Prof. Yoram Burke of the Hebrew University and Nobel Laureate in Medicine, Prof. Edward Moser, have won a prestigious research grant of 10 million Euros, in order to reveal the principles of action of neural networks in the brain. The study will focus on areas of the brain where the position of an animal in space is represented. The ERC Synergy Grant (in the amount of 10 million Euros) is awarded this year to Prof. Yoram Burke together with Prof. Edward Moser. The grant was awarded to a study conducted jointly by Prof. Burke and Prof. Moser, designed to reveal the principles of operation of neural networks in the brain, which presumably make up the internal GPS of animals and brain regions involved in processing information about the location of an animal in space and enabling navigation.
Dr. Alon Eisenberg from the Hebrew University Department of Economics recently won the Israel-France Foundation’s Young Economist Award for 2020, which is being awarded for the second time this year. Dr. Eisenberg specializes in the fields of industrial organization and econometrics. Eisenberg specializes in empirical research of consumer preferences and how these preferences affect product range, price and quality. The monetary grant to each winner is 40,000 Euros. Dr. Eisenberg holds a doctorate in economics from Yale University in the United States, and has been a senior faculty member in the Hebrew University Department of Economics since 2010.
Prof. Avishai Dekel from the Racah Institute of Physics won the Landau Lottery Prize for Arts and Sciences for 2020, in the astrophysics and space category. “Avishai Dekel is one of the top astrophysicists in Israel, and one of the leading researchers in the field of theoretical cosmology in the world. His scientific work is a milestone in our understanding of the structure of the universe and the process of galaxy formation from minimal disturbances in the initial density field. His cumulative and present contributions laid the foundation for understanding the evolution of the structure of the universe within the cosmological paradigm based on Einstein’s theory of gravity. Prof. Dekel is responsible for the development of an innovative model that identifies the flow of strips of cold gas within the halos of dark matter as a central process in the formation of primordial galaxies. This contribution is considered a cornerstone in modern cosmology.” The prize is 150,000 NIS.
The Hebrew University’s prestigious Newman Prize for Literature, $ 9,000 will be awarded to Nurit Zarchi for her contribution to Israeli literature, and for being one of the most influential authors in the formation of the feminist cultural discourse in Israel. The Newman Prize, named after Berta and Israel Newman, is awarded once a year to a prominent Hebrew writer or poet who has attained accomplishments and made a significant contribution to Israeli literature. The prize has been awarded at the Hebrew University since 1963 and includes a monetary sum of 9,000$. This year, the panel decided to award the Prize to the esteemed author and poet Nurit Zarchi for her accomplishments and significant contribution to Israeli society and culture. The award will be presented by the Hebrew University’s President, Prof. Asher Cohen and representatives of the Newman family.