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.
Nov 03, 2014...
An in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure [Illustrative]. (photo credit:REUTERS)
Two leading biologists at Rehovot’s Weizmann Institute of Science have strongly objected to an offer by Facebook and Apple to the US companies’ female employees to finance the freezing of their ova so they can delay motherhood, as a pathway for improving women’s access to fulfilling careers.
The position paper was issued on Monday by Prof. Michal Neeman, dean of the biology faculty and director of the Clore Center for Biological Physics, and Prof. Nava Dekel of the developmental biology department. Their ire was triggered by the companies’ announcement of October 14.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/five-business-values-from-girl-scouts/
Aug 01, 2013...
Girl Scouts and mentors on the stairs at Science House. Image Credit: James Jorasch
In preparation for pitching their business ideas to a panel later in the week, fifty Girl Scouts recently visited Science House to be mentored. We brainstormed on the walls of the Imagination Room and listened as pairs of teams told us about their business ideas developed as part of their program with the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College.
Oct 07, 2009...
October 7, 2009—The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science congratulates Prof. Ada Yonath on receiving the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and is proud of her scientific achievements. We are delighted that the Nobel Committee for Chemistry has recognized the significance of Prof. Yonath's scientific research and awarded her this important prize.
Prof. Yonath's research is driven by curiosity and ambition to better understand the world and our place within it. This research aims high: to understand one of the most complicated "machines" of the biological system.
Sep 21, 2015...
We've all read that healthy living – eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, exercising regularly, not smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight – can boost your immune system to help you fight colds and infections.
But now research conducted by pioneering immunologist Michal Schwartz and her team at Weizmann Institute in Israel suggests that boosting immunity may be the key to treating and preventing a host of diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and glaucoma.
Aug 07, 2018...
Israeli Nobel Prize winner Ada Yonath, who is also a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science, at a press conference in Rehovot. (Flash90)
RIO DE JANEIRO — Ecuador’s National Congress honored an Israeli Nobel laureate.
Ada Yonath, who won the 2009 prize for chemistry, received a medal of scientific merit from the National Assembly’s president, Elizabeth Cabezas, at a ceremony Thursday in Quito, newspaper El Telegrafo reported.
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.
Jul 01, 2012...
Reproduction—perhaps the most basic impulse of all living creatures—is also among the most complex and intricate of all human processes, requiring the precise coordination of many biological systems. This becomes most evident when things go wrong. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in the U.S. alone there are more than seven million women with an impaired ability to have children.
Difficulty conceiving can be due to age, stress, health, or any number and combination of factors, many of which come into play as more women wait until later in life to have children. Often such women turn to invasive, expensive procedures to induce pregnancy—procedures that frequently fail and that, even when successful, can cause a host of health problems for the women and children both.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/left-handed-women-s-quirk-over-sense-of-smell/
Nov 07, 2019...
Image via Shutterstock
Scientists say they have discovered a biological anomaly that could change how we understand our sense of smell.
The study in the journal Neuron shows some people can smell normally, despite missing the part of the brain that is considered to be crucial for smell - the olfactory bulbs.
Lacking bulbs should cause anosmia (being unable to smell).
Curiously, the phenomenon mostly affects left-handed women, and has never been detected in men.
Sep 11, 2014...
Part of a new series “He for She” – inspired by UN Women and heforshe.org
As a writer about women’s issues in business and life, I’ve tackled many aspects of what hinders women from advancing to equality – in the domestic arena, the global economy, and in political and business life and leadership. It’s a vast topic – complex, rich and multifaceted – with factors and influences that defy easy quantification or understanding.
Mar 19, 2019...
Mina J. Bissell. (Credit: Berkeley Lab)
Mina Bissell, a distinguished scientist at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), has been selected to receive two prestigious awards for her pioneering contributions to breast cancer biology and medicine.
In recognition of her lifetime achievements, including her extraordinary insights into how a cell’s local environment impacts gene expression and tumor formation, the American Philosophical Society (APS) has chosen Bissell as the recipient of the Jonathan E. Rhoads Gold Medal for Distinguished Service to Medicine. The honor is given only once every three years.