Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics

Head Prof. Ronen Basri

Picture of Prof. Ronen Basri
Head

Prof. Ronen Basri

Office +972-8-934-2809

Overview

The principal interests of the department lie in the areas of computer science and applied mathematics. Research areas include (but are not limited to) algorithms, their design and analysis; biological applications, bioinformatics, system biology, biological modeling; computational complexity, probabilistic proof systems, hardness of approximation, circuit complexity, combinatorial games; computer vision, image processing; cryptography; differential equations; distributed and parallel computing; dynamical systems; fluid dynamics; logic of programs, specification methodologies; machine learning and mathematical statistics; numerical analysis; randomness and its relation to computation; robotics and motion control; visual perception and brain modeling.

The departmental computer facilities include multiple PCs, multiple unix servers, two Linux clusters with multiple nodes, and large data storage systems. In addition, the vision laboratories, robotics laboratories and computational biology laboratories have a combination of experimental equipment and large-scale computing clusters.

Department of Chemical Physics

Head Prof. Eli Pollak

Picture of Prof. Eli Pollak
Head

Prof. Eli Pollak

Office +972-8-934-2307

Overview

Research in the Department covers a broad spectrum of topics, including many subjects of current interest in chemistry and physics. Areas of research include theoretical studies of turbulence, the physics of fractals, properties of glass, chaos (classical and quantum mechanical), tunneling and dissipative phenomena, kinetics, and dynamics in surface condensed phases and ultrafast processes. Other areas include experimental and theoretical diffusion studies of the interaction of coherent light with matter, nonlinear optics, laser-induced processes in van der Waals molecules, coherent control of chemical reactions, cooling of molecules and theoretical quantum optics in dispersive media and in microcavities. A different area of active research is the study of the structure and properties of large molecular systems, and the interaction of electrons and molecules with organized thin films. Molecules on semiconductor surfaces are studied by combination of lasers and STM. A strong magnetic resonance group is active within the department, working on fields such as solid state NMR, MASS NMR of semiconductors, liquid crystals and proteins, porous materials, as well as pulsed EPR and electron-nuclear double resonance on metalloenzymes and porous solids. The department encourages interdisciplinary approaches to science, and there is much collaboration among members of the department and scientists and students from other faculties such as physics and the life sciences.

Department of Structural Biology

Head Prof. Deborah Fass

Picture of Prof. Deborah Fass
Head

Prof. Deborah Fass

Office +972-8-934-3214

Overview

All biological systems function thanks to the structure and assembly of macromolecules. Therefore, determination of the molecular structures and structure-function relationships of biological materials such as proteins, DNA, RNA, and lipid membranes provides great insights into biological mechanisms. Much of the research in structural biology at the Weizmann Institute is carried out in the Faculty of Chemistry, using a diverse set of cutting-edge research tools and methods. Investigators in the Structural Biology Department rely on the primary techniques for experimental structure determination, namely X-ray crystallography, NMR, and electron microscopy, but they also employ a variety of other specialized and emerging spectroscopic methods combined with creative molecular engineering to explore macromolecular structures, energetics, and dynamics. Experimental strategies are complemented by computational and theoretical approaches. Among the specific subjects of research in the department are ribosomes, protein chaperones, viruses, extracellular matrices, and biominerals. Processes being investigated include protein aggregation in cells, conformational dynamics of enzymes, formation of skeletal tissues, cell penetration by viruses, DNA recognition by proteins, and protein folding. Efforts are also directed towards the design of potential drugs. The wide variety of research activities in the department are based on a shared appreciation for the physical and chemical foundations of biological activities.

  • Picture of Prof. Yehiel Zick

    Prof. Yehiel Zick

    Mode of action of galectin-8, a mammalian lectin
    The molecular basis of Insulin Resistance: a Phosphorylation based Uncoupling of Insulin Signalling
    The insulin receptor as a model system for transmembrane signaling: Mode of interaction of the insulin receptor with its downstream effector molecules.
    Mammalian lectins as regulators of cell adhesion, cell growth, and apoptosis.
    Receptor trafficking: Regulation of endocytosis and recycling of the insulin receptor.
    Role of Galectin-8 in bone remodeling

    Homepage
  • Picture of Prof. Elazar Zelzer

    Prof. Elazar Zelzer

    the roles of the VEGF pathway in different steps during skeletal development.
    Studying the role of mechanical load on embryonic bone development

    Homepage
  • Picture of Prof. Ofer Zeitouni

    Prof. Ofer Zeitouni

    Motion in random media
    Random matrices
    Applications in nonlinear filtering, Communication and Information theory

    Homepage
  • Picture of Prof. Ada Yonath

    Prof. Ada Yonath

    Antibiotics targeting ribosomes
    Protein biosynthesis
    Ribosomal mechanisms
    Origin of life

    Homepage
  • Picture of Prof. Yosef Yomdin

    Prof. Yosef Yomdin

    High Order Data Representation, Nonlinear Model Approximation. Taylor Models, High-Order Numerical methods
    Semialgebraic Complexity of functions, Signals Acquisition via non-linear model approximation
    Collaboration with:  D. Batenkov, G. Goldman, Y. Salman, V. Golubyatnikov
    Analytic Theory of Differential Equations, Generalized Moments, Compositions
    Collaboration with:  M. Briskin, F. Pakovich, N. Roytvarf
    Zeroez distribution in Families of Analytic Functions
    Collaboration with:  M. Briskin, G. Comte
    Model-based image analysis, representation, compression. Model-based search, capturing, and animation
    Collaboration with:  G. Dinkin

    Homepage
  • Picture of Dr. Ofer Yizhar

    Dr. Ofer Yizhar

    * Functional analysis of neural circuit changes associated with psychiatric disease
    * Development of novel optogenetic methods for light-based control of neural activity in vitro and in vivo
    * Synaptic organization and function in cortical networks

    Homepage
  • Picture of Prof. Edit Yerushalmi

    Prof. Edit Yerushalmi

    Development implementation and evaluation of a 2-year interdisciplinary program for high school chemistry and physics students on
    Collaboration with:  A. Hofstein, S. Livne, Y. Roth, R. Blonder, A. Yarden, S. Safran, B. Eylon, B. Geiger
    Instructional strategies intended to develop reflective problem solving skills in high school physics students
    Collaboration with:  C. Singh, E. Cohen, E. Bagno, B. Eylon
    Study of the effects of self-diagnosis tasks on learning from physics problem solving.
    Development, implementation and evaluation of web-based test preparation modules aimed at organizing students’ knowledge and developing awareness of common misconceptions (Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism).
    Development, implementation and research of long-term professional development frameworks for physics high school teachers
    Collaboration with:  R. Safadi, E. Bagno, A. Rozen
    Workshops for Arab high school physics teachers intended to develop reflective problem solving skills in their students through alternative assessment activities. Workshop approach: Collaborative inquiry into students' self diagnostic activities.
    Models for collaborative action research workshops for high school physics teachers.
    Long-term didactical courses introducing pre-service teachers to current research in physics education and its implications to the learning/teaching process.
    University physics faculty perceptions of learning and teaching problem solving.
    Collaboration with:  C. Henderson, K. Heller, P. Heller, V. Quo, E. Cohen

    Homepage

Pages