Announcing the 2026 Laureates of the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel: Sergey N. Semenov, Uri Ben-David, and Paz Beniamini will each be awarded US$100,000 for their groundbreaking scientific research taking place in Israel

Jerusalem, May 5, 2026 – The Blavatnik Family Foundation, the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and The New York Academy of Sciences announced today the Laureates of the prestigious 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel. Each Laureate will receive US$100,000 in prize money.

 

The 2026 Blavatnik Awards Laureates are:

• Chemistry: Dr. Sergey N. Semenov, chemist at the Weizmann Institute of Science (pictured left) – His research focuses on designing simple chemicals to create complex, life-like behavior, including the generation of periodic oscillations, patterns, and materials that autonomously change shape. By revealing new ways to "program" matter to self-organize, his work advances the development of smart, adaptive materials and deepens our understanding of how complexity emerges in nature.


• Life Sciences: Prof. Uri Ben-David, cancer biology researcher at Tel Aviv University (pictured center) – His research investigates how cancer cells cope with chromosomal alterations, a phenomenon known as aneuploidy. Using a range of experimental and computational tools, his work reveals how these alterations drive tumor growth and resistance to drug treatments. He has also identified vulnerabilities of aneuploid cells, such as the activity of the protein KIF18A, which is currently a drug target in clinical trials. His discoveries lay the groundwork for more targeted and precise cancer therapies.


• Physical Sciences & Engineering: Prof. Paz Beniamini, astrophysicist at the Open University of Israel (pictured right) – His research focuses on extreme cosmic events such as stellar explosions and radiation bursts from compact stars. By combining theoretical models with their application to cutting-edge observations, his work sheds light on the physical mechanisms underlying astrophysical phenomena such as jet dynamics and mergers of compact stars, which generate gravitational waves and contribute to the formation of the heaviest elements in the universe. His research advances our understanding of the most energetic events in the universe. Prof. Beniamini is the first Blavatnik Awards Laureate from the Open University of Israel.

The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel are the largest unrestricted prizes awarded to scientists in Israel aged 42 or younger, and are now being conferred for the ninth consecutive year. The Blavatnik Awards highlight research with the potential to change lives, advance scientific understanding, and address global challenges across a range of disciplines. The 2026 Israel prizes will be presented at a ceremony to be held at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation in Tel Aviv-Jaffa in June 2026.

"Israel's leadership in scientific discovery and technological innovation has never been more pronounced or more important," said Len Blavatnik, Founder of Access Industries and Head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation. "These extraordinary young scientists embody the excellence, creativity, and boldness that are essential both to the advancement of science and to Israel's continued strength and prosperity. We are proud to recognize their achievements and their future potential."

Prof. Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences, said: "The 2026 Blavatnik Awards Laureates in Israel are an impressive group of pioneers in chemistry, cancer biology, and cosmology. We are especially excited to welcome the first Laureate from the Open University of Israel, who is also the first astrophysicist to be honored through the Blavatnik Awards in Israel. Congratulations to these young scientists, who are advancing science and improving lives through their research."

Prof. David Harel, President of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, said: "Today we celebrate the outstanding achievements of Israel's finest young scientists. This is especially significant at the present time, when Israel is still amid one of the most difficult periods it has known, one that does not spare science and presents it with unprecedented challenges, both in Israel and in the United States. For this reason we are especially grateful to the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences for their continued partnership in the effort to overcome these challenges. Maintaining Israel's place at the forefront of global science – which is essential to its security and economic stability – depends on supporting and encouraging its scientists. We are pleased to congratulate this year's Blavatnik Laureates, and we celebrate their innovative breakthroughs with confidence and faith in the far-reaching positive impact of their achievements on society as a whole."

An independent jury of leading expert scientists selected the 2026 Laureates from 33 candidates from six Israeli universities. Past Laureates and members of the Awards' Scientific Advisory Council – which includes Nobel Prize Laureates Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, Prof. David Gross, and Sir Richard Roberts, as well as former Chair of the Israel Space Agency Prof. Issac Ben Israel – were also invited to nominate candidates.

Since the launch of the Blavatnik Awards in Israel in 2017, the 27 Israeli Laureates have received nearly US$2.7 million in prize grants, providing critical support and flexibility for high-risk, high-impact research. The Blavatnik Awards in Israel are conferred alongside the national and regional Blavatnik Awards in the United States and the United Kingdom. By the end of 2026, the Blavatnik Awards will have granted more than US$20 million in total to more than 500 scientists and engineers worldwide.

Blavatnik Awards Laureates drive global economic growth by pioneering new scientific directions and pursuing groundbreaking research that, alongside its potential for reward, carries significant risk. To date, Blavatnik Awards Laureates have founded more than 50 companies following receipt of the prize. Six of these are currently listed on stock exchanges worldwide, with a combined estimated value of more than US$10 billion.

About the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists

The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, founded in 2007 by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and administered by the New York Academy of Sciences, were initially conferred on young scientists and engineers in the United States, in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. In 2014 they became national awards, and have since been granted annually to Laureates from across the United States. In 2017 the Awards were launched in Israel, in partnership with the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and in the United Kingdom. For more information and updates on the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists: www.blavatnikawards.org

About the Blavatnik Family Foundation

The Blavatnik Family Foundation provides many of the world's finest researchers, scientists, and future leaders with the support and funding necessary to solve humanity's greatest challenges. Under the leadership of Len Blavatnik, Founder and Chairman of Access Industries, the Foundation advances innovation, scientific discovery, and creativity for the benefit of society as a whole. Over the past decade the Foundation has contributed more than US$1.3 billion to over 250 organizations.

For more information: www.blavatnikfoundation.org

About the New York Academy of Sciences

The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, non-profit organization founded in 1817 and committed since then to the advancement of science for the benefit of society. With more than 20,000 members from 100 countries, the Academy promotes scientific and technological knowledge, addresses global challenges through science-based solutions, and sponsors a wide range of educational initiatives in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The Academy conducts programs and publishes content in the life and physical sciences, social sciences, artificial intelligence, computer science, and sustainability. It also provides professional and educational resources for researchers at all stages of their careers.

For more information: www.nyas.org