Neurobiology

 

Yadin Dudai, Head
The Sara and Michael Sela Chair of Neurobiology

Research in Neuroscience in the Department of Neurobiology encompasses a wide variety of subjects, in areas including cellular and molecular biology, neuroanatomy, brain imaging (including functional magnetic resonance imaging; fMRI), physiology, pharmacology, psychophysics, and computational sciences. Nearly 20 groups of researchers carry out both independent studies and collaborative research with colleagues from within the Department and outside it.

The research of the various groups of the Department covers many topics, including:

• Analysis of the molecular and cellular basis of neuronal cell activity and synaptic function.
  
• Imaging of neuronal activity underlying higher brain functions.
  
• Tracing and characterization of neuronal communication profiles.
  
• Characterization of the nervous system response to trauma and lesion; developing molecular and cellular therapeutic agents.
  
• Determination of the underlying processes and mechanisms of vision, perception, learning, and memory in behaving rodents and primates.
  
• Computer modeling of brain function.
  

In the Neurobiology Department, the structure, function, development, and plasticity of the nervous system are studied at various levels of analysis, using different types of cell and experimental animal models. The groups studying neuronal function at the molecular and cellular levels use mostly in vitro systems, ranging from non-neuronal and neuronal cell lines to primary neuronal and glial cells of cerebellar, hippocampal, and cortical origin. In many cases, the cells studied are transfected with genes of interest. These cell systems allow the study of the roles of various components of the nervous system, including cell surface membrane components, specific enzymes, neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, growth factors, neuroreceptors, lipid components, ionic channels, and cytoskeletal constituents. Algorithms for synaptic plasticity between neurons, and the role of ion channels in synaptic input and information processing, are also being studied. Injury models of nerve lesion and oxidative stress paradigms are applied to examine the principles of neural regeneration, rescue from ischemia and stroke, and apoptotic cell death and senescence.

The groups studying the CNS at the system level are striving to understand the complex neuronal mechanisms underlying learning, memory, and sensory processing (vision, taste, smell), and to determine the relationship between brain and mind. Using track-tracing methods, the rules governing the interconnections in the visual cortex are being unraveled. Behavioral studies focus on principles of learning and consolidation, cortical information processing, learning disabilities, and addiction. Functional brain imaging of the human visual cortex is being studied by various techniques, including fMRI. Psychophysical approaches are being used to define processes involved in image segmentation, learning and memory skill acquisition, motor control, and language.

http://www.weizmann.ac.il/neurobiology/ 

Research Staff, Visitors and Students

Professors

Ehud Ahissar, Ph.D., Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
       The Helen and Sanford Diller Family Professor of Neurobiology
Yadin Dudai, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
       The Sara and Michael Sela Professor of Neurobiology
Amiram Grinvald, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
       The Helen Norman Asher Professor in Brain Research
Rafi Malach, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, United States
       The Barbara and Morris Levinson Professor of Brain Research
Dov Sagi, Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
       The George Zlotowski Professor
Michal Schwartz, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
       The Maurice and Ilse Katz Professor of Neuroimmunology
Menahem Segal, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States
       The Harry and Leona Levine Professor of Neurosciences
Vivian I. Teichberg, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
       The Louis and Florence Katz-Cohen Professor of Neuropharmacology
Michail Tsodyks, Ph.D., L.D. Landau Institute of Theoretical Physics, Moscow, Russian Federation
       The Gerald and Hedy Oliven Professor in Brain Research
Zvi Vogel, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel (on extension of service)
       The Ruth and Leonard Simon Professor of Cancer Research

Professors Emeriti

Yitzhak Koch, Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Uriel Littauer, Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
David Samuel, Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Israel Silman, Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Izchak Z. Steinberg, Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Ephraim Yavin, Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

Associate Professors

Shabtai Barash, Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Noam Sobel, Ph.D., Stanford University, California, United States

Senior Research Fellow

Amos Arieli, Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

Senior Scientists

Alon Chen, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
       Yigal Allon Fellow
       Incumbent of the Philip Harris and Gerald Ronson Career Development Chair
Tali Kimchi, Ph.D., Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Ilan Lampl, Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
       Incumbent of the Carl and Frances Korn Career Development Chair in the Life Sciences
Rony Paz, Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
       Yigal Allon Fellow
Elad Schneidman, Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
      Center for Complexity Science Fellowship
Nachum Ulanovsky, Ph.D., Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Abraham Zangen, Ph.D., Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
       Incumbent of the Joseph and Celia Reskin Career Development Chair

Associate Staff Scientists

Knarik Bagdasarian, Ph.D., Orbeli's Institute of Physiology of Armenian Academy of Science, Armenia
Liora Cahalon, Ph.D., Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Eduard Korkotian, Ph.D., University of Yerevan, Armenia

