"The Brain Gain"Introducing New Young Scientists

Talented young scientists like the new recruits pro�led here, with their fresh ideas and research skills, are the dynamic engines of scienti�c discovery and progress that enable the Weizmann Institute of Science to retain and enhance its position at the forefront of science. These high-caliber young researchers, who are recruited each year to the tenure-track faculty of the Weizmann Institute – our “brain gain,” are vital to Israel’s future, and key to the role the Weizmann Institute plays in developing Israel’s scienti�c brain power.

They join its community of 250 principal researchers who are not only the leaders of their own labs and in their own �elds, but also train more than one-quarter of Israel’s new Ph.D.’s in science and mathematics within the framework of the Institute’s graduate education programs.

The Institute has set itself a mission to locate and bring back home the best and brightest young Israeli scientists, and has hired 49 new faculty members since 2005. Their recruitment entails a serious commitment and signi�cant expenditure to provide them with the advanced tools and �nancial backing needed to launch their careers, out�t their laboratories, purchase equipment, build their teams, explore new ideas, and establish collaborations.

This major investment of funds and resources would not be possible without the support of many friends of the Institute from around the world. In addition, we receive signi�cant assistance from various programs of the Israel Science Foundation. We are extremely grateful for the vision and generosity of these supporters, which help us to ensure Israel’s and the Institute’s future success.

Prof. Daniel ZajfmanPresident

Prof. Daniel Zajfman

2

Dr. Barak DayanEducationBarak Dayan completed his B.Sc. degree in physics and mathematics cum laude at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1992), within the IDF’s elite Talpiot program. He went on to complete a M.Sc. in physics cum laude at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1999), and a Ph.D. in physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2005, in Prof. Yaron Silberberg’s ultrafast optics group, where he initiated the assembly of a new quantum optics lab. Dr. Dayan conducted postdoctoral work in quantum optics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he led the e�orts of the microtoroids group. He joined the Department of Chemical Physics at the Weizmann Institute in 2008.

Research �eldDr. Barak Dayan devises new ways to explore and control the most promising and surprising aspects of quantum phenomena. His particular interest lies in the �eld of quantum optics and quantum information science.

Dr. Arama’s research is supported by:M.D. Moross Institute for Cancer ResearchNella and Leon Benoziyo Center for Neurological DiseasesChais Family Fellows Program for New ScientistsSamuel M. Soref & Helene K. Soref FoundationHenry S. & Anne S. Reich Research Fund for Mental Health Lord Mitchell, UKHe is the incumbent of the Corinne S. Koshland Career Development Chair in Perpetuity

Dr. Eli AramaEducationEli Arama earned his B.Sc. (1994) and M.Sc. (1996) degrees from Bar-Ilan University. His Ph.D. on Drosophila tumor suppressor genes was completed at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, in 2000. Dr. Arama conducted postdoctoral research in the genetic analysis of programmed cell death in the Drosophila at Rockefeller University in New York, and was awarded the Charles H. Revson Foundation Fellowship in Biomedical Research in 2003. Dr. Arama joined the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Molecular Genetics in 2006.

Research �eldDr. Eli Arama studies the interaction between apoptosis, or programmed cell death, and the processes that are essential to maintaining the body’s normal biological activities. Defects in the mechanisms that instruct cells to die can promote the development of cancer and malignant tumors if defective cells escape the signal to self destruct; Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and other disorders can arise when too many cells are killed.

3

Dr. Friedman’s researchis supported by:Sir Charles Clore Research Prize Crown Endowment Fund for Immunological ResearchAbisch-Frenkel Foundation for the Promotion of Life Sciences

Dr. Dudovich’s researchis supported by:Chais Family Fellows Program for New ScientistsLord Sie� of Brimpton Memorial Fund IPA Prize Estate of Julius and Hanna RosenCharles and Julia Wolf Philanthropic FundWolfson Family Charitable Trust

Dr. Nir FriedmanEducationNir Friedman completed a B.Sc. in Physics and Mathematics in 1989 in the IDF’s Talpiot program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He received his M.Sc. in physics at Tel Aviv University in 1996. He completed a Ph.D. under the guidance of Prof. Nir Davidson in the Department of Physics of Complex Systems at the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2001. He continued at the Weizmann Institute as a postdoctoral fellow for two years in the Department of Physics of Complex Systems. Dr. Friedman then found his interests being drawn to the ultimate in complex systems – living cells and organisms. He went on to spend four years as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University. Dr. Friedman joined the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Immunology in 2007.

