US: Embassy of Israel hosts President Prof. Alon Chen

In coordination with the American Committee’s Mid-Atlantic Region, the Embassy of Israel to the US hosted a virtual dialogue with Weizmann Institute President Prof. Alon Chen in August.

Participants from across the US, as well as Mexico and Canada, tuned in for this engaging conversation between Prof. Chen and Tammy Ben Haim, the Embassy’s Minister of Public Diplomacy. Prof. Chen discussed a wide array of topics, including the Institute’s rapid response to the coronavirus, and the fact that its focus on basic, curiosity-driven research provided scientists with the agility and flexibility to immediately turn their attention to COVID-19 when the pandemic struck.

The collaborative, multidisciplinary atmosphere on campus, which he described as “a country within a country,” has also played a key role in the Institute’s impressive mobilization.

Also in focus were the Institute’s international partnerships; its initiatives to promote women in science; and the new $100 million Frontiers of the Universe flagship project, aimed at uncovering the mysteries of the cosmos. In addition, Prof. Chen shared his personal scientific journey, recalling his postdoctoral fellowship at the Salk Institute in San Diego as a Fulbright Scholar. He shed light on his own neurobiology research on the science of stress, noting the pandemic’s toll on mental health.

Earning one of the Embassy’s highest turnouts, the webinar provided a fascinating window into Weizmann science and the people behind the science.