Junior Staff Scientists

David Omer, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel (left November 2009)

Engineers

Vladimir Garber, M.Sc., The National Technical University of Ukraine, Ukraine
Daniel Goldian, B.Sc., Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom
Abebe Medhanie, B.A., Tel-Aviv Academic College of Engineering, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Naama Rubin, M.Sc., University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, United States

Consultants

Avraham Avital, The Yizreel Valley College, Israel
Yoram Bonneh (left April 2009)
Elena Butovsky, Sourasky Hospital, Tel-Aviv, Israel (left November 2009)
Yossi Chalamish
Alexander Cooperman
Shlomo Dukler
Ana Geralnik, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel (left November 2009)
Roman Gersner
Sebastian Haidarleu
Koret Hirschberg, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel (left September 2009)
Eilat Kahana, Rabin Medical Center, Petach-Tikva, Israel
Uriel Littauer
Nicola Maggio, Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon, Israel
Ofer Melamed, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon, Israel
Anetta Nathan (left June 2009)
David Samuel
Revital Shani-Hershkovich, Elminda Ltd., Herzeliya, Israel
Eduard Yakobov

Visiting Scientists

Shimon Amir, Concordia University , Montreal, Canada
George Fink, University of Melbourne, Australia
Linda Friedman, New York Inst. of Tech. (NYIT), U.S.A.
David Golomb
Yona Greenman, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel
Amichai Hareven
Tal Marom
Hadas Schori, NASA, Greenbelt, MD, U.S.A.
Eyal Seidemann, University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A.
Vladimir Tiskov, Columbia University , NYC, U.S.A.

Postdoctoral Fellows

Barak Blumenfeld, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Thomas D. A. Deneux, Ph.D., Ecole Polytechnique
Ilan Dinstein, New York University
Georg Dirnberger, University Of Vienna, Austria
Evan Elliott, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Ehud Fonio, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
Eran Gershon, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Roman Gersner, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Gayane Grigoryan, Institute Of Physiology Of National Academy Of Sci
Jaime Heiss, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Guido Hesselmann, University Of Dusseldorf
Guy Horev, Ph.D., Tel-Aviv University, Israel
Oded Klavir, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
Ewa Agata Kozela, Ph.D., Institute Of Pharmacology, Polish Acad Of Sciences
Nicola Maggio, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Mariana Laura Melcon Morante de Sa, Ph.D., University Of Tuebingen
Kazunori Ohashi, Ph.D., Kyushu Institute Of Technology
Michael Okun, Ph.D., Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Son Preminger, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Neta Rimmerman, Ph.D., Indiana University, Bloomington
Sandro Romani, Universita' Di Roma "Sapienza"
Maytal Shabat-Simon, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
Revital Shani-Hershkovich, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Na'Ama Shein-Goldfinger, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Yair Shemesh, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Tal Sines, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Michael Tsoory, Ph.D., Haifa University, Israel
Ilan Vaknin, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Yossi Yovel, Tuebingen University + Mpi Biological Cybernetics
Viviana Zlochiver (Munoz Flo, Suny Upstate Medical University

Research Students

Anat Arzi	Omri Barak
Yekutiel Baruch	Jacob Blumenthal
Michal Cardon	Nitzan Censor
Dror Cohen	Eyal Cohen
Katayun Cohen-Kashi	Itzik Cooper
Eran Dayan	David Deutsch
Evan Elliott	Eli Ezrielev
Lior Fisch	Oren Forkosh
Orit Furman	Efrat Furst
Rotem Gabai (Genud)	Elad Ganmor
Hagar Gelbard- Sagiv	Sharon Gilad
Goren Gordon	Leor Gruendlinger
Sharon Haramati	Tal Harmelech
Jaime Heiss	Orna Issler
Muna Jubran	Roni Kahana
Yonatan Katz	Yael Klin
Gilad Kunis	Yael Kuperman
Hadas Lapid	Maya Lebow
Tomer Livne	Uri Livneh
Anat London-Drori	Rachel Ludmer
Nicola Maggio	Shirley Mark
Avi Mendelsohn	Omer Miller
Matan Mussel	Adi Neufeld
Uri Nili	Yaron Penn
Maciej Dominik Pietr	Limor Regev
Jennifer Resnik	Noga Ron-Harel
Alon Rubin	Avraham Saig
Inbar Saraf-Sinik	Eldi Schonfeld-Dado
Lee Sela	Ravid Shechter
Reut Shema	Erez Simony
Dekel Taliaz	Bo Xiao
Michael Yartsev	Yaara Yeshurun
Noga Zilkha

Administrator

Michal Hirschberg