On Tuesday, June 4, the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists ceremony for 2024 took place at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Three young researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science each received a grant of $100,000 for their groundbreaking research.

 

The awards, a joint initiative of the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and the New York Academy of Sciences, celebrated young and promising scientists and engineers at an early stage in their professional careers, both for their exceptional achievements and for the promise they hold for future scientific discoveries.

 

In Life Sciences: Dr. Sraga Shwartz, who developed breakthrough analytical methods for detecting and quantifying chemical changes in RNA.

In Chemistry: Dr. Moran Shalev-Benami, who discovered central sensing and signaling mechanisms in the brain responsible for communication between cells in the central nervous system, the body, and the environment.

In Physics and Engineering: Prof. Thomas Vidick, who conducted pioneering research examining the use of quantum principles to build more powerful computers.

 

The event, which took place in the form of a reception and an award ceremony, was attended by leading figures in the economy and academia. The winners joined a select group of young men and women who have won Blavatnik Awards in Israel since 2017, as well as the international community of Blavatnik scientists.

The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel are awarded alongside the international awards, which are given annually in the United States and Britain, and the community members will receive a total of $17.2 million in prizes by the end of 2024.

 

From the left: Prof. Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, Dr. Schraga Schwartz, Dr. Moran Shalev-Benami, Prof. Thomas Vidick and President of the Academy Prof. David Harel. Photo: Eran Be'eri