We’re proud to report that this year’s Laureates — Professors Schraga Schwartz, Moran Shalev-Benami, and Thomas Vidick — are all from the Weizmann Institute of Science. This is the second time Weizmann faculty members swept the Awards since they began in 2017.
The 2024 awards ceremony celebrating the Blavatnik Awards winners was held on June 4, at The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation in Tel Aviv.
The Blavatnik Awards, a collaboration between The New York Academy of Sciences, the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and the Blavatnik Family Foundation, recognizes outstanding, innovative scientists in the early stages of their careers in Israel for both their extraordinary achievements and their promise for future scientific discoveries. Each winning scientist was awarded $100,000 for their groundbreaking scientific research at the Weizmann Institute.
The ceremony began with a moving performance in Hebrew and English by renowned Israeli singer and actress, Roni Dalumi. She was followed by David Harel, President of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, who congratulated the Laureates and thanked the jury and the Scientific Advisory Council.
Highlights from the 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel
An Important Award at an Important Time for Science
Harel remarked on the growing prestige of the Blavatnik Awards. “Looking through the list of past Blavatnik Awards Laureates,” he said, “one is struck by the amazing quality of their achievements both before and after winning the prize. They all continue to exhibit impressive scientific leadership making new and surprising discoveries, inspiring their colleagues and students worldwide.”
Academy President and CEO, Nicholas Dirks, thanked Len Blavatnik for his vision in promoting science to help humanity. “Now, more than ever, the world needs science, and it needs the work of our scientists…especially, amidst severe geopolitical tensions.” He continued, “We need to remember that the work of science not only transcends politics, but it is critical for creating a better world for us all.”
Honoring the 2024 Laureates – All Weizmann Scientists
Each Laureate came to the stage to receive their Blavatnik Awards medal from President Nicholas Dirks and afterward, gave a ten-minute presentation on their award-winning discoveries to the audience.
Moran Shalev-Benami
In the category of Chemical Sciences, Moran Shalev-Benami was recognized for her discovery of key sensing and signaling mechanisms in the human brain that can be directly translated into precision medicine. She highlighted several of her discoveries demonstrating how her study of signaling pathways on the molecular level shed new light on how the brain regulates appetite and how light could be used to modify brain activity.
Thomas Vidick
For the Blavatnik Awards in Physical Sciences & Engineering, Thomas Vidick was recognized for his pioneering research in quantum complexity and cryptography that explores the capabilities of quantum devices. He explained how the rules of operation in these devices are governed by quantum mechanics. Quantum computers may perform certain computational tasks exponentially faster than classical computers and can enable new cryptographic protocols that leverage quantum mechanics to reach new levels of security in communication.
Schraga Schwartz
In the Life Sciences category, Schraga Schwartz, shared his groundbreaking work mapping and quantifying RNA modifications through the development of novel RNA analytical methods using a combination of computational, chemical, and molecular biological approaches. His breakthroughs in understanding RNA modifications hold promise for treating genetic diseases and expanding the role of RNA editing beyond vaccine development.
When the winners were announced in March, Prof. Dirks, acknowledging that members of the Weizmann faculty received all three awards this year, said, “I'm sure that Professor Chaim Weizmann, who not only founded the Weizmann Institute but was the first president of Israel and a scientist himself, would be very proud. We look forward to following the future transformative scientific work of this year’s Laureates.”
Ceremony presenter Tamar Ish-Shalom, standing alongside Len Blavatnik, the Academies' Presidents and the Blavatnik Awards Laureates, closed the evening’s festivities with an annual tradition of the Blavatnik Awards in Israel of making a toast, “L’Chaim; To Science!”
