About Us
Founded in 1944, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and advances its mission of science for the future of humanity.
Dec 29, 2022... Prof. Alon Chen, President of the Weizmann Institute of Science, has been awarded the 2022 Bennett Family Award for Collaboration in the Science of Wellness, along with Juan de Pablo, the Executive Vice President for Science, Innovation, National Laboratories, and Global Initiatives, and the Liew Family Professor in Molecular Engineering at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. Each year, the Bennett Family Award will recognize individuals engaged in collaborative research, merging science and wellness for the advancement of human health.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/plant-research-reaches-a-new-high/
Apr 30, 2023... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—May 1, 2023—A South African plant called a woolly umbrella is completely unrelated to the cannabis plant, yet it makes a slew of the active compounds found in cannabis – cannabinoids – including some that may have new medical uses. In a study published today in Nature Plants, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers identified more than 40 cannabinoids in the woolly umbrella, and they revealed the series of biochemical steps the plant takes when it makes these compounds. The researchers also showed how these steps can be reproduced in the lab to synthesize or even engineer new cannabinoids.
Aug 02, 2023... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 2, 2023—Scientific excellence requires diversity – research conducted by people from different backgrounds and with varied worldviews. The need for diversity extends to scientific experiments themselves, but the vast majority of studies in the life sciences are conducted using male mice only, which could not only bias the findings, but impede our ability to extrapolate from them to humans. A new study by researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science addresses this challenge, revealing in unprecedented detail how the brains of male and female mice respond differently to stress.
Dec 06, 2023... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—December 6, 2023— The images of Israeli child hostages being freed from Hamas captivity are heartwarming, but for most of these children, the release is just the start of a long rehabilitation process. Countless studies have shown that exposure to warfare, abuse and other traumatic events at a young age significantly raises the risk of ill health, social problems and mental health issues later in life. Now, a new study by researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science published in Science Advances provides a reason for optimism. In research conducted on mice, a team headed by Prof. Alon Chen discovered brain mechanisms that go awry as a result of exposure to trauma in infancy and showed that these changes may be reversible if treated early.