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.
Aug 06, 2013...
At Weizmann: Researchers Rafael Malach and Tal Harmelech, pushing the boundaries of brain research. Courtesy of Prof. Rafael Malach
It is well known that the patterns of activity in the human brain change according to the different tasks that people are performing. But could it be that an imprint of these patterns remains on the brain hours and even days later, like footprints in the sand?
At the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, home to a Nobel laureate and three Turing Award laureates, neurobiology professor Rafael Malach claims to have evidence that such a record remains — for 24 hours, at least.
Aug 28, 2010...
Stress is one of life’s universal experiences – everyone is familiar with it, regardless of who they are, where they live, or what they do. But while stress is common, it is hardly simple. Prof. Alon Chen of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Neurobiology is working to clarify the biological underpinnings of stress and elucidate the brain’s mechanisms for coping with the condition.
Prof. Chen defines stress as the result of any demand or challenge to homeostasis – our internal balance system – and says it is important to remember that stress can be real or perceived, current or anticipated, physiological or psychological, or a mixture of these. In addition, the perception of and response to stress are very individual, and both genetic and environmental factors play a role in how a person copes. Many scientists believe that stress is left over from early human existence, when challenging situations required an instinctive “fight or flight” response. Today, people have more choices; however, when confronted with stress, the body still automatically activates a series of coordinated responses organized to protect homeostatic equilibrium and, thus, enhance the probability of survival.
Oct 22, 2015... The human brain is “limitless” – and yet, sometimes things go wrong. In this video, Prof. Noam Sobel, Dr. Assaf Tal, Prof. Michal Schwartz, Prof. Alon Chen, Dr. Tali Kimchi, Dr. Ofer Yizhar, Prof. Daniel Zajfman, and Prof. Yadin Dudai talk about studying the brain in health and disease, always learning “what it means to be human, what it means to think, what it means to remember.”
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/shining-new-light-on-the-mysteries-of-the-brain/
Jul 20, 2015...
On Thurs. July 16, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science held a conference called “Shining New Light on the Mysteries of the Brain” with Ofer Yizhar, a neurobiology researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.
Yizhar completed his undergraduate degree at Tel Aviv University and then his graduate degree in neurobiology at Stanford University, where he completed research until 2011.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/shedding-light-on-the-secrets-of-autism/
Apr 13, 2017... Despite the fact that autism is more prevalent today than ever, its causes are still unknown – though research indicates that there are likely a number of contributing factors: environmental, genetic, neurological, biological. And while Weizmann Institute scientists have made significant contributions to the understanding of autism, developing means of diagnosis, and creating potential treatments, much remains to be done – which is why their research continues at a rapid pace and approaches the condition from multiple angles.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/can-boosting-immunity-make-you-smarter/
Feb 12, 2013...
T cells, white blood cells that are a key part of the immune system, may also play an important role in cognitive function. NIBSC/Science Source
After spending a few days in bed with the flu, you may have felt a bit stupid. It is a common sensation, that your sickness is slowing down your brain. At first blush, though, it doesn’t make much sense. For one thing, flu viruses infect the lining of the airways, not the neurons in our brains. For another, the brain is walled off from the rest of the body by a series of microscopic defenses collectively known as the blood-brain barrier. It blocks most viruses and bacteria while allowing essential molecules like glucose to slip through. What ails the body, in other words, shouldn’t interfere with our thinking.But over the past decade, Jonathan Kipnis, a neuroimmunologist in the University of Virginia School of Medicine’s department of neuroscience, has discovered a possible link, a modern twist on the age-old notion of the body-mind connection. His research suggests that the immune system engages the brain in an intricate dialogue that can influence our thought processes, coaxing our brains to work at their best.
Mar 07, 2017... On February 28, 2017, American Committee donors of all giving levels were invited to join a special conference call with CEO Marshall S. Levin. More than 100 donors from across the country participated. Mr. Levin spoke on the topic of “Science at the Leading Edge: Latest Breakthroughs from the Weizmann Institute of Science.” He opened with an overview of the Weizmann Institute and its reputation as a relatively small institution with “an outsized impact” on the world. He then discussed the Institute’s game-changing research on the aging brain, as well as the work of its Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine. Through these and other initiatives, the Institute seeks to improve the quality of life of every person on the planet.
Feb 05, 2019...
Illustration via Shutterstock.com
Comparing human brains to monkey brains reveals that our more evolutionarily advanced brains may be more efficient but are also less robust, according to new research from Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science.
Neurobiology Prof. Rony Paz explains that our brains are like modern washing machines – technologically sophisticated but more vulnerable to breakdown and costly disorders.
Apr 17, 2019...
For many years, scientists believed that the brain was completely isolated from the immune system because of a shield called the blood-brain barrier.
That dogma has changed, due in no small part to the research of Prof. Michal Schwartz of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Neurobiology.
“My assumption was always that the immune system does help repair the brain, but that it has a very unique way of communicating across the blood-brain barrier,” she says. “This assumption turned out to be correct. However, the work that it took to get there was very difficult.”
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/unfolding-the-mysteries-of-proteins/
Feb 06, 2017... The deceptively simple, three-dimensional beauty of origami starts with a single sheet of paper, which must be precisely folded to become a swan or frog or crane. Similarly, the proteins that carry out many of the tasks in cells also must be accurately folded into three-dimensional structures; in their case, in order to perform their specific function and keep the organism – for example, you – in good shape. When origami is misfolded, the result is a pile of crumpled, formless paper. But when proteins don’t fold properly, the result is not so benign. In fact, it can be devastating: the misfolded proteins can clump together into aggregates that are toxic to normal, healthy cells.Dr. Rina Rosenzweig
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