Blog Archives
2023 Blavatnik National and Regional Awards Ceremony
“Scientists who make up this community aren’t just achieving incredible things in isolation; they’re also inspiring and nurturing the next generation of scientists.”
Published October 2, 2023
By Kamala Murthy
The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences hosted the 2023 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists Ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on September 19, 2023. The event honored the 2023 Blavatnik National Awards Laureates and Finalists as well as the 2023 Blavatnik Regional Awards Laureates and Finalists.
France Anne Córdova, President of the Science Philanthropy Alliance, former director of the National Science Foundation, and the first woman to be chief scientist for NASA, served as presenter. A distinguished group of leaders from the worlds of philanthropy, academia, science, and technology was joined at the event by notable members from New York’s artistic community including Carnegie Hall’s artistic director Sir Clive Gillinson, Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music, Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s global head of music; and Lauren Selig of Shake and Bake Productions.
During her opening remarks, Córdova spoke about the impact the Blavatnik Awards have made on scientists’ careers: “A recent survey of Blavatnik honorees showed that in the two years following their first recognition, more than half reported feeling validation and increased confidence after receiving a Blavatnik Award. These awards help recipients progress in their careers and increase their visibility. They also give honorees the courage to pursue high-risk, high-reward research. After recognition, 75% started a new research direction and many started a new collaboration with another Blavatnik Awards honoree.”
Next, Córdova introduced the 31 Blavatnik National Awards Finalists who each came on stage, receiving a standing ovation from the audience.
The ceremony then turned its spotlight on the talented young scientists being recognized as part of the 2023 Blavatnik Regional Awards–nine postdoctoral fellows selected from among 121 outstanding nominees from 28 academic institutions in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Córdova called each Regional Finalist to the stage who received a round of applause. Short videos featuring each of the three Regional Laureates were then presented. Córdova called the Regional Laureates to the stage and awarded each with a medal in their award category:
Chemistry (Regional)
2023 Blavatnik Regional Awards Laureate in Chemistry, quantum chemist Joonho Lee, nominated by Columbia University and currently at Harvard University.
Physical Sciences & Engineering (Regional)
2023 Blavatnik Regional Awards Laureate in Physical Sciences & Engineering, physicist Zoe Yan, nominated by Princeton University and currently at The University of Chicago.
Life Sciences (Regional)
2023 Blavatnik Regional Awards Laureate in Life Sciences, biomedical engineer Yanxiang Deng, nominated by Yale University and now at the University of Pennsylvania.
Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, led the next part of the evening’s ceremony. Prof. Dirks commented on the power of community within the Blavatnik Awards program. “Scientists who make up this community aren’t just achieving incredible things in isolation; they’re also inspiring and nurturing the next generation of scientists. In addition, they’re collaborating. In doing so, they’re making discoveries beyond what they might have been able to do on their own.”
Prof. Dirks gave a presentation featuring numerous collaborations that came about through the Blavatnik Awards community. He then highlighted other innovations that have had a direct impact on humankind and fostered economic growth. “With the confidence and financial support provided by the Blavatnik Awards, our community of Blavatnik Scholars has founded more than 50 companies, some publicly traded today on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ. There is no question that together–and as individuals–they are driving economic growth at home and abroad while using science to advance the public good.”
Córdova announced the 2023 Blavatnik National Awards Laureates by introducing a video profile of each Laureate. Len Blavatnik, Founder and Chairman, Access Industries and the Blavatnik Family Foundation, then conferred the medals to each of the Laureates, who went on to deliver brief presentations showcasing their prize-winning research.
Chemistry (National)
2023 Blavatnik National Awards Laureate in Life Sciences, forest ecologist expert William Anderegg, from the University of Utah, spoke about his research on how climate change is impacting the earth’s forests.
Physical Sciences & Engineering (National)
2023 Blavatnik National Awards Laureate in Physical Sciences & Engineering, mathematician Svitlana Mayboroda, University of Minnesota, gave a talk on her discoveries in mathematics that are unlocking the potential of electronic waves – ideas that can lead to crucial new 21st-century technologies.
Life Sciences (National)
2023 Blavatnik National Awards Laureate in Chemistry, materials chemist Shannon Boettcher, from the University of Oregon, spoke about his discoveries in electrochemistry which are enabling new sustainable methods to create fuels, plastics, fertilizers, and other important chemicals.
The ceremony concluded with the Blavatnik Awards tradition of making a “Toast to Science.”
To learn more about the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, visit blavatnikawards.org.
Sparking Innovation: UK Scientists Changing Our World
Explore tumor metastasis prediction, RNA’s role in cold-resistant plants, quantum internet technologies, extraterrestrial life detection, computer-aided molecule design, and enzyme engineering in this interactive lecture series by 2024 Blavatnik Award winners. Discover cutting-edge insights across Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Chemical Sciences, suitable for science enthusiasts of all ages. Join us to witness UK scientists’ transformative innovations shaping the future.