Research �eldDr. Nir Friedman plans to build special micro-�uidic devices to study how cells in the immune system communicate by means of exchanging proteins. These micro-�uidic devices, which are essentially a lab-on-a-chip, enable him to study this exchange on a single cell level. His research combines advanced nano-fabrication, state-of-the-art imaging, full-�edged biological manipulation of single cells, and advanced mathematical approaches to study the immune system.

Dr. Nirit DudovichEducationAfter completing a B.Sc. in physics and computer science at Tel Aviv University in 1996, Nirit Dudovich studied physics at the Weizmann Institute, receiving her M.Sc. in 1999 and Ph.D. in 2004. Dr. Dudovich conducted postdoctoral research as a Fellow at the Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences at the National Research Council in Ottawa, Canada. She joined the Department of Physics of Complex Systems at the Weizmann Institute in 2007.

Research �eldDr. Nirit Dudovich uses super-fast pulses of laser-produced light to probe the basic processes within atoms and molecules. Using these ultra-short bursts of light, Dr. Dudovich and other researchers at the Weizmann Institute hope to capture a conceptual snapshot of molecules in motion and eventually of electron orbits.

4

Dr. Gilboa’s research is supported by:Helen and Martin Kimmel Institute for Stem Cell ResearchWillner Family Center for Vascular BiologyAbisch-Frenkel Foundation for the Promotion of Life SciencesAbraham and Sonia Rochlin Foundation

Dr. Lilach GilboaEducationLilach Gilboa earned an M.Sc. degree summa cum laude in biochemistry from Tel Aviv University’s Interdisciplinary Program for Fostering Excellence in 1993, completing a Ph.D. with distinction in Neurobiochemistry in 1999. After conducting postdoctoral research at New York University’s School of Medicine for eight years, she returned to Israel and joined the sta� of the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Biological Regulation in 2007.

Research �eldDr. Lilach Gilboa studies stem cells found in the ovary of adult fruit �ies (Drosophila melanogaster), which produce eggs continually throughout their lifetime. The many genetic tools available for Drosophila research have made the adult ovary a leading system in understanding the principles of stem cell biology. She has developed a number of new tools and techniques for probing stem cell development and di�erentiation.

Dr. Gal-Yam’s research is supported by:Nella and Leon Benoziyo Center for AstrophysicsPeter and Patricia Gruber AwardsWilliam Z. & Eda Bess Novick New Scientists FundLegacy Heritage Fund

Dr. Avishay Gal-YamEducationAvishay Gal-Yam completed his B.Sc. magna cum laude in physics and mathematics at Tel Aviv University in 1996. Upon completing his Ph.D. in physics and astronomy at Tel Aviv University in 2003, Dr. Gal-Yam received NASA’s prestigious Hubble postdoctoral fellowship – which included research time on the Hubble space telescope – and chose the California Institute of Technology as his host institution. Dr. Gal-Yam joined the Department of Condensed Matter Physics at the Weizmann Institute in 2007.

Research �eldDr. Avishay Gal-Yam’s research focuses on identifying the progenitors of supernovae and gamma-ray bursts, and illuminating the physical processes that determine these explosions. His leadership in a worldwide observation project for supernovae led to the �rst real-time recording of a star in the process of exploding.

5

Dr. Kimchi’s research is supported by Esther Smidof, Switzerland

Dr. Tali KimchiEducationTali Kimchi completed a B.Sc. in biology (1996), an M.Sc. (1998), and Ph.D. with distinction in zoology in 2004, all at Tel Aviv University. From 2004, she was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard. Dr. Kimchi joined the Department of Neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute in 2008.

