Weizmann is already well on its way to recovering from the June 2025 missile strikes on campus. What's the best indicator that the Institute is fully back on track?
Our ability to continue to attract and recruit the brightest minds. That hasn't wavered. We keep seeing freshly minted postdocs as well as some faculty-level scientists choosing Weizmann for their careers, and this is the best sign. There are many challenges now for Israel and for science, but these individuals—who both possess talent and are curious and passionate about their fields—are the backbone of Weizmann and of Israeli science. We need them and they are coming. Our biggest limitation following the missile attack was space, but we actually found solutions within a few months.
Why did you become a neuroscientist?
My first love was botany. Having grown up in Beersheva, in the Negev desert, where every blade of grass, plant, and tree was something to be celebrated, I was intrigued by the science of plants. Israelis are taught from a young age to go out into nature and explore—in that way, we developed a deep appreciation for the land, and for the country.
When I arrived on the Weizmann campus as a graduate student, I was taken with the green beauty of the campus. But after being exposed to studies in neuroscience, I decided to devote myself to learning about the wonders of the brain, in particular the neuroendocrine system. I did my PhD in the lab of Prof. Yitzhak Koch, an expert in reproductive hormones controlled by the brain. That experience—and all my interactions during that time on campus—laid the groundwork for my interest in the neurobiological underpinnings of stress. During my postdoc at the Salk Institute in San Diego, I got to enjoy the beautiful southern California outdoors and was in a world-leading neuroendocrine lab. I don’t have much extra time on my hands these days, but I haven’t lost my love for botany and I like to spend whatever time I can gardening in my yard and experimenting with different species of plants.
What’s the most important trait of a Weizmann scientist?
We always talk about curiosity as the key trait for a scientist conducting basic research, and that’s right. At Weizmann, the "formula" is more than that: a combination of curiosity and an instinct to push beyond the status quo.
What are the uber-challenges in science these days?
We need urgent solutions to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, since there are more and more cases of bacteria that can’t be kept in check with the medicines in our tool chest, and people are dying. Immunology holds the key to many treatments and cures, and the Institute’s next big investment will be in this area.
Climate change and environmental degradation is deeply worrying. Our Institute for Environmental Sustainability is tackling that, and we’re holding ourselves to a high standard here on campus with our Green Campus project. As a neuroscientist, I naturally see brain diseases and disorders, and certainly mental health conditions, as a top priority. As people live longer, neurodegenerative disorders in particular are becoming a greater and greater weight on people and society. I’m really thrilled that our Azrieli Institute for Brian and Neural Sciences will have 12 centers dedicated to all aspects of brain science.
As medicine turns many deadly diseases into “merely” chronic ones, we won’t stop there: we want to switch out the word “chronic” for “cured”. The advances in the exact sciences are just as impressive. Physics, computer science, and math underlie technologies that power our lives in a myriad of ways, and help solve medical challenges too, like proton therapy for cancer which relies on advanced physics technologies. Our Frontiers of the Universe project is doing amazing things in particle physics and astrophysics. I can’t wait to see what the ULTRASAT project will generate in terms of new knowledge about the Universe.
Is society getting what it needs from science?
All functioning democracies and healthy societies rely on an informed public. Science literacy is part of that equation, and for that we have the Davidson Institute of Science Education. How, for instance, can we keep epidemics in check if people are not convinced about the value of vaccines?
How can economies stay competitive if new technologies aren’t being constantly developed by young minds eager to make a difference? Vibrant societies require an ongoing infusion of discoveries and solutions from science.
The thing is, we can’t always predict what exactly will be needed. So we have to cast a wide net and just explore every scientific question that intrigues us. Inevitably, this will lead to unforeseen outcomes that will benefit us all.
How is Weizmann bringing science and society closer?
Beyond the profound impact of our research, the Miriam and Aaron Gutwirth Medical School is going to ensure that science better addresses pressing medical questions, and that medical doctors will be able to leverage scientific research to improve patient care. This will improve the health landscape in Israel and beyond. My years of work at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Germany and running an experimental neuropsychiatry lab there contributed to my understanding of the high value of bringing patient care closer to research. I’m very excited about the new medical school.
The Ogen program is attending to the mental health of Israeli children by proactively addressing wartime trauma through classroom and one-on-one mentoring. This is an investment in the country’s next generation. Moreover, in just a few years, these children will be serving in the army and will need to function at the highest level. For that reason alone, their health is paramount.
Of course, everything we do in science teaching, educating the next generation, and science literacy are tangible contributions to society. I like to think that in this way, we are faithfully carrying out the mission of Chaim Weizmann, who saw education and research as the pillars of Israel as the country was being built. That vision is still very much relevant and it serves as our compass every day.