Presenting Israel’s Most Promising Young Scientists: The 2019 Blavatnik Awards Laureates
Three Outstanding Israeli Scientists, including a Visual Neuroscientist, a Theoretical Condensed Matter Physicist and an Analytical Chemist are Named Laureates of the Second Annual Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel
Published February 04, 2019
Today the Academy, in collaboration with the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, announced the three Laureates of the 2019 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel. Winning the largest unrestricted science prize available to early-career scientists under the age of 42 in Israel, these three Laureates were selected by a distinguished jury of Israel’s leading senior scientists and engineers.
“For over 70 years, Israeli innovation has led to groundbreaking discoveries in science and technology,” said Len Blavatnik, Founder and Chairman of Access Industries and Head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation and member of the President's Council for the Academy. “These exceptional researchers demonstrate the immense potential of the new generation of scientists in shaping the future. It is imperative to recognize and support leading innovators early in their careers to maximize impactful scientific breakthroughs.”
Professor Nili Cohen, President of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and member of the Blavatnik Awards Scientific Advisory Council commented, “Together with the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences, we are proud to recognize and support these exceptional young scientists with this prestigious award. Each of them demonstrates their outstanding merit, their passion for pushing the frontiers of scientific discovery, and their bright future as part of a new generation of pioneering Israeli scientists.”
Ellis Rubinstein, President and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences and Co-Chair of the Awards’ Scientific Advisory Council noted that, “The sensational, cutting-edge innovations by these dynamic young researchers in Israel who are being honored, are truly inspirational. These future leaders join the growing global alumni of extraordinary talent and dedication who are at the core of the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists program. We look forward to celebrating their future game-changing discoveries.”
2019 Life Sciences Laureate: Dr. Michal Rivlin is a Senior Scientist in the Department of Neurobiology at Weizmann Institute of Science. She was recognized for her discovery that cells in the adult retina can dynamically change their response properties to stimuli such as motion and light — challenging the dogma that responses of retinal cells are fixed and hardwired.
2019 Chemistry Laureate: Dr. Moran Bercovici is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. He was recognized for his development of novel microfluidic technologies for microscale manipulations of fluids and molecules, which have applications in advanced chemical and biochemical analysis, including “Lab on a Chip” technologies.
2019 Physical Sciences & Engineering Laureate: Dr. Erez Berg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Condensed Matter Physics at Weizmann Institute of Science. He was recognized for developing novel theoretical and computational tools to study long-standing and emerging questions in quantum materials.
Chosen from 33 nominations submitted by seven universities across the country, these three 2019 Laureates, one each from the categories of Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Chemistry, will each receive an unrestricted prize of $100,000 and will be formally honored at a ceremony at the renowned Israel Museum in Jerusalem on April 7, 2019.
To learn more about the Blavatnik Awards and its cohort of Awards programs in the United States, United Kingdom, and Israel please visit the Blavatnik Awards website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter: @BlavatnikAwards