Research �eldDr. Tali Kimchi, an expert in observing the behavior of animals, is fascinated by the powerful e�ect of pheromones – the subtle scents that animals give o� and receive to communicate – on social and reproductive behaviors. Pheromones have been connected with sexual attraction, fertility, lactation, aggression, and a host of other sex-related phenomena. Yet, understanding how these chemical signals are picked up and transmitted to the brain, and how they a�ect the di�erences between masculine and feminine behavior, is largely uncharted territory.

Dr. Ilani’s research issupported by the Willner Family Leadership Institute for the Weizmann Institute of Science

Dr. Shahal IlaniEducationShahal Ilani completed his B.Sc. in mathematics and physics with honors at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in I992. He went on to complete an M.Sc. in Physics at the Racah Institute of Physics at Hebrew University in 1997, while serving in the Israel Defense Forces’ RAFAEL research program. He spent 1995 as a visiting scientist at Northwestern University in Illinois. Dr. Ilani completed a Ph.D. in Physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2003, and was part of the Weizmann Institute research team that built scanning single electron transistors in the Braun Submicron Center on campus. From 2004 until joining the Department of Condensed Matter Physics in 2008, Dr. Ilani conducted postdoctoral work in the Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics at Cornell University.

Research �eldDr. Shahal Ilani is devising new ways to discover the innermost secrets of quantum phenomena. To study the physics of single electrons in action, he has helped create incredibly small electronic devices – such as single electron transistors and capacitators – made out of single carbon nanotubes suspended between two materials that form the gateways.

6

Dr. Anat LevinEducationAnat Levin completed her B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in mathematics and computer science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem between 1998 and 2006. With assistance from a Sara Lee Schupf Postdoctoral Award from the Weizmann Institute, she conducted postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Computer Science and Arti�cial Intelligence Laboratory. She will join the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics in 2009.

Research �eldDr. Anat Levin’s research focuses – quite literally – on improving digital photography and computerized vision. The emerging �eld of computational photography exploits digital technology to introduce computation between the light array and the �nal image. Dr. Levin and her colleagues helped develop several recent post-exposure applications such as transparency, colorization, matting, and segmentation. They have also applied these principles to the design of novel cameras, such as the coded aperture camera and the motion invariant camera, which can overcome motion blur distortions. Dr. Levin was named by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering’s Intelligent Systems magazine as one of ten top researchers “to watch in arti�cial intelligence (AI)” in 2008.

Dr. Robert KrauthgamerEducationBorn in Ukraine and raised in Israel, Dr. Krauthgamer received a B.Sc. cum laude in mathematics and computer science from Tel Aviv University in 1991. He conducted his graduate studies in computer science at the Weizmann Institute under the guidance of Prof. Uriel Feige, earning an M.Sc. in 1996 and a Ph.D. in 2001, both with distinction. After conducting postdoctoral research at the University of California at Berkeley for two years, he became, in 2003, a research sta� member at the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California. In 2007, he joined the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics.

Research �eldDr. Robert Krauthgamer conducts research in theoretical computer science. He designs and analyzes e�cient algorithms for a broad range of computational problems, and examines the limitations of such algorithms. He focuses on challenging problems that involve such vast quantities of data that they cannot be solved by examining all the potential alternatives.

7

EducationRon Milo completed his B.Sc. in physics and mathematics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1996), and an M.Sc. electrical engineering at Tel Aviv University in 1999. He earned a Ph.D. in biological physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2005. Dr. Milo conducted postdoctoral research at the Weizmann Institute and as a fellow in systems biology at Harvard Medical School. He joined the Department of Plant Sciences at the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2008.

