We are proud to congratulate Dr. Sergey N. Semenov, a chemist at the Weizmann Institute of Science, on being named a 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel Laureate in the Chemical Sciences. Dr. Semenov is one of three outstanding researchers recognized this year for groundbreaking scientific achievements taking place in Israel, each receiving an unrestricted $100,000 prize.
The prestigious Blavatnik Awards, presented by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and The New York Academy of Sciences, are the largest prizes of their kind in Israel for scientists aged 42 and under. Now in their ninth year in Israel, the Awards honor research with the potential to transform lives, push the boundaries of scientific knowledge, and address global challenges.
“Programming” Matter to Behave Like Life
In his lab, Dr. Semenov’s explores how simple chemical building blocks can be designed to give rise to complex, life‑like behavior — generating rhythms, patterns, and materials that can change shape or organize themselves autonomously.
By uncovering new ways to “program” matter to organize itself, his work is advancing smarter, adaptive materials and deepening our understanding of how complexity emerges in nature.
A Celebrated Class of 2026 Laureates
Alongside Dr. Semenov, the 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel honor two additional Laureates:
- Dr. Uri Ben-David (Life Sciences), a cancer biologist at Tel Aviv University, recognized for his innovative work on how chromosomal abnormalities drive cancer growth and drug resistance.
- Dr. Paz Beniamini (Physical Sciences & Engineering), an astrophysicist at the Open University of Israel, honored for his contributions to understanding extreme cosmic events such as stellar explosions and gravitational waves. Dr. Beniamini is the first Blavatnik Laureate from the Open University of Israel and the first astrophysicist to receive the award in Israel.
An independent jury of leading scientists selected the 2026 Laureates from a highly competitive pool of nominees across Israel’s top research institutions.
Celebrating Excellence at the Weizmann Institute
Dr. Semenov’s recognition underscores the Weizmann Institute of Science’s global leadership in pioneering, curiosity‑driven research. His work exemplifies the Institute’s commitment to fundamental science with far‑reaching impact — research that not only advances knowledge but also opens entirely new scientific and technological possibilities.
The 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel will be formally conferred at a ceremony in June 2026 at the Peres Center for Peace & Innovation in Tel Aviv‑Jaffa.
We extend our warmest congratulations to Dr. Semenov and look forward to following where his remarkable research leads next.
Read the full press release announcing the 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel.
