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/neurons-caught-rapidly-switching-gears/
Aug 24, 2022... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 24, 2022—Even during such routine tasks as a daily stroll, our brain sometimes needs to shift gears, switching from navigating the city to jumping out of the way of a bike or to crossing the street to greet a friend. These switches pose a challenge: How do the brain’s circuits deal with such dynamic and abrupt changes in behavior? A Weizmann Institute of Science study on bats, published today in Nature, suggests an answer that does not fit the classical thinking about brain function.
Dec 29, 2022... Prof. Alon Chen, President of the Weizmann Institute of Science, has been awarded the 2022 Bennett Family Award for Collaboration in the Science of Wellness, along with Juan de Pablo, the Executive Vice President for Science, Innovation, National Laboratories, and Global Initiatives, and the Liew Family Professor in Molecular Engineering at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. Each year, the Bennett Family Award will recognize individuals engaged in collaborative research, merging science and wellness for the advancement of human health.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/toward-a-treatment-for-huntington-s-disease/
Feb 27, 2024...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—February 27, 2024—The human brain is a well-guarded control center. Its system of blood vessels is surrounded by a densely packed cellular barrier that prevents most substances from getting in or out. This fortified architecture protects the brain, but it can also stop it from getting help when needed – as in the case of a neurodegenerative disease.
In a new study published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, Prof. Rivka Dikstein of the Weizmann Institute of Science and her team identified two small molecules that manage to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and reduce the levels of a defective protein that causes Huntington’s disease, an incurable neurodegenerative disorder. The new drugs not only slowed the progress of the disease in mouse models but even reversed some of its symptoms.
Apr 26, 2024...
Mental and physical disorders caused by chronic stress are constantly on the rise, putting a significant strain on society. They affect both men and women, but not necessarily in the same way. A new study at Weizmann reveals in unprecedented detail how the brains of males and females respond differently to stress.
Researchers from Prof. Alon Chen’s joint laboratory at Weizmann and the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich discovered that a subcategory of brain cells responds to stress in a totally different manner in males and females. The findings could lead to a better understanding of health conditions affected by chronic stress, such as anxiety, depression, and even obesity and diabetes. The continued work of scientists at Weizmann could also pave the way toward personalized therapies for these disorders in men and women.