Science and Society: 2022 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel Symposium
This exciting, free symposium features a series of short talks from three brilliant young scientists recognized as the Laureates of the 2022 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel. Their award-winning research will be on display as we learn about new materials that rival the photosynthetic efficiency of plants, mathematical equations that are transforming how we approach large data sets, and the different strategies that SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses use to hijack cells.
On-Demand: Discover, Design, and Diagnose: 9 Young Scientists Transforming Our World
This symposium features a series of short talks from nine brilliant young scientists recognized as the Laureates and Finalists of the 2022 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the United Kingdom. Their multidisciplinary, award-winning research is transforming our understanding of the human brain, how to predict the future of climate change, the creation of new materials with innovative properties, the design of sustainable chemistry, and the optimization of chemical reactions critical to new drug development. The lectures and discussion are intended for science enthusiasts of all ages – from high schoolers to adults.
Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists
Driving the Next Generation of Scientific Innovation
Considered the largest unrestricted prize ever created for early-career scientists, the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists were established in 2007 by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and are independently administered by The New York Academy of Sciences. The Blavatnik Awards seek to identify and honor exceptional young scientists and engineers 42 years of age and younger. Honorees are selected based on the quality, novelty, and impact of their research and their potential for further significant contributions to science.
Focus on Promising Young Scientists
Unlike lifetime achievement awards that honor scientists at a later stage in their career, the Blavatnik Awards aim to identify and encourage promising young scientists early on, when they are most in need of funding and recognition.
Founded and Supported by
“Our goal is to recognize exceptional young scientists, and to showcase their work as examples of what the next generation of young scientists should strive to achieve. The Blavatnik Family Foundation provides critical support to fuel the kind of innovative science and technology research that addresses society’s most pressing global problems.” Len Blavatnik
Three Disciplinary Categories
Blavatnik Awards honorees are recognized in three disciplinary categories:
Chemical Sciences
Physical Sciences & Engineering
Life Sciences
Four Awards
The Academy administers the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists as four separate Awards programs:
$20M in Unrestricted Funding Awarded
Boosting Careers & Economic Growth
2023 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists Honorees Announced
The Awards honor postdoctoral scientists from tri-state academic and research institutions in chemistry, physical sciences & engineering, and life sciences.
New York, NY | August 9, 2023 – The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences today announced the three Laureates and six Finalists of the 2023 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists. The Awards honor outstanding postdoctoral scientists from academic research institutions across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut in three disciplinary categories: Chemistry, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Life Sciences.
The Blavatnik Regional Awards jury, consisting of distinguished scientists and engineers from across the New York Tri-State region, selected one Laureate in each of the three categories who will receive a $30,000 unrestricted prize and two Finalists in each category who will be awarded $10,000 each. In the 2023 competition, there were 121 outstanding nominations from 28 academic institutions in the New York metropolitan region (Tri-State Area). The 2023 Blavatnik Regional Awards Laureates and Finalists will be honored during National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week, which recognizes the significant contributions that postdoctoral scholars make to U.S. research and discovery. The 2023 Ceremony of the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, will take place at the American Museum of Natural History in New York on September 19, 2023.
“Congratulations to this year’s Regional Awards Laureates and Finalists. We look forward to their future significant discoveries,” said Len Blavatnik, Founder and Chairman of Access Industries, head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation.
Nicholas B. Dirks, The New York Academy of Sciences’ President and CEO, said, “Congratulations to the 2023 Blavatnik Regional Awards Laureates and Finalists. This year’s Regional honorees are driving cutting-edge research, making important contributions to the area’s current and future scientific excellence. Many are publishing research at rapid speed, taking creative risks in their research, while actively working to create a more diverse STEM workforce. These are the young scientific superstars we should be watching.”
The 2023 Blavatnik Regional Awards Laureates in the three award categories are:
Chemistry
Joonho Lee, PhD, (quantum chemist) nominated by Columbia University— was recognized for the development of state-of-the-art quantum chemistry algorithms for classical and quantum computers. Lee’s work aims to provide a microscopic understanding of emergent functional materials, including solar cells, electrocatalysts for the hydrogen economy, and optoelectronics. Lee has recently joined the faculty at Harvard University.
Physical Sciences & Engineering
Zoe Yan, PhD, (physicist) nominated by Princeton University — was recognized for developing the first quantum gas microscope on single, ultracold molecules and applying this technique to explore important phenomena relevant to high-temperature superconductors and other quantum materials. Yan’s work opened a new venue to study complex quantum phenomena previously inaccessible by other instruments and holds great potential in future quantum technologies. Yan has recently joined the faculty at The University of Chicago.