Research �eldDr. Ron Milo brings the tools and approaches employed in systems biology to bear on such challenges as the sustainability of plant and biofuel production. He studies the e�ciency of photosynthesis to gain insight into the constraints that shape its properties and the limitations on the maximal productivity in plants and other photosynthetic organisms. His early work identi�ed “network motifs,” simple building blocks that enable analysis of complex biological networks. He has also studied the dynamics of protein levels at the single cell level, and helped develop technology to measure the variability and temporal memory of proteins in human cells.

Dr. Ron Milo

Dr. Levy’s research issupported by:Clore Center for Biological PhysicsHelen and Martin Kimmel Center for Molecular DesignHelen & Milton A. Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure & AssemblyFondation Fernande et Jean GajHe is the incumbent of the Lillian & George Lyttle Career Development Chair

Dr. Yaacov (Koby) LevyEducationKoby Levy graduated summa cum laude from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (B.Sc. 1994), and earned a Ph.D. at Tel Aviv University in the Department of Chemical Physics. Dr. Levy conducted postdoctoral research at the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, University of California, San Diego. He joined the Department of Structural Biology at the Weizmann Institute in 2006.

Research �eldDr. Koby Levy’s research focuses on deciphering the physical and evolutionary principles of communication between the cell’s molecules. He uses high-performance computer clusters to generate models of protein assembly, protein folding (the process of a protein chain assuming a three-dimensional shape), protein-to-protein recognition, and protein-to-DNA recognition (the speci�c binding between proteins and a DNA molecule). Dr. Levy’s e�ort to understand how biological molecules communicate to generate a cellular function has long-term implications for combating medical conditions such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.

8

Dr. Noy’s research issupported by:Chais Family Fellows Program for New ScientistsKoret FoundationEstate of Wilhelm and Ruth Berler, BelgiumEstate of Louise G. Perlmuter, Brookline, MAMr. Ilan Gluzman, Secaucus, NJ Dr. and Mrs. Robert Zaitlin, Los Angeles, CA

Dr. Dror NoyEducationDror Noy earned a B.Sc. in chemistry at Tel Aviv University in 1992. He earned an M.Sc. (1995) and a Ph.D. in chemistry in 2000, both at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Dr. Noy studied under Prof. Avigdor Scherz, whose pioneering work in chlorophylls and chlorophyll derivatives laid the groundwork for the new �eld of vascular targeting photodynamic therapy. Dr. Noy worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the University of Pennsylvania Biochemistry and Biophysics Department from 2000-2004. He returned to Israel in 2004, worked as a postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Irit Sagi in the Department of Structural Biology at the Weizmann Institute, and joined the Plant Sciences Department in 2007.

Research �eldDr. Dror Noy is fascinated with photosynthesis, the complex biochemical reaction that is the basis for all biological energy. He has spent his research career learning how it works, and how to disassemble and begin to reassemble the basic building blocks of photosynthesizing protein complexes. He sees natural photosynthesizing proteins as the ultimate catalysts and the perfect models for new tools for harvesting light energy from the sun.

Dr. Alexander Milov EducationAlexander Milov was born in Odessa, Ukraine, and raised in Novosibirsk, Russia. He earned an M.Sc. at Novosibirsk State University in 1991, and worked in the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics from 1987 until making aliyah in 1996. He completed a Ph.D. in particle physics at the Weizmann Institute in 2002. He began his postdoctoral work as a Research Associate in the Heavy Ion Group at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, State University of New York at Stony Brook from 2002 though 2005. He then joined the BNL-PHENIX Group in the Department of Physics at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Dr. Milov joined the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Particle Physics in 2008.

Research �eldIn his Ph.D. work at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Dr. Alexander Milov began to develop unconventional new ways for analyzing the global characteristics of high energy particle collisions, such as particle multiplicity and the energy they carry. His ideas for this new kind of analysis were readily adopted by many of his collaborators, and will enable scientists to measure the signal produced by some rare resonances not considered to be measurable by the PHENIX experiment.

