Emerging from trauma
Prof. Alon Chen and David Weizmann (photo credit: Justin Grainge Photography)
In March 2024, Weizmann UK held its Annual Lecture at the Wellcome Collection in London. The evening was attended by over 140 friends and supporters of Weizmann UK, including David Weizmann, the grandson of the Institute’s founder, Dr. Chaim Weizmann, who received a heartfelt reception by Weizmann President Prof. Alon Chen.
Speaking on the evening’s theme “Emerging from Trauma,” Prof. Chen provided a thorough and enlightening update on how the war and its resulting challenges affected life on campus. Reaffirming the Weizmann Institute’s mission of advancing science for the future of humanity, he emphasized its commitment to cultivating an environment where science, knowledge, and education prevail as the values that will safeguard Israel’s survival.
“I am optimistic about the future,” Prof. Chen said. “Our scientists will continue to go from strength to strength to benefit us all.”
Prof. Chen also spoke on his own recent research as a neurobiologist studying trauma recovery. He eloquently described how science acts as a foundation of resilience, and emphasized the Institute’s unwavering dedication to pioneering research, particularly in its key flagship initiatives: environmental sustainability, neuroscience, physics, artificial intelligence, and immunology.
He closed his lecture by highlighting some recent research breakthroughs, including Prof. Eran Elinav’s work on the connection between diabetes and respiratory illnesses, Prof. Jacob Hanna’s creation of human embryos solely from stem cells, Prof. Ada Yonath’s innovative treatments for sleeping sickness and other parasitic diseases, Prof. Rotem Sorek’s research on bacterial defense mechanisms, and Dr. Tali Dekel’s advancements in text-to-video technology.
Prof. Alon Chen and Dr. Arabella Duffield, Chair, Weizmann UK (photo credit: Justin Grainge Photography)
Following the lecture, at a celebratory dinner, Carmel Spyer, Weizmann UK’s Executive Director, launched the Ambassadors’ Giving Club, a new initiative that aims to fund academic and scientific projects that extend the Weizmann Institute’s reach beyond Israel through meaningful partnerships in the UK.