Life Sciences
Yanxiang Deng, PhD, (biomedical engineer) nominated by Yale University — was recognized for developing a novel microfluidic method for “spatial-omics” to profile expression of RNA, proteins, and epigenetic markers across spatially organized groups of cells in tissues. Deng’s work has allowed us to construct a map of how RNA, proteins, and epigenetic markers are expressed across groups of cells with respect to cells’ relative positions. This work provides critical insight about how cells in different regions change their behavior during processes like development and disease. Deng has recently joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania.
The following postdoctoral researchers have been named Finalists in their respective categories:
Chemistry
Elena Meirzadeh, PhD, (materials chemist), nominated by Columbia University — was recognized for synthesizing a molecular two-dimensional form of carbon that has opened up a new class of materials with enormous potential applications in energy storage and tunable optoelectronics. Her new carbon crystals are formed from superatoms—large molecules made from many atoms—and they have a higher thermal conductivity than other forms of molecular carbon, making them uniquely able to dissipate heat. Meirzadeh has recently joined the faculty at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
Brittany M. White-Mathieu, PhD, (chemical biologist) nominated by Cornell University—
was recognized for advancing the field of chemical imaging to further our understanding of lipids and their role in cellular function and disease, including cancer. She has created a revolutionary method, Lipid Expansion Microscopy, that enables super-resolution imaging of lipids within cells using widely available instrumentation. White-Mathieu’s work enables direct study of these compounds in cellular membranes where critical cell signaling events and nutrient exchange occur. White-Mathieu will begin a new faculty position at the University of New Hampshire in late August 2023.
Physical Sciences & Engineering
Micah Goldblum, PhD, (computer scientist) nominated by New York University — was recognized for substantial contributions to various aspects of deep learning—a leading technique of artificial intelligence. His work has not only transformed our understanding of the foundations of deep learning, but also improved its data security. Goldblum also broadened the application of deep learning in data-scarce situations, such as leveraging large volumes of diagnostic data for common diseases to improve diagnoses on rare ones.
Adam Overvig, PhD, (applied physicist) nominated by CUNY Graduate Center — was recognized for developing a new paradigm for manipulating light and thermal radiation using metasurfaces—surfaces of artificial materials with nanoscale structures. Overvig’s metasurface designs enable new ways to control the behavior of light with unprecedented precision and efficiency, and are promising for a wide range of applications including electronic communications, medical imaging, quantum computing, and more.
Life Sciences
Valerie A. Tornini, PhD, (developmental biologist) nominated by Yale University — was recognized for identifying roles for novel micropeptides hidden in the vertebrate genome and chromatin regulators that tell early brain cells which kind of cell to become, to then regulate behavior of the whole organism. Tornini showed that these micropeptides and chromatin regulators have crucial roles in early neurodevelopment using zebrafish models. Furthermore, Tornini identified links between mutations in chromatin modifier genes, the resulting behaviors, and autism, informing our understanding of how to therapeutically manipulate these behaviors to treat developmental disorders.
Qiancheng Zhao, PhD, (neuroscientist) nominated by Yale University — was recognized for exploring how our brain senses internal states, such as blood pressure fluctuations, food digestion, and breathing rhythms in a process called interoception. Zhao has characterized the vagal sensory neurons, a key body-brain axis in interoception, responsible for sensing numerous and diverse body signals and relaying them to the brain with incredible precision. Zhao’s work has demonstrated that vagal sensory neurons employ a combinatorial strategy to code the essential features of an interoceptive signal, including the ‘visceral organ’, ‘tissue layer’, and ‘sensory modality’, thus facilitating effective body-to-brain communications.
About the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists
The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, established by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in 2007 and independently administered by The New York Academy of Sciences, began by identifying outstanding scientific talent in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. In 2014, the Blavatnik National Awards were created to recognize faculty-rank scientists throughout the United States. In 2017, the Awards were further expanded to honor faculty-rank scientists in the United Kingdom and Israel. For updates about the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, please visit www.blavatnikawards.org or follow us on Twitter and Facebook @BlavatnikAwards.
About the Blavatnik Family Foundation
The Blavatnik Family Foundation supports world-renowned educational, scientific, cultural, and charitable institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, and across the globe. Led by Len Blavatnik, founder and chairman of Access Industries, the Foundation advances and promotes innovation, discovery, and creativity to benefit the whole of society. Over the past decade, the Foundation has contributed more than $1 billion to over 250 organizations. See more at www.blavatnikfoundation.org.
2023 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists Announced
The Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences announce the 2023 laureates of the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists.
New York, NY | July 26, 2023 – The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences announced today the 2023 laureates of the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists.
