Researchers who develop an artificial testicle that will allow infertile people to give birth to a biological child; who examine the dynamics of fasting and its consequences on diabetes and obesity; who develop innovative technologies for treatments against cancer and other diseases; who are breaking ground in the fields of artificial intelligence and the computational mechanisms behind human reason, creativity and autism; who develop algorithms for learning robots and algorithms that improve contracts; And who sequence the DNA of the ancient man
The Krill Award for excellence in scientific research was awarded on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, to ten brilliant young Israeli researchers for their unique contributions in their fields of research. The prize is awarded annually to researchers who have shown determination, initiative and creativity and have demonstrated significant research breakthroughs in the fields of exact sciences, life sciences, medicine, agriculture and engineering.
Krill awards are intended for outstanding academic faculty members from research universities in Israel, who have not yet received tenure. The foundation's judging committee selects the winners from dozens of candidates submitted by the universities. The choice is based on considerations of excellence, the research topic and its importance.
The candidates for the Krill Prize, and in particular the winners, are considered promising researchers in Israel who are expected to lead research and academia in Israel in the future. The aspiration to win the prize is a milestone in the academic development path.
The Wolf Foundation and the Krill family have been giving the award every year, since 2005, in memory and honor of the late Benjamin and Gitla Krill Mansbach Schlanger. The awarding of the awards symbolizes the Kril family's attachment to the State of Israel and its belief in the close connection between science and vision.
CEO of the Wolf Foundation, Reut Yanon Berman: "Each and every one of the nominees for the award deserves enormous appreciation. Their nomination is a tremendous expression of recognition and trust because the universities see them as the leaders of the next generation of Israeli academia. Winning the award is a particularly important milestone in academic personal development. Indeed, many young researchers who have won the prize over the years later became involved in key positions in scientific research in Israel and around the world. We are proud of the 2023 Krill Prize winners for their extraordinary achievements and their selection for the team of promising researchers of the Academy in Israel."
The winners for 2023:
Dr. Aviv Tamar from the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Technion:
"My dream is that in 10 years there will be robots that can help me do the housework."
Dr. Tamar won the prize for developing algorithms for automatic robotic learning through reinforcements, which make the robots' learning of new tasks simpler and faster. Through research collaborations, Dr. Tamar's lab is working to discover how to use reinforcement learning to solve real-world problems outside of robotics, including improving Internet performance and strengthening blockchain security.
Dr. Vivian Salon from the Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University:
"It fascinates me to investigate who were the people who lived in the world in the distant past. Where did they come from where they settled? How did they live and behave? What did they think and do on a daily basis?"
Dr. Salon won the award for her contributions to the development of research methods and tools in the study of the genome of ancient humans and the evolution of the human genome. Her research deals with the improvement of the methods for collecting particulate sediment samples from archaeological sites and the methods required to process the genetic data. All this with the aim of exploring the genetic history of humanity in new ways.
Dr. Yuval Hart from the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem:
"Engagement in research educates for deep thinking, meaningful learning of new fields, dealing with fears and uncertainties and creating fruitful collaborations. The scientific occupation allows us to be at the forefront of our personal curiosity and creativity."
Dr. Hart won the award for unique contributions to the understanding of the computational principles of cognitive processes - in health and disease - that underlie the human mind and brain, creativity and autism. Among other things, he is looking for ways to remap the activity of brain networks, a mapping that in the future may allow the detection of early markers for neuronal diseases (related to the nervous system).
Dr. Yotam Dreyer from the Department of Immunology and Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem:
"Science is in my eyes the greatest human creation, and therefore it is a great privilege to engage in research and the advancement of science and its way in the advancement of humanity. We are fortunate to live in a time when so many can choose to study and explore."
Dr. Dreyer won the award for original contributions in the field of cancer research and their integration with the development of new algorithms for data analysis, the development of new experimental methods and the prediction of changes that cause diseases. His research has contributed to deciphering gene expression mechanisms leading to discoveries that aid in the treatment and development of new drugs for cancer and genetic diseases.
