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.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/the-art-of-the-visionary-scientist/
Feb 26, 2018...
The beautiful neural cells of chickens. Santiago Ramón y Cajal, c. 1905
For centuries, the brain has been a mystery, a blank-enough slate that scientists, artists, philosophers, and the like could imprint it with their own theories. It was only with the development of microscopes and other imaging and research techniques that the exquisite structure of the brain came into focus.
In the late 1800s/early 1900s, a man equal parts scientist and artist – Santiago Ramón y Cajal – laid the foundation of modern neuroscience through his detailed, meticulous, graphically impeccable drawings of axons, neurons, retinal structure, and other new (at the time) elements.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/going-public-with-parkinson-s-sharing-science-and-knowledge/
Sep 05, 2018...
Alan Alda, center, communicating science at the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. Credit: SUNY Stony Brook.
Ardent science-communication advocate Alan Alda recently shared that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. With his willingness to be open about this terribly intimate illness, Alda has made another investment in his work to increase the general public’s level of scientific understanding – as well as raise awareness of the disease.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/science-hope/
Jan 18, 2018...
Even if you feel that things might be a little bleak right now, the start of any new year is a time to be optimistic. And the best, most realistic place to look for hope is science.
After all, science is universal and unifying and knows no boundaries. In every corner of the world, scientists of every stripe are taking on today’s problems. Tomorrow’s, too. Here are just a few rays of sunshine that gave us hope:
Jul 19, 2016...
Stress-coping molecule Urocortin-3 (green) and its receptor, CRFR2 (red), expressed in the mouse brain region responsible for social behavior. Viewed under a confocal microscope
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—July 19, 2016—Meeting new people can be both stressful and rewarding. Research at the Weizmann Institute of Science, reported yesterday in Nature Neuroscience, suggests that a molecule involved in regulating stress in the brain may help determine how willing we are to leave the safety of our social group and strike up new relationships.
Sep 06, 2016...
Belmont, MA – In an unprecedented move, McLean Hospital, the largest psychiatric affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science, a world leader in brain research, are launching an alliance that will lead to further understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders and accelerate the development of corresponding treatments.
“The lack of understanding and under treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders are significant public health concerns,” said Kerry J. Ressler, MD, PhD, chief scientific officer for McLean Hospital and professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “The only way that we’re going to make the most progress in future treatments, preventions, and cures is to combine efforts across the world.”
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/firework-memories/
Aug 15, 2019... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 15, 2019—Extraterrestrial scientists landing in a football stadium would be struck by the sight of the crowd suddenly standing up and shouting in unison. In a similar manner, since the 1990s, researchers have observed a special pattern of neuronal activity in rodents: tens of thousands of nerve cells firing in unison in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. But, like alien scientists, the researchers have not been able to understand the “language” of the rodents’ minds when these mysterious synchronous bursts occurred. Recently, however, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers succeeded in recording these rapid bursts of activity – called “hippocampal ripples” – in the human brain, and were able to demonstrate their importance as a neuronal mechanism underlying the engraving of new memories and their subsequent recall. These findings appeared in Science.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/everyone-s-sense-of-smell-is-unique-says-new-study/
Jun 22, 2015...
A new study suggests that every individual’s sense of smell differs slightly from other people, based on their genetic makeup.
According to Science News, a newly devised test can tell individuals apart solely based on their sense of smell, meaning a person’s perception of odor is unique to him or her. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and released on June 22. Neuroscientist Noam Sobel of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, led a team of researchers to the findings.
Oct 03, 2019...
A researcher working in the lab of Kadimastem in Ness Ziona (Hagit Stavinsky)
Kadimastem Ltd., a biotechnology firm that develops cell therapies, said it has received “promising interim results” from a first group of patients treated with its new therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a fatal neurodegenerative condition that causes the loss of muscle control.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/science-tips-april-2011/
Mar 31, 2011...
When we suddenly get the answer to a riddle or understand the solution to a problem, we can practically feel the light bulb click on in our head. But what happens after the “aha!” moment? Why do the things we learn through sudden insight tend to stick in our memory?
“Much of memory research involves repetitive, rote learning,” says Kelly Ludmer, a research student in the group of Prof. Yadin Dudai of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Neurobiology, “but in fact, we regularly absorb large blocks of information in the blink of an eye and remember things quite well from single events. Insight is an example of a one-time event that is often well-preserved in memory.”
Apr 01, 2013... More and more children are being diagnosed with autism and related conditions, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimating that about 1 in 88 children has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASDs are a group of developmental disabilities characterized by impairment in thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others. The reason for this increase is unknown, and scientists and doctors worldwide are trying to help affected persons – primarily girls – and their families. At the Weizmann Institute of Science, researchers from across many disciplines are working together to understand the cause or causes of ASDs and develop new treatments. Examples of the Weizmann Institute’s autism research include:
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