Each will receive $250,000, the largest unrestricted scientific award for America’s most innovative, faculty-ranked scientists and engineers who are under the age of 42. The winners and their distinguished research:
2023 Laureate in Life Sciences:
William Anderegg, Ph.D., The University of Utah (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology)—Revealing how trees absorb and release carbon dioxide amidst a changing climate
William Anderegg examines the interaction of plant ecology and climate change, from the scale of cells to forest ecosystems. Specifically, he addresses how drought and climate change affect the plant-soil-atmospheric systems, including tree physiology, species interactions, and biosphere-atmosphere feedbacks. His work overturns a 40-year foundational theory on how stomata—pores on leaves that facilitate photosynthesis—behave in order to improve carbon gain and minimize water loss, and in turn, how this affects global forests’ response to climate change. As a leading voice in the field of climate change, Anderegg’s discoveries are already informing climate solutions, global policies, and public health. He is the first ever winner of the Blavatnik Regional Awards to be awarded the Blavatnik National Award.
2023 Laureate in Chemistry:
Shannon Boettcher, Ph.D., University of Oregon (Inorganic & Solid-State Chemistry)—Discovering novel methods and materials to harness electrochemistry for sustainability
Shannon Boettcher is creating sustainable, electrochemical methods central to transforming simple mixtures of water and atmospheric gases into fuels, plastics, fertilizers, and other chemicals. Boettcher’s work is grounded in the mechanistic science of understanding electrochemical reactions on the surfaces of electrified solids, particularly under practical conditions where catalysts change in structure and composition. His work builds a foundation for the development of new technologies by addressing key knowledge gaps in understanding and controlling the rates of ion- and electron-transfer across interfaces. Discoveries made in Boettcher’s laboratory are now being applied to improve industrial processes for hydrogen production and carbon capture, establishing him both as a global leader in research and in society’s transition to a green future.
2023 Laureate in Physical Sciences & Engineering:
Svitlana Mayboroda, Ph.D., University of Minnesota (Applied Mathematics)—Developed elegant new mathematical theory to understand electronic waves
Svitlana Mayboroda is using applied mathematics to provide physicists with a new fundamental understanding of the behavior of matter at nanometer scales—insights that are relevant for today’s ability to control and manipulate atomic structures. Mayboroda and her collaborators have invented an elegant technique known as localization landscape theory, which solves some long-standing problems in condensed matter physics. This mathematical framework reveals hidden structures that guide the behavior of waves at the atomic level, explaining why waves do not propagate in complex or disordered materials. Mayboroda’s ground-breaking work is leading to improvements in crucial 21st-century technologies like LED lighting, semiconductors, and solar cells.
“I congratulate all the laureates and finalists whose outstanding research gives us hope for the future,” said Len Blavatnik, founder and chairman of Access Industries. He is head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation and a member of the President’s Council of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Nicholas B. Dirks, president and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, said, “On behalf of the Academy, we are excited to honor our first laureate who was previously a Regional Award-winner, our first laureate in applied mathematics, and the first laureates from these three public universities. This year’s laureates are working to address major societal challenges—including problems related to energy and sustainability, climate change and forest fires, and transforming solid-state physics and semi-conductor physics—demonstrating the great significance of science for advancing the public good.”
The 2023 Blavatnik National Awards received 267 nominations from 134 institutions in 38 U.S. states. Nominees must be faculty-level scientific researchers, 42 years of age or younger.
Three independent juries —one each for life sciences, chemistry, and physical sciences and engineering —were composed of some of America’s most distinguished scientists. The juries selected three winning laureates and 28 finalists.
The Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists will celebrate the 2023 laureates and finalists in a ceremony on Sept. 19 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
FINALISTS
Life Sciences
Kivanç Birsoy, Ph.D., The Rockefeller University (Molecular & Cellular Biology), developed genetic tools to study mechanisms by which human cells alter their uptake and use of nutrients to adapt to the genetic and environmental stresses observed in disease states such as cancer.
Weizhe Hong, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles (Neuroscience), is advancing our understanding of prosocial behavior in animals and how it is regulated by specific neural circuits in the brain. Further, he finds that neural activities between socially interacting animals become correlated, developing a multi-brain framework for social interaction.
Cigall Kadoch, Ph.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute & Harvard Medical School (Molecular & Cellular Biology), examines large human genetics studies to identify a group of disease-causing mutations in a multi-protein complex called mSWI/SNF. Kadoch combined biochemistry and genetics to define the structure and function of mSWI/SNF, providing a mechanistic understanding of how mutations can disrupt normal function and cause disease.
Ian Maze, Ph.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Neuroscience), is finding that covalent binding of monoamine neurotransmitters to DNA-bound histone proteins informs neural transcriptional plasticity and function. Maze also discovered and characterized numerous brain-enriched chromatin regulatory proteins, which have led to significant improvements in our understanding of, and potential treatments for, neuropsychiatric diseases.
