Weizmann Institute professors to be awarded Israel Prizes

Prizes will be awarded in life sciences and in mathematics and computer science.

By LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZI
Weizmann Institute of Science. (photo credit: MICHAEL JACOBSON/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
Weizmann Institute of Science.
(photo credit: MICHAEL JACOBSON/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
Prof. Zelig Eshhar of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot is to be awarded the Israel Prize in Life Sciences Research, the Education Ministry announced on Sunday.
The prize committee was headed by Prof. Yossi Loya, and included Profs. Yadin Dudai, Shulamit Michaeli and Ofer Mandelbaum.
“The prize will be awarded to Prof. Eshhar for the discovery and development of a breakthrough approach to treating diseases, particularly cancer,” the prize committee said of its decision.
“Prof. Eshhar has for years researched the immune system and the operation of this system in a unique and focused way for the treatment and eradication of diseases, especially malignancies.
“The innovative discoveries of Prof. Eshhar have led to successes in treatments for cancer patients and are the basis for the development of new generations of biological drugs for other malignant diseases,” it said.
On Saturday night, the Education Ministry announced that Prof. Shimon Ullman of the Weizmann Institute of Science will be awarded the Israel Prize in Mathematics and Computer Science Research.
The prize committee was headed by Prof. Noga Alon and included Profs. David Harel, Varda Liberman, and Mina Teicher.
The Israel Prize committee said its decision to recommend Ullman was unanimous due to his “far-reaching contributions to artificial intelligence and general cognition, and particularly in the field of computer vision, and for his significant contribution to the development of the hightech industry in Israel.”
The Israel Prize is largely regarded as the state’s highest honor. It is presented annually on Independence Day in a state ceremony in Jerusalem in the presence of the president, the prime minister, the Knesset speaker and the Supreme Court president.