9

Dr. Ozeri’s research issupported by the Chais Family Fellows Program for New Scientists

Dr. Roee OzeriEducationRoee Ozeri earned a B.Sc. in physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1994. He went on to earn his M. Sc. (1998) and Ph.D. (2003) degrees in physics from the Weizmann Institute, working with Prof. Nir Davidson in the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Physics of Complex Systems to design and build sophisticated devices to trap and measure ions and their quantum properties. Dr. Ozeri conducted his postdoctoral research in quantum information processing at the Time and Frequency Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado. He joined the Institute’s Department of Physics of Complex Systems in 2007.

Research �eldTo trap an ion and observe its quantum information, such as its spin, Dr. Roee Ozeri chills and slows atoms down to ultra-cold temperatures near absolute zero (0° K) using laser-driven cooling devices, and then isolates them in the electro-magnetic equivalent of a vacuum. This enables Dr. Ozeri and other researchers to measure and manipulate the ion’s quantum state. Quantum physicists like Dr. Ozeri are con�dent that the next generation of computers will be based on quantum bits, where the quantum state of an atom can be “read” as spinning one way, the opposite way, or “both,” since such contradictions are possible in the world of quantum physics.

Dr. Dan Oron

Dr. Oron’s research issupported by the A.M.N. Fund for the Promotion of Science, Culture and Arts in Israel

EducationDan Oron earned his B.Sc. degree in physics and mathematics at the Hebrew University in the IDF’s Talpiot program (1994). After completing an M.Sc. at Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheba (1998), Oron worked as a scientist in the Physics Department of the Negev Nuclear Research Center from 1994 until 2000. He completed a Ph.D. in physics at the Weizmann Institute in 2005 under Prof. Yaron Silberberg. They have collaborated on numerous papers in the new �eld of ultrafast optics. After postdoctoral research at the Hebrew University, he joined the Institute’s Department of Physics of Complex Systems in 2007.

Research �eldBy bending and shaping beams of laser light, and then refocusing their harmonic waves so that they come together at various depths, Dr. Dan Oron and his colleagues are able to create in-depth pictures of microscopic samples much faster than with traditional scanning techniques. Due to their novel optical properties, nanocrystals promise to dramatically improve the resolution of optical microscopes. Moreover, these inorganic crystals are more stable than conventional organic dyes currently used as markers for biological molecules that need to be traced. Other potential applications of Dr. Oron’s research include the development of advanced laser technologies, optical ampli�ers and highly e�cient solar cells made of materials that e�ectively convert sunlight into electricity.

10

Dr. Gilad PerezEducationGilad Perez completed a B.Sc. in physics at Bar-Ilan University, and completed his M.Sc. (1999) and Ph.D. in theoretical high energy physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2003. Dr. Perez conducted postdoctoral research at the Lawrence-Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley, and served as an assistant professor at the C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He also held visiting professorships at Boston University and Harvard University in 2007. He joined the Department of Particle Physics at the Weizmann Institute in 2008.

Research �eldAs a theoretical physicist, Dr. Gilad Perez works on a wide variety of topics in high energy particle physics and cosmology. He developed theoretical tools to help understanding physics beyond the Standard Model, such as a universe without “weak force” interactions. When the Large Hadron Collider starts producing new data about particles at CERN, Dr. Perez will have a number of theories and predictions for the experimental physicists to test about the nature of quarks, neutrinos, and the elusive “dark matter” that are part of the current Standard Model.

Dr. Paz’s research issupported by:Nella and Leon Benoziyo Center for Neurological DiseasesEstelle Funk Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Gary Le�, Calabasas, CAMs. Lois Rosen, Los Angeles, CAMr. and Mrs. Louis Rosenmayer, Beverly Hills, CAEstate of Paul Ourie�Candice Appleton Family Trust

Dr. Rony Paz EducationRony Paz received his higher education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem: a B.Sc. in mathematics and a B.A. in philosophy magna cum laude in 1997; an M.Sc. in 1999, and a Ph.D. summa cum laude in 2004, both in computational neuroscience. He also studied at the Marine Biological Laboratories in Woods Hole, MA, and conducted postdoctoral research at Rutgers University, NJ. The recipient of a number of honors, including a Fulbright Fellowship, he served as an instructor in physiology in the Medical Faculty of the Hebrew University, and worked in the Research and Development Division at Amdocs (Israel) Ltd. and NetCustomize (Israel) Ltd. He joined the Weizmann’s Institute’s Neurobiology Department in 2007.