Noah W. Palm, Ph.D., Yale University (Immunology), is developing new approaches to deconvolute the complex interactions between our immune system and gut microbiota: the trillions of microorganisms that colonize and protect the gastrointestinal tract. Palm is transforming these insights into novel strategies to prevent allergies, autoimmunity, and cancer.
Sergiu P. Pașca, M.D., Stanford University (Neuroscience), is pioneering the use of instructive signals to develop three-dimensional cultures of neural tissue known as organoids, and build functioning human neural circuits in preparations he named assembloids. These platforms led to a better understanding of human neural development, and subsequently, potential treatments for brain disorders.
Lei Stanley Qi, Ph.D., Stanford University (Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology), is making significant developments in CRISPR technologies for gene regulation, epigenome editing, chromatin imaging, and gene therapy. Qi has applied this technology to understand how gene and enhancer networks govern cancer and cell fate determination, and to combat COVID-19.
David Veesler, Ph.D., University of Washington (Immunology), characterized the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and identified the ACE2 receptor responsible for the virus’s entry into a cell. His research played a key role in the development of COVID-19 vaccines.
Harris H. Wang, Ph.D., Columbia University (Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology), developed methods for studying the spatiotemporal organization of a microbiome and editing the metagenome of the microbiome. Using these approaches, Wang mapped the spatial arrangement of microbes in complex communities and programmed them with new functions.
Chemistry
Eric S. Fischer, Ph.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Chemical Biology), is understanding how small molecules selectively degrade proteins and is converting that knowledge into a road map for new therapeutic interventions.
Danna Freedman, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Inorganic & Solid-State Chemistry), is elevating molecules to the cutting edge of quantum information technology, having achieved record stability and optical read-out from a molecular quantum bit.
Prashant K. Jain, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Physical Chemistry), is using synchronized vibrations of electrons within nanoparticles to trap light and harness its energy, for sustainable manufacturing of chemicals and zero-carbon fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen.
Jeremiah A. Johnson, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Polymer Chemistry), is achieving breakthrough control over the synthesis of organic polymers, unlocking real world applications ranging from more easily recycled plastics to the delivery of cancer therapeutics.
Han Li, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine (Chemical Engineering), is creating new tools to control the biochemical reactions in living cells with unparalleled precision, turning cells into bio-factories to manufacture a wide range of useful molecules for food, medicine, or energy.
Garret Miyake, Ph.D., Colorado State University (Polymer Chemistry), is harnessing light in the pursuit of sustainability, from discovering new light-driven reactions of molecules and polymers in order to create coatings that can reduce energy needs by making windows more heat reflective.
Alison Narayan, Ph.D., University of Michigan (Organic Chemistry), is pioneering the use of protein engineering tools to uncover new bio-catalyzed reactions for synthesis of complex molecules used in therapies or drugs.
Kerri A. Pratt, Ph.D., University of Michigan (Environmental Chemistry & Geochemistry), uses novel measurement techniques to redefine our understanding of the chemical interactions in the atmosphere of Arctic and urban winter environments, tackling the global challenges of climate change and air quality.
Yogesh Surendranath, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Inorganic & Solid-State Chemistry), is transforming the field of electrochemistry with his development of tunable graphite-based catalysts, which he is using to reveal new molecular-level insights into electrochemical reaction mechanisms.
Physical Sciences & Engineering
Kaushik Chowdhury, Ph.D., Northeastern University (Electrical Engineering), is addressing the global need of telecommunications spectrum scarcity, as well as improve connectivity by designing next generation wireless systems and machine learning-based network operations.
Ivan Z. Corwin, Ph.D., Columbia University (Applied Mathematics), is developing probabilistic mathematical models of interacting particle systems. Such models are important for understanding phenomena as diverse as crystal growth, traffic flow, noisy data, and the spread of disease within a population.
Jennifer A. Dionne, Ph.D., Stanford University (Materials Science & Nanotechnology), is pioneering the development of new imaging techniques that enable direct visualization of chemical and biological processes in real time, and with nano-to-atomic scale spatial resolution.
Asegun Henry, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering), is creating sustainable energy technologies, including ultra-low-cost and efficient grid-scale energy storage systems utilizing high-temperature liquid metals as heat transfer fluids.
Shirley Ho, Ph.D., Flatiron Institute (Astrophysics & Cosmology), is translating what deep neural networks have learned from computational simulations and astronomical data into astrophysical insights through a combination of deep learning and other statistical techniques.
