiner-receives-embo-gold-medal-2017/
Jun 08, 2017...
Heidelberg, 8 June 2017 – Maya Schuldiner from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel is the recipient of the 2017 EMBO Gold Medal. She receives the award for significantly advancing the understanding of protein synthesis, trafficking and quality control.
The EMBO Gold Medal is awarded annually and recognizes outstanding contributions to the life sciences in Europe by young independent group leaders.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/to-die-for-the-cause/
Sep 21, 2009... Programmed cell suicide is particularly important in the ovaries, where thousands of cells in the follicle should die each month, releasing just one mature egg. Failure of these cells to die on schedule causes problems ranging from infertility to cysts or ovarian cancer. Prof. Abraham Amsterdam of the Department of Molecular Cell Biology studies the role of cell suicide in both normal and cancerous ovarian cells. He has developed a method to keep granulosa cells, which make up the bulk of the ovarian follicle, alive and multiplying in the test tube, where they can be studied efficiently.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/dr-michal-leskes-energizing-the-future/
Jan 13, 2016...
Dr. Michal Leskes
Batteries now power everything from tiny pacemakers wired to the human heart to the engines of zero-emission cars and light trucks. Just about everything electrical that is not plugged into the wall is run by a battery. We take them for granted, but the innards of batteries are somewhat complex. Enhancing their performance – their ability to “keep going” for longer and store energy from different sources – is a research niche that a growing number of basic scientists around the world are starting to focus on. One of them is Dr. Michal Leskes, who joined the Department of Materials and Interfaces at the Weizmann Institute in July. She focuses on rechargeable batteries such as the lithium-ion batteries that power a wide range of consumer electronics ranging from laptops and cellphones to hybrid and all-electric cars.
Mar 09, 2020...
JERUSALEM, Feb. 24 (Xinhua)— Israeli scientists found that short-term acute inflammation in the mother's body during pregnancy can cause autism to the embryo, said Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) in central Israel on Monday.
Signs of autism usually appear around two or three years old, but it is considered a neurodevelopmental disease, which suggests that changes could already be “brewing” in the embryonic brain.