Research �eldDr. Rony Paz combines computational and physiological approaches to brain studies. He explores the brain mechanisms that underlie learning and memory formation, focusing on the interactions between rational decision making and emotional and motivational contexts.

11

Dr. Schuldiner’sresearch is supported by the Adelis Foundation

Dr. Oren SchuldinerEducationOren Schuldiner graduated cum laude with a B.Sc. in biology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1995), where he also completed an M.Sc. (1997) and a Ph.D. in genetics (2002). He worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biological Sciences at Stanford University, using molecular genetics to study the logic of neural circuit organization and assembly in the textbook genetic model – the Drosophila (fruit �y). He joined the Institute’s Department of Molecular Cell Biology in 2008.

Research �eldDr. Oren Schuldiner plans to identify more of the genes involved in nerve axonal pruning. During his postdoctoral work, Dr. Schuldiner identi�ed several of these genes using genetic screening techniques. He hopes to arrive at a holistic understanding of the very precise neuronal pruning process: its role in cell-to-cell interactions; in the biochemical signaling within and between cells; in the transport of various biochemical “cargo” between cells; and to learn how nerve cells organize themselves into such precise networks using this pruning as part of the process.

Dr. Rybtchinski’sresearch is supported by:Helen and Martin Kimmel Center for Molecular DesignRobert Rees Applied Research FundSir Harry Djanogly, CBE, UK Mr. and Mrs. Yossie Hollander, IsraelMr. and Mrs. Larry Taylor, Los Angeles, CAHe is the incumbent of the Abraham and Jennie Fialkow Career Development Chair

Dr. Boris RybtchinskiEducationBoris Rybtchinski received his B.Sc. from Kiev State University in 1992. He received his M.Sc. in 1996, and his Ph.D. in 2002 at the Weizmann Institute, where he was awarded the school’s Kennedy Prize for excellence. He conducted postdoctoral research as a fellow at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He joined the Institute’s Department of Organic Chemistry in 2005.

Research �eldDrawing inspiration from nature, where self-assembling molecular structures (such as enzymes) carry out elaborate functions, Dr. Boris Rybtchinski investigates the creation of molecular assemblies and devices that can be precision-built to order, with unique, speci�c, and desired functions, and that can made to “self-assemble.” He aims to produce such systems for more e�cient conversion of solar energy and the development of arti�cial enzymes.

12

Dr. Segal’s research is supported by:Willner Family Leadership Institute for the Weizmann Institute of ScienceAbisch-Frenkel Foundation for the Promotion of Life SciencesChais Family Fellows Program for New ScientistsHana and Julius Rosen FundArie and Ida Crown Memorial Charitable FundEstelle Funk FoundationCecil & Hilda Lewis Charitable TrustHe is the incumbent of the Soretta and Henry Shapiro Career Development Chair

Dr. Eran Segal EducationEran Segal completed a B.Sc. in computer science at Tel Aviv University in1998, and went on to earn a Ph.D. in computer science at Stanford University. He also studied genetics at Stanford, where he began to explore how probabilistic models can answer biological questions. After leaving Stanford in 2004, Segal spent a year as a postdoctoral Fellow at Rockefeller University. He returned to Israel in 2005 and joined the Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the Weizmann Institute.

Research �eldDr. Eran Segal develops computational models aimed at understanding how various molecular components interact within the cell to perform such sophisticated functions as the organism’s development. These models allow scientists to make sense of the vast amounts of information that have recently become available about the structure and activity of various genes. His goal is to reveal the underlying principles that control cellular processes. Since errors in these control mechanisms are involved in many diseases, including cancer, this research may also lead to an improved understanding of a variety of disorders.