Patrick E. Hopkins, Ph.D., University of Virginia (Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering), is revolutionizing the design of materials to create energy-efficient devices, including ultrahigh and ultralow thermal conductivity materials, dynamically tunable thermal switches that operate like light bulbs, and thermal diodes that couple heat, light and charge.
Maryam M. Shanechi, Ph.D., University of Southern California (Electrical Engineering), is pioneering brain-machine interfaces that can model, decode, and control complex neural activity patterns by the intersection of engineering, computing, and neuroscience.
Jessica K. Werk, Ph.D., University of Washington (Astrophysics & Cosmology), is working with both astrophysical observations and simulations to build a comprehensive theory of galaxy evolution that includes the physics of their gaseous atmospheres—key structures that can fuel star formation for billions of years.
Sheng Xu, Ph.D., University of California San Diego (Materials Science & Nanotechnology), is advancing wearable electronics with integrated deep-tissue sensors, multilayered configurations, and novel photovoltaic power sources, enabling continuous-monitoring technology for future healthcare.
Guihua Yu, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin (Materials Science & Nanotechnology), is addressing energy and environmental challenges with innovative nanomaterials called “energy gels,” with wide-ranging applications from fast-charging batteries and electrocatalysts, to seawater desalinization and solar-powered water-harvesters for sustainable agriculture.
About the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists
The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, established by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in 2007 and independently administered by The New York Academy of Sciences, began by identifying outstanding scientific talent in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. In 2014, the Blavatnik National Awards were created to recognize faculty-rank scientists throughout the United States. In 2017, the Awards were further expanded to honor faculty-rank scientists in the United Kingdom and Israel. For updates about the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, please visit blavatnikawards.org or follow us on Twitter and Facebook @BlavatnikAwards.
About the Blavatnik Family Foundation
The Blavatnik Family Foundation supports world-renowned educational, scientific, cultural, and charitable institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, and across the globe. Led by Len Blavatnik, founder and chairman of Access Industries, the Foundation advances and promotes innovation, discovery, and creativity to benefit the whole of society. Over the past decade, the Foundation has contributed more than $1 billion to over 250 organizations. See more at blavatnikfoundation.org
Blavatnik Awards in Israel celebrate the 2023 Israel Laureates
“The world needs science and scientists. And we need scientists everywhere to be working together to tackle the world’s growing list of challenges.”
Published July 12, 2023
By Kamala Murthy
The New York Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Blavatnik Family Foundation, hosted the fifth ceremony for the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel on June 7, 2023. The gala event was held at the Peres Center for Peace & Innovation in Tel Aviv for the second year and was attended by Israel’s top leaders in business, academia and industry. Israeli TV News Anchor, Tamar Ish-Shalom, from Reshet 13, served as Presenter of Ceremonies. Renowned Israeli chef, Yossi Shitrit, catered the ceremony.
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog attended the ceremony in-person and in his remarks reflected on Israel’s historical investment in science by the first President of Israel, Chaim Weizmann, who saw great promise in science to bringing prosperity to the region. David Harel, President of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, congratulated the Laureates and thanked the jury and the Scientific Advisory Council.
Academy President and CEO, Nicholas Dirks, spoke about how the Blavatnik Awards honorees are improving our world: “The world needs science and scientists. And we need scientists everywhere to be working together to tackle the world’s growing list of challenges. These awards are so important, for they support the work of scientists who look beyond the walls of their labs, and beyond geographical borders to think creatively and take risks in their research. This is where solutions will be found”.
Physical Sciences & Engineering
In the category of Physical Sciences & Engineering, Zvika Brakerski from the Weizmann Institute of Science was recognized for developing the first efficient encryption algorithm that allows cloud computers to perform computations on encrypted data without the need to first decrypt them. His algorithm has enormous potential to improve the security of cloud computing. In addition, he has also developed new cryptography algorithms to verify the output of quantum computations.
Chemistry
Also, from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rina Rosenzweig received the Blavatnik Award in Chemistry for discovering the regulatory mechanism by which a particular class of proteins, “chaperone” proteins, drive the innate ability of our cells to prevent and reverse protein aggregation—a phenomena associated with many neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases. Harnessing and amplifying natural methods to reverse protein aggregation in cells paves the way to treatments for these conditions.
Life Sciences
In Life Sciences, the first Laureate from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Shai Carmi, was honored for his fundamental contributions to the fields of population and medical genetics. In medical genetics, he has reported the first evaluations of a new technology for genetic testing of preimplantation embryos for complex (adult) diseases and traits. Through his groundbreaking work in population genetics, he has rewritten the demographic history of medieval Ashkenazi Jews.
Each Laureate came to the stage to receive their Blavatnik Awards medal from Nicholas Dirks. Afterwards, the Laureates each gave a ten-minute presentation on their award-winning discoveries to the audience. The evening also featured the all-female classical instrumental group, Havriot, who composed a song in honor of the 550th anniversary of Copernicus’s discovery of the sun being the center of the solar system, not the earth as was previously thought.
