European Committee of the Weizmann Institute of Science

⭐ Meet Weizmann PhD student pair Amir Kleiner and Segev Naveh Tassa—a duo from different disciplines connected by the power of AI. ⭐   👨🔬 Amir Kleiner, PhD student in the Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials, spends his research working with vast amounts of data that are complicated to compute. He shares, “I was first motivated to come to the AI hub to develop tools to make the data-creation process less time and resource-expensive, thus allowing us to investigate more interesting systems.”   👨🏫 After his internship at the hub, Amir had an inner calling, in which he felt he wanted to contribute to peer scientists on campus to bring their scientific work to the next level with AI and he was accepted as a tutor at the The Institute for Artificial Intelligence's AI hub.   This is how Amir met Segev.   👨🔬 Segev Naveh Tassa, PhD Student in the Department of Structural Biology, noticed that his field of research has been rapidly evolving in recent years. He was confident that AI would provide him with the needed tools to solve research problems he faced.   Even though Segev came from a different scientific field with separate research, Amir was able to mentor Segev in how to deal with his research problem from a data-driven approach. Amir shares, “My experience in the hub introduced me to many very different research problems from multiple disciplines, most of which are far from my field of expertise. Regardless, the students require my help in applying AI tools to solve these problems, thus forcing me to develop the capability to try and grasp the key features of their problems and reshape them into formulations that are understandable to data scientists and to the AI models.”   🌍 The mentorship which Segev received went well beyond the lab. With his new skills in AI, he was able to truly take his work to the next level and even present it at a renowned conference in Europe, at the AMLD - Applied Machine Learning Days   Segev proudly shared, ‘I was able to solve a key challenge in my Alzheimer’s-related research on tau–microtubule dynamics — identifying distinct dynamic states that were previously hidden in the data. Using AI tools I developed through the Hub, I was able to classify and understand these transitions, which had eluded me before.”   📑 Today, Amir and Segev are working on a joint research paper that presents a novel approach. Segev explains, “We intentionally overfit an AI model to our simulation data in order to extract meaningful trends in protein movement. It’s a creative use of overfitting, repurposing it as a feature rather than a bug, and it’s opening up some exciting insights.”   This story reflects the Weizmann Institute of Science’s multidisciplinary spirit, where AI acts as a bridge between scientific fields — empowering researchers to follow their curiosity and make discoveries in uncharted territories Photo by the Weizmann photography unit  

“Science itself doesn’t have a true glass ceiling. It’s the society that puts those glass ceilings.” - Prof. Nirit Dudovich, Weizmann Institute of Science Prof. Nirit Dudovich is certainly breaking the glass ceiling and opening opportunities for women pursuing sciences. Prof. Dudovich is the first woman principal investigator (PI) in the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Faculty of Physics. Today, Prof. Dudovich serves as the head of the Department of Physics of Complex Systems, where she works on groundbreaking research. Her lab group is composed of top scientific minds, half of whom are women students. Watch the rest of the video on Prof. Nirit Dudovich here>> https://lnkd.in/em4U9qRh Found in the latest Weizmann Institute of Science Impact Report>>> https://lnkd.in/eiN9hvNd Read about the very recent cutting-edge method discovered in the lab of Prof. Nirit Dudovich tracking rapid material changes in the first comment.

Hope for tackling the growing threat of antibiotic resistance and a new understanding on our body's defense system in Weizmann Within the lab of Prof. Yifat Merbl, Department of Systems Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, the team discovered that some of the peptides (protein sequences) released during protein breakdown are capable of killing bacteria. Prof. Merbl shares the implications of this groundbreaking discovery, "This peptide database opens a new frontier for developing personalized treatments against infections and other medical conditions". Read more details about Prof. Merbl's research, all for the benefit of humanity>>> https://lnkd.in/dRF9Dbvh

👨🔬 👩🔬 Partners in science and in life Max Häberle and Frida Häberle (originally Reyes Arroyo) started their lives on different continents but found each other at the Bessie F. Lawrence International Summer Science Institute (ISSI). Established in 1969, the ISSI is an annual science camp that invites talented high school graduates to the Weizmann campus from across the world, with about 17 different countries represented each summer and 20 different languages spoken. Its uniquely immersive experience provides participants with the opportunity to work together with Weizmann students and scientists and gain hands-on scientific experience. There are over 3,537 current and past participants of the ISSI program dated from its inception. Today, Max works at the Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy and Frida obtained a German medical license. When asked what message they would like to share to current/future ISSI participants, they proudly said, “continue to be curious.” Read more about their story here>> https://lnkd.in/dwqnEnj2 Weizmann Institute of Science Davidson Institute of Science Education

⭐ Meet Dr. Ron Sarafian, Tutor at the AI Hub on the Weizmann Campus⭐ 💻 In addition to Ron’s postdoctoral research in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at the Weizmann Institute of Science in the lab of Prof. Yinon Rudich, Ron spends time mentoring MSc. and PhD students to solve their scientific problems by leveraging the power of AI. Ron shares, “I enjoy tackling and solving complex problems, and exploring new domains of study excites me. My approach is to leverage state-of-the-art scientific understanding to design efficient machine learning frameworks where the data tells the story. That is what motivated me to join the AI Hub—a place where I can do exactly that.” 🌦️ Ron's research focuses on AI models for climate, weather, and spatial-temporal environmental systems. He develops innovative deep-learning architectures to tackle the challenges of forecasting extreme and rare events, such as dust storms, precipitation extremes, flash floods, and droughts. 🌍 Within Ron’s AI ventures, he has had the opportunity to advance AI collaborations overseas via the MBZUAI-WIS Joint Program for Artificial Intelligence Research. Read here about this unique international collaboration >> https://lnkd.in/dkTM7cJk   About the AI Hub The AI Hub was established as a collaborative "computational clubhouse" where students, scientists, and leading AI professionals converge. The AI Hub strives to naturally incorporate new methodologies within the Institute's research groups, sparking AI-driven scientific discovery. The AI Hub is part of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s AI Ignite flagship, revolutionizing scientific research across disciplines by augmenting human capabilities and transforming our ability to analyze and learn from complex data. Read more about AI on the Weizmann Campus here>> https://lnkd.in/etnirer3 Follow Weizmann's The Institute for Artificial Intelligence here Photo by the Weizmann Photography Unit

𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲’𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞- 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧 The German Society of Friends of the Weizmann Institute of Science, chaired by Sidney Jachimowicz, held its annual lecture in Berlin, with speaker Lior Greenspoon. Lior Greenspoon, PhD Student in the lab of Prof. Ron Milo, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Director of the Institute for Environmental Sustainability (IES), Weizmann Institute of Science. The IES is a Weizmann flagship project, aiming to advance curiosity-driven sustainability research utilizing Weizmann’s unique multi-disciplinary and curiosity-driven model. Lior is among a cohort of excellent students with research in sustainability as an IES fellow. Lior shared how her recently published research with her lab, where she quantified the global biomass of various components in the biosphere, can shed light on the tremendous impact humanity has had until now and provide insights into immediate implications of future of life on Earth. Photograph on left of Bob Drake, Chair of the International Board of the Weizmann Institute of Science and Chair of the European Committee of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Sidney Jachimowicz, Chair of the German Society of Friends of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Zohar Menshes, Executive Vice President of European Committee of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Lior Greenspoon, Weizmann PhD student Read more about the IES here>> https://lnkd.in/eNayZYQ7

🌳 As tonight marks the eve of the new year of the trees, Tu B'Shevat, a holiday which is rooted in Jewish tradition, we are proud to share that the Weizmann Institute of Science, is moving to 100% green energy. 🌍 Curious and groundbreaking research will be generated within a campus harnessing renewable energy sources, putting our planet first and reducing Weizmann’s carbon footprint almost by half. 🌱 Another reason to be proud of the Weizmann Institute! Wishing much growth in all life and exact sciences across campus and beyond. Read more about the Weizmann Institute of Science's move to completely green campus here >>> https://lnkd.in/d9azMYZV

🧠 Meet Michael Sokoletsky, PhD Candidate in the lab of Prof. Ilan Lampl, Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science. 🧠 ⭐ Michael received a scholarship for his studies from a donor from the European Committee of the Weizmann Institute of Science. He also presented at an event for the Swiss Society of Friends of the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2024. Michael’s charisma, enthusiasm and passion for science and life at Weizmann is contagious! 👨🔬 Michael shared his happy surprise of the unique Weizmann student experience in the lab. "I was most surprised about the ratio of research staff to students, which is nearly one-to-one. This means that at Weizmann, you can get help with virtually anything you need – from putting together electronic circuits, to building experimental setups, to DNA sequencing. This is extremely helpful in that it allows researchers to push their boundaries without worrying about getting stuck on one step or another which is outside their expertise." Read more about Michael's experience here: https://lnkd.in/djKzj4HP Photo by the Weizmann Photography Unity

Last month, we had the great pleasure to host Dan Olofsson from Sweden, Founder of the Star for Life Foundation, and Yoav Zimran, CEO of the Star for Life Jerusalem on the beautiful Weizmann campus. Dan is a firm believer in creating change in the world through educating the younger generation and providing opportunities for those with more limited access to them. Therefore, Dan truly understands the importance of visiting the Davidson Institute, which focuses on science literacy and promoting science education for underprivileged populations from all walks of life. During the visit, meetings were held with the President of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Prof. Alon Chen, and with the Davidson Institute of Science Education's CEO Ruth Showham, and Zohar Menshes, Executive Vice President of European Committee of the Weizmann Institute of Science, accompanied Dan and Yoav throughout this special visit. Dan and Yoav experienced the Weizmann Wonders of top-tier international scientists from diverse backgrounds, working on groundbreaking discoveries and research for the benefit of humanity. They toured the Clore Garden of Science, the first open-air science museum that invites children and adults to explore the wonders of science. The Clore Garden of Science sits within the Davidson Institute of Science Education, which aims to reach students, educators, and members of the public of all ages and all sectors of Israeli society. It is always a great honor to share the Weizmann gem with our dear friends. Photograph by the Weizmann Photography Unit

Through Weizmann’s unique multidisciplinary and collaborative methodology, motivation, and curiosity, researchers discovered a new method in exploring the microbiome by identifying proteins in the intestines. The implications of this study are incredible- making it possible to decode the entirety of microbiome activity. “Taken together, the proteins in the intestines are the ‘words’ that will one day allow us to hear exactly what our intestines are telling us and thus learn to give them exactly the help they need,” Prof. Eran Elinav, Department of Systems Immunology, says. “This ability will help researchers devise personalized nutritional and medical interventions for a wide variety of disorders, particularly those affected by the microbiome, including inflammatory, metabolic, malignant and neurodegenerative diseases.” See the full article here>> https://lnkd.in/dJMtu6iF This international collaboration includes: University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Kiel University, Germany First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, China RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) and Keio University, Japan Microbiome and Cancer Division, DKFZ German Cancer Research Center Kaplan Medical Center, Israel Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel Tel Aviv Medical Center (Ichilov) Weizmann Institute of Science - Life Sciences Core Facilities Department, Life Sciences Core Facilities Department, Veterinary Resources Department, and the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine at the Weizmann Institute image by canva