Dr. Maya SchuldinerEducationMaya Schuldiner graduated magna cum laude with a B.Sc. in biology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1998. She went on to complete both her M.Sc. (1999) and Ph.D. in genetics (2003) there. Dr. Schuldiner conducted research as a postdoctoral fellow at the Quantitative Biology Institute at the University of California, San Francisco. She joined the Department of Molecular Genetics at the Weizmann Institute in 2008.

Research �eldDr. Maya Schuldiner is fascinated by the cell’s largest organelle, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). A dysfunctional or over-functional ER had been shown to contribute to the progression of many conditions such as heart disease, neurodegeneration, and diabetes, and to a�ect the development of dedicated secretory cells such as plasma cells, insulin-secreting cells, and liver cells. Therefore, understanding how the ER ensures the accurate reproduction of its complex biochemistry is of major importance in understanding the progression of such diseases, and in considering potential therapies for them.

13

Dr. Soen’s research issupported by:Kahn Family Research Center for Systems Biology of the Human CellHelen and Martin Kimmel Institute for Stem Cell ResearchRuth and Herman Albert Scholars Program for New Scientists Sir Harry Djanogly, CBE, UKWolfson Family Charitable TrustHe is the incumbent of the Daniel E. Koshland Sr. Career Development Chair

Dr. Yoav SoenEducationYoav Soen received a B.Sc. in electrical engineering (1992), an M.Sc. in theoretical physics (1996), and a Ph.D. in physics-biophysics at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (2000), where he also conducted postdoctoral research in nanotechnology. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biochemistry at Stanford from 2001-2006. He joined the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Biological Chemistry in 2006.

Research �eldDr. Yoav Soen combines genomics, proteomics, and �ow cytometry tools with di�erentiation models of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to explore the hierarchy and the molecular mechanisms underlying their early di�erentiation. He anticipates that this e�ort could promote better understanding of mechanisms underlying early human development and lead to dramatic progress in de�ning and characterizing unmarked, therapeutically relevant cells derived from human embryonic stem cells.

Dr. Sharon’s research is supported by:Y. Leon Benoziyo Institute for Molecular MedicineHelen & Milton A. Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure & AssemblyChais Family Fellows Program for New ScientistsWolfson Family Charitable TrustMs. Karen Siem, UKEstate of Shlomo (Stanislav) & Sabine BierzwinskyShe is the incumbent of the Elaine Blond Career Development Chair in Perpetuity

Dr. Michal SharonEducationMichal Sharon earned a B.Sc. cum laude at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1996) and a Ph.D. in the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Structural Biology in 2003, working on uncovering the mechanism of selectivity of di�erent biological variants of HIV-1 using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). She conducted her postdoctoral research at University of Cambridge, UK, where, in 2006, she was elected Research Fellow at Clare Hall College. She joined the Department of Biological Chemistry at the Weizmann Institute in 2007.

Research �eldDr. Michal Sharon uses novel techniques in mass spectrometry to examine large protein complexes in the cell, such as the proteasome, which is involved in the cell’s waste disposal system. Proteins to be broken down are tagged with a molecule called ubiquitin, and then fed into the proteasome where they are recognized by their tags, chopped into small pieces and recycled. Over 80% of the proteins in the cell are degraded via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Examples of processes governed by ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation are cell division, DNA repair, quality control of newly produced proteins, and important parts of the immune defense.

14

Dr.Tanay’s research is supported by the Asher and Jeannette Alhade� Research Award

Dr. Amos TanayEducationAmos Tanay received his B.Sc. (1996) magna cum laude, M.Sc. summa cum laude in pure mathematics (2001), and Ph.D. in computer science in 2005, all from Tel Aviv University. After spending two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Studies in Physics and Biology at Rockefeller University in New York, he joined the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics in 2007.

Research �eldCells regulate the activity of their genomes by turning genes on and o� according to a complex script. Dr. Amos Tanay combines mathematics with experimental data to study the mechanics and evolution of how this genetic script is written, and how it is followed in the subsequent acts of DNA transcription and copying. He is applying this evolutionary modeling to the study of genome regulation and deregulation, with a particular interest in cancer.