Ceremony presenter Tamar Ish-Shalom, closed the evening’s festivities with the Blavatnik Awards in Israel tradition of gathering the Academies’ Presidents and the Laureates on stage to make a toast to science in Hebrew, “L’Chaim; To Science!”
To learn more about the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, visit blavatnikawards.org.
Prestigious Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel Announces 2023 Laureates
Jerusalem | April 3, 2023 – The Blavatnik Family Foundation, the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and The New York Academy of Sciences, announced today the Laureates of the 2023 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel.
This year’s Laureates, who will each receive US$100,000, are:
- Shai Carmi, PhD (Life Sciences) – The Hebrew University of Jerusalem – Recognized for fundamental contributions to the fields of population and medical genetics. In medical genetics, he has reported the first evaluations of a new technology for genetic testing of preimplantation embryos for complex (adult) diseases and traits. Through his groundbreaking work in population genetics, he has rewritten the demographic history of medieval Ashkenazi Jews.
- Rina Rosenzweig, PhD (Chemistry) – Weizmann Institute of Science – Recognized for discovering the regulatory mechanism by which a particular class of proteins, “chaperone” proteins, drive the innate ability of our cells to prevent and reverse protein aggregation—a phenomena associated with many neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases. Harnessing and amplifying natural methods to reverse protein aggregation in cells paves the way to treatments for these conditions.
- Zvika Brakerski, PhD (Physical Sciences & Engineering) – Weizmann Institute of Science – Recognized for developing the first efficient encryption algorithm that allows cloud computers to perform computations on encrypted data without the need to first decrypt them. His algorithm has enormous potential to improve the security of cloud computing. In addition, he has also developed new cryptography algorithms to verify the output of quantum computations.
Recognizing Innovative Scientists
The Blavatnik Awards recognize outstanding, innovative scientists at the early stages of their careers for both their extraordinary achievements and their promise for future discoveries. The prizes are awarded to researchers aged 42 and younger for groundbreaking work in the disciplines of Life Sciences, Chemistry, and Physical Sciences & Engineering. The Blavatnik Awards in Israel sit alongside their international counterparts, the Blavatnik National Awards and Blavatnik Regional Awards in the United States, and the Blavatnik Awards in the United Kingdom.
The 2023 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel will be conferred at a ceremony held at the Peres Center for Peace & Innovation in Tel Aviv-Jaffa in June 2023. On June 6, 2023, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM IDT, the Laureates will present their research at a free public symposium at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University. You can learn more about this event HERE.
The Laureates will join a cadre of young scientists from across Israel who have been honored by the Blavatnik Awards in Israel since the launch of the Awards in 2017. In addition, the Laureates will become part of the international Blavatnik Science Scholars community, whose recipients will have been awarded prizes totaling US$15.4 million by the close of 2023. Approximately 60 percent of all recipients are immigrants to the country in which they were recognized. Moreover, honorees hail from 52 countries across six continents, reflecting the fact that groundbreaking science is a global enterprise.
“Israel’s science and technology improves lives and constantly expands the boundaries of discovery,” said Len Blavatnik, Founder and Chairman of Access Industries and Head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation. “We are proud to honor these exceptional young scientists and their significant contributions to the global scientific community.”
From the Academy Presidents
Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, said “Science and technology are both considered Israel’s most developed sectors, which follows from the fact that Israel’s universities are training some of the most talented scientists in the world. On behalf of The New York Academy of Sciences, we are proud to recognize the outstanding science and scientists represented by the 2023 Blavatnik Awards in Israel Laureates, including the first Laureate from Hebrew University of Jerusalem. We congratulate them and their institutions.”
Professor David Harel, President of The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, said “Today, more than ever, we value the continuing collaboration with the Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences to maintain the tradition of bestowing these distinguished awards upon outstanding young scientists in Israel. It is crucial to continue to support and invest in Israel’s next generation of scientists, both for the benefit of the international scientific community and to maintain the status of Israeli science in the forefront of the global research world.”
During the nomination period for the 2023 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel, 40 nominations were received from eight universities across the country. Members of the Awards’ Scientific Advisory Council, which includes Nobel Laureates, Professors Aaron Ciechanover and David Gross and Professor Sir Richard Roberts, along with former Chairman of the Israel Space Agency, Professor Isaac Ben-Israel, were also invited to submit nominations. Three distinguished juries—composed of leading scientists representing the three disciplinary categories and led by Israel Academy members—selected the 2023 Laureates.
About the Laureates
Life Sciences:
Shai Carmi, PhD, Associate Professor, the Faculty of Medicine, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Shai Carmi uses genetic data and mathematical modeling to illustrate the past and inform the future. His research combines data analysis and algorithms to fill in gaps in human history and improve methods for genetic testing.