Dr. Liat Keren from the Department of Molecular Biology of the Cell, Faculty of Biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science:
"The most exciting moments in research are when you realize that you have a result in your hand. A little piece of knowledge that you know and no one else in the world knows. Usually these moments sneak up slowly, after a lot of experiments and hard work."
Dr. Keren won the award for developing innovative technologies for molecular imaging and for revealing the defense mechanisms of cancer tumor cells against an immune response, with the aim of developing innovative treatments for cancer. In Dr. Keren's laboratory, mechanisms are identified that help tumor cells escape the immune response and innovative treatments are developed to direct the power of the immune system against cancer.
Dr. Nitzan Gonen from the Center for Nanotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar-Ilan University:
"Promoting women in research and academia is very close to my heart. It is important to me to speak and tell women that it is possible to combine home and family with career, research and self-development. The more successful female researchers there are, the more we will be an example and role model for those who come after us."
Dr. Gonen won the award for original contributions in the study of the molecular mechanisms that mediate the determination of embryo sex in mammals and the future development of artificial testes. In her research, they are trying to create an artificial testicle that will serve as a research and treatment model for cases of sex determination problems and infertility, and in the hope that in the future a path will be broken to create an artificial sperm that will allow infertile people to give birth to a biological child.
Dr. Ido Goldstein from the Institute of Biochemistry, Food Sciences and Nutrition, Faculty of Food Agriculture and the Environment named after Robert H. Smith at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem:
"Scientific research is our way of understanding the world and improving our lives. Those who choose to engage in science receive a unique privilege - to be part of a huge and ancient project that advances humanity to new heights."
Dr. Goldstein won the award for unique contributions to the study of the genetics of hunger and to understanding the dynamics of fasting and its breaking and its consequences in metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Dr. Goldstein uses advanced techniques of molecular biology, metabolism and genome-wide sequencing to study the complex networks of gene expression that allow the body to respond to fasting.
Dr. Inbal Talgam-Cohen from the Faculty of Computer Science at the Technion:
"During the research, I realized that saying 'I didn't understand' is one of the most powerful statements because it almost always leads to delving into details and new discoveries."
Dr. Talgam-Cohen won the award for her unique contributions to the study of algorithmic game theory and contract design. It focuses on the combination of algorithms and incentives and draws from areas of thought such as economics and game theory. Her research shows how combining algorithms and contracts can not only lead to better algorithms, but also significantly improved contracts. The combination may, for example, shed light on the most common forms of contract, enable personalized incentives, and link contracts to artificial intelligence.
Dr. Shay Moran from the Faculty of Mathematics at the Technion:
"My most important advice to young researchers is to follow the inclinations of the heart, to investigate problems that interest us and not to be confused by the buzz."
Dr. Moran won the award for unique contributions in the study of machine learning (artificial intelligence - AI) and generalization theory. One of the important branches of AI is generalization theory, which aims to quantitatively understand how artificial intelligence generalizes from the individual to the general. This industry has made a significant contribution to the revolutionary technological breakthroughs that the field has experienced in recent years. In his research, Dr. Moran aims to develop generalization theories that complement the classical theory and allow for a more accurate model of modern learning tasks, including tasks that involve sensitive data.
Dr. Tomer Koren from the Blavatnik School of Computer Science, the Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences at Tel Aviv University:
"Follow your curiosity, what fascinates you and what can keep you up at night."
Dr. Koren won the award for unique contributions in the field of computer learning, understanding algorithms and their improvement. One of the goals of his research is to strengthen the theoretical foundations behind the breakthrough successes of artificial intelligence in recent years. This reinforcement is essential to better understand why the learning methods we use today succeed above and beyond expectations (that is, beyond what classical theory promises), and how they can be improved and optimized.
