Demonstrating leadership
Zuckerman Israel Institute
Dear Friends,
2024 was a year of both challenges and hope for all of us who love Israel.
Like many people in Israel, we at the Zuckerman STEM Leadership Program are hoping for the war to end and have our lives come back to normal. We want to continue to do what we do best—support basic research and advance US-Israeli academic relations.
In 2024, some Zuckerman scholars served in the army, necessary equipment and testing were delayed, and sometimes scholars were forced to close their labs temporarily. Now most of them have resumed their research and are looking ahead to better times. A few North American postdoctoral scholars who left Israel at the beginning of the war have since been able to return and continue their research, and for the current academic year, we have recruited eight talented postdoctoral scholars from North America, and nine exceptional Faculty scholars , filling us with hope.
Also in 2024, Zuckerman faculty scholars were awarded an unprecedented number of grants and awards, demonstrating their resilience, persistence, and leadership qualities. Science must take the long road, and our scholars believe their work must continue no matter what.
We salute our outstanding partners, Israel’s Council for Higher Education, for their steady cooperation and confidence in our mission.
We remain optimistic for what 2025 brings, we are grateful to you for supporting our mission!
LEADERSHIP. RESEARCH. RESILIENCE
Zuckerman STEM Scholars fuel progress and hope, redefining the possible.
What happens to the stomach after sleeve gastrectomy bariatric surgery?
Danny Ben Zvi
Zuckerman Faculty Scholar at The Hebrew University
Nano tools enable faster diagnosis
Gili Bisker
Zuckerman Faculty Scholar at Tel Aviv University
Protection against new privacy threats found in AI assistant programs
Yisroel Mirsky
Zuckerman Faculty Scholar at Ben-Gurion University
The science of intermittent fasting: How the liver remembers
Ido Goldstein
Zuckerman Faculty Scholar at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
New photonics approach enhances quantum computation efficiency
Yaron Bromberg
Zuckerman Faculty Scholar at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The groundbreaking achievements of Zuckerman scientists span a remarkable spectrum of discovery and innovation. From securing prestigious awards and highly competitive research grants to publishing pioneering studies in the most respected journals, Zuckerman Scholars consistently demonstrate excellence in their respective STEM fields.
All share a common goal: a deep commitment to technology and scientific advancement, coupled with a bold, creative approach to problem-solving.
With that, our Zuckerman scholars have fostered a legacy of breakthrough discoveries that continue to shape our understanding of the world around us.
We are immensely proud of the impressive contributions made by our community of researchers in the past year. Despite the ongoing war in Israel and continuing challenges in operating their labs, Zuckerman Faculty Scholars continued their research, leading to six groundbreaking discoveries that will have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of so many.
RESULTS DRIVEN
Markers of excellence
Over the past eight years, we have consistently raised the bar while adhering to our vision that the next generation of leaders needs to be cultivated as they begin their scientific career paths, a strategy that has proven itself.
Scholars
Labs
Participating
Universities
IN 2024
IN 2024
IN 2024
ERC Grants
Other Research Grants
Women
Zuckerman Faculty Scholar Yaara Oren (r) at her lab at Tel Aviv University
ISRAEL’S BRAIN GAIN
Establishing a record number of advanced STEM labs in Israel
Opening one’s own laboratory marks the beginning of a new and exciting phase of a researcher’s career. In 2024, the Zuckerman Faculty Scholars Program welcomed nine new faculty members to eight Israeli research universities.
The Zuckerman Faculty Scholars Program encourages Israeli researchers who have completed postdoctoral STEM studies in the US and Canada to return to Israel and apply for a faculty position at one of Israel’s eight research universities. Once accepted, the Program will support each scholar with funding to build a customized research lab based on to their needs and specifications.
Alex Brodsky
David Deutsch
Osip Schwatz
9 new labs established in 2024
Zuckerman Faculty Scholar Yisroel Mirski, PI at the Offensive AI Research Lab, Ben-Gurion University
PARTNERSHIP
The Zuckerman Israel Institute’s partnership with the Council for Higher Education in Israel (CHE) continues to boost excellence and cutting-edge research.
The State of Israel’s Council for Higher Education (CHE) determines policy for all Israeli universities and supports the Mortimer B. Zuckerman STEM Leadership Program, promoting and encouraging globalization and collaboration.
Since 2018, the Zuckerman STEM Leadership Program has benefitted greatly from this strategic partnership. We salute this strong, fruitful, and trusted collaboration, a pinnacle of our success in advancing higher education in Israel.
Moran Yadid, Zuckerman Faculty Scholar at Bar-Ilan University
GRANTS AND AWARDS
The Zuckerman scholars hold an impressive record for follow-on funding and awards from the world’s most prestigious organizations
ERC Grants
SCHOLARS HAVE RECEIVED
ERC GRANTS SINCE 2018
ERC Grants 2024
TO ARIELLA GLASNER
TO NADAV COHEN
TO TAL IRAM
TO YANIV ROMANO
Other notable research grants & awards in 2024
kill prize for Excellence in Scientific Research
Itamar Harel
Neta Shlezinger
Yaniv Romano
Ido Goldstein
Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists in Israel
Moran Shalev-Benami
Young Academy of Europe
Itamar Harel
Kadar Family Award for Outstanding Research
Gili Bisker
POSTDOCS
During an incredibly challenging time, many Zuckerman postdoctoral scholars not only remained in their labs and continued their research, they also flourished and advanced their careers.
Zuckerman scholars are empowering others to follow their example and conduct research in Israel. We are happy to share some of their stories
“Why Israel?”
Shoshana Ginsburg Postdoc at Technion
Towards the end of my PhD work, I decided I wanted to continue doing research in an academic lab setting. I wanted to do a postdoc, but being a proud Jew and Zionist, I did not feel comfortable or want to go to another academic institution in the United States right now. I have always loved visiting Israel, and I wanted the opportunity to come for an extended time to truly experience the country and the culture. …
Patrick Gray Postdoc (Alum) at Technion
Towards the end of my PhD work, I decided I wanted to continue doing research in an academic lab setting. I wanted to do a postdoc, but being a proud Jew and Zionist, I did not feel comfortable or want to go to another academic institution in the United States right now. I have always loved visiting Israel, and I wanted the opportunity to come for an extended time to truly experience the country and the culture. …
Jeremy Gabriel Postdoc (Alum) at University of Haifa
My time as a Zuckerman Postdoctoral Scholar was a very rewarding experience, giving me the chance to be part of a great initiative to promote international collaboration in STEM research. It was particularly meaningful to return to Israel to work with Dr. Beverly Goodman, whom I first worked with on a field season at Caesarea while I was still an undergraduate student at McMaster University. …
David Padilla Garza Postdoc at The Hebrew University
Lorem Ipsum typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type tronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.
We support young leaders in STEM research with meaningful fellowships at leading universities in Israel from leading institutions in North America.
Upon their return, many postdocs secure faculty positions at North American universities, propagating a cycle of excellence and academic exchange.
In 2024 we welcomed twelve new scholars to the program