DNA can teach us about the history of a population. Carmi’s work has focused on developing methods that use genetic data to understand the current and past demography of isolated populations. Through the pioneering analysis of DNA sequences from present-day and 14th-century Ashkenazi Jews, Carmi’s work discovered a previously unknown division among the medieval population and estimated how remarkably small the population remained throughout the Middle Ages.
Several recent studies have identified genetic variants associated with disease, suggesting that DNA can serve as an indicator of future disease risk. Carmi is spearheading the application of genetic risk prediction techniques in Israel, in hopes of identifying high-risk individuals and informing efforts of personalized screening and prevention.
In reproductive medicine, Carmi and his colleagues have developed affordable and accurate methods for preimplantation genetic testing on whole-genome sequencing of IVF embryos. This technique may be able to screen embryos not only for severe childhood diseases but also for “complex” adult diseases, such as heart attack, cancers, schizophrenia, diabetes, or Crohn’s disease. Carmi showed that screening embryos for complex diseases could result, under some circumstances, in significant risk reductions for the future children. Importantly, Carmi is also leading discussions of ethical, social, and clinical difficulties associated with the implementation of this technology.
Chemistry:
Rina Rosenzweig, PhD, Senior Scientist, Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science
The healthy function of our bodies’ cells relies on the carefully orchestrated interactions of thousands of function-specific proteins. When these interactions break down because proteins misfold or aggregate, severe neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases can occur. Dr. Rosenzweig is uncovering the secrets behind our cells’ innate quality control system, molecular chaperones: a specific class of proteins that assists other proteins to fold, refold, and repair themselves. Rosenzweig has developed deep insight into how specific molecular chaperones prevent and reverse protein misfolding and aggregation on an atomic level. This knowledge led to her landmark discovery of how two specific molecular chaperones are triggered to break up protein aggregations associated with Parkinson’s disease. The discovery of this “molecular switch” will hopefully lead to the development of novel therapeutic agents that target Parkinson’s and other aggregation-related disorders.
Her work goes beyond neurodegenerative diseases for applications related to cancer. Rosenzweig recently demonstrated specific modulations to molecular chaperones that could inhibit cancer cell growth without impacting other functions, potentially offering new cancer treatments with far fewer side effects.
Physical Sciences & Engineering:
Zvika Brakerski, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science
Prof. Brakerski is a pioneer in cryptography. He has continually introduced novel cryptographic solutions with far-reaching practical implications on the security of cloud computing and quantum computing. Brakerski developed the first efficient encryption algorithm that allows computers to directly perform computations on encrypted data without the need to first decrypt them. In other words, the cloud computers do not know the data they are processing at all. His algorithm, dubbed FHE (fully homomorphic encryption), has huge potential to improve the security of cloud computing, and is now developed and implemented by many companies worldwide.
He has also realized several major breakthroughs related to the use of cryptography in quantum computing. Brakerski’s work laid the foundation to construct various building blocks that are frequently used to build quantum cryptographic protocols.
In addition, he showed how a classical computing system can “control” the behavior of a quantum computer using cryptography. This may allow us to develop secure “cloud quantum-computers” where the quantum cloud can be supervised by the classical user.
About the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists
The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, established by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in 2007 and independently administered by The New York Academy of Sciences, began by identifying outstanding scientific talent in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. In 2014, the Blavatnik National Awards were created to recognize faculty-rank scientists throughout the United States. In 2017, the Awards were further expanded to honor faculty-rank scientists in the United Kingdom and Israel. For updates about the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, please visit blavatnikawards.org or follow us on Twitter and Facebook @BlavatnikAwards.
About the Blavatnik Family Foundation
The Blavatnik Family Foundation supports world-renowned educational, scientific, cultural, and charitable institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, and across the globe. Led by Sir Leonard Blavatnik, founder and chairman of Access Industries, the Foundation advances and promotes innovation, discovery, and creativity to benefit the whole of society. Over the past decade, the Foundation has contributed more than $1 billion to over 250 organizations. See more at blavatnikfoundation.org
About The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities is Israel’s flagship scientific institution. It was established by law in 1961 and acts as a national focal point for Israeli scholarship in all branches of the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The Academy’s membership comprises 141 of Israel’s most distinguished scientists and scholars in its two sections―the Sciences Section and the Humanities Section. It is tasked with promoting Israeli scientific excellence, advising the government on scientific matters of national interest, publishing scholarly research of lasting merit, and maintaining active contact with the broader international scientific and scholarly community. For more information about The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, please visit: academy.ac.il.
For further information, please contact:
Liel Edry: liel@kamir-e.com +972-50-8655-305