Dr. Rotem Sorek

Dr. Sorek’s research issupported by the Sir Charles Clore Research Prize

EducationRotem Sorek completed his B.Sc. summa cum laude in life sciences at Tel Aviv University in 2000. While working at Compugen, Ltd., a leading Israeli biotechnical �rm, he completed an M.Sc. summa cum laude in molecular evolution in 2002, and a Ph.D. in human genetics, with distinction, in 2006, also at Tel Aviv University. Starting in 2006, Dr. Sorek conducted his postdoctoral research in the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab at Berkeley, CA. He joined the Department of Molecular Genetics at the Weizmann Institute in 2008.

Research �eldDr. Rotem Sorek is interested in harnessing the power of modern genomics and large scale DNA sequencing toward solving pressing biomedical and biotechnological needs, such as drug resistance among bacteria. He has invented a computational method that discovers hundreds of “peptide antibiotics,” proteins that can kill bacteria, which are naturally produced by microorganisms. Dr. Sorek’s method �nds these killer proteins directly in the genomes of the producing organisms, and may lead to the development of new antibiotics.

15

Dr. Karina YanivEducationKarina Yaniv completed her B.Sc. in chemistry and biology (1994) and an M.Sc. in biological chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She completed her Ph.D. in developmental biology at the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical School (2004). She conducted her postdoctoral research at the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics at the (US) National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, where she was supported by an EMBO fellowship, and won the prestigious Werner-Risau-Prize in 2007. She will join the Institute’s Department of Biological Regulation in 2009.

Research �eldDr. Karina Yaniv studies the lymphatic system, which is essential for immune responses, �uid homeostasis, and fat absorption, and is involved in many pathological processes, including tumor metastasis. Using zebra�sh as a model organism, combined with highly sophisticated microscopy techniques, she was able to observe the formation of the lymphatic vessel system during embryonic development, and provide evidence for the hypothesis that lymphatic vessels develop in a similar manner to blood vessels.

Dr. Ulanovsky’s researchis supported by:A.M.N. Fund for the Promotion of Science, Culture and Arts in IsraelChais Family Fellows Program for New Scientists

Dr. Nachum Ulanovsky EducationBorn in Moscow, Nachum Ulanovsky made aliyah to Israel as a baby. He received his B.Sc. magna cum laude in physics at Tel Aviv University (1992), served for �ve years in the IDF, and, in parallel, continued his graduate studies in biology (focusing on neuroscience and molecular biology) at the Weizmann Institute of Science and at Tel Aviv University. In 2004, he completed his Ph.D. degree in neuroscience and neural computation summa cum laude at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. From 2004-2007, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology and Institute for Systems Research at the University of Maryland, USA. He joined the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Neurobiology in 2007.

Research �eldDr. Nachum Ulanovsky is interested in the relation between brain activity and behavior, and �nds the echo-locating, visually adept fruit bat a perfect subject for studying how the brain reacts to both spatial and episodic information. He has concentrated his research on the neural activity in the hippocampus, a brain region that is crucial for episodic and spatial memory in animals and humans.

16

Dr. Edit M. YerushalmiEducationEdit Yerushalmi received her B.Sc. in physics cum laude from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, where she completed her M.Sc. studies on the subject of surface tension of solid-liquid Helium 4 interfaces. She earned her Ph.D. in 2001 in the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Science Teaching. She went on to conduct postdoctoral research in physics education at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. In 2001, she returned to the Weizmann Institute, as a postdoctoral fellow, and became a senior scientist in the Physics Group in the Department of Science Teaching in 2007.

Research �eldDr. Edit Yerushalmi is involved in curricular development, professional development, and research that focuses on developing learning skills in the context of problem solving in high school physics. Her Physics Group runs a National Teacher Center responsible for coordinating the professional development of physics teachers throughout Israel. The Center hosts an internet site for teachers and develops innovative methods for professional development through the internet.