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Many of the previous year’s winners have gone on to found their own companies, which are now worth $12 billion collectively.
By Crystal Jones, TPS
Three Israel-based Scientists who made significant contributions to scientific development have been honored with a prestigious award.
Yonatan Stelzer, Benjamin Palmer, and Chaim Garfinkel are the recipients of the 2025 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel.
Each will receive $100,000 for their contributions to advancement in engineering, chemical, and life sciences.
Stelzer, Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Cell Biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science, was recognized for breakthroughs in embryonic development and for strides made in the understanding of epigenetics.
His discoveries are likely to help for combating aging with regenerative and therapeutic medicine, and potentially develop cancer treatments.
Palmer, who is a British citizen and works as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Ben Gurion University, was recognized for his contributions in discovering how some creatures interact with light to create crystals.
His work may lead to sustainable optical materials.
Garfinkel, Professor of Earth Sciences at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was handed the monetary prize for advancing ‘ability to predict climate change on timescales from months to decades, improving weather forecast systems and providing critical insights for climate policy and adaptation strategies.’
The Blavatnik Awards has run since 2007, expanding to Israel in 2017, and were set up to recognize innovative scientists at the early stages of their careers for their extraordinary achievements and potential for future discoveries.
The prizes are awarded to researchers aged 42 and under. The three were picked out of 36 nominations across seven universities in Israel.
This year’s winners will formally receive their honors at a ceremony next month in Tel Aviv, held together with the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the New York Academy of Sciences.
Head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation Len Blavatnik commented: “The brilliant, young minds we honor with these awards are examples of the enormous ingenuity and creativity that has made Israel a powerhouse of scientific progress.
“We are proud to celebrate their achievements and to support their continued success.”
📣Announcing the 2025 Laureates 🥇🥇🥇 of the @Blavatnikawards in Israel! Congratulations to Benjamin Palmer @bengurionu, Chaim Garfinkel @HebrewU, Yonatan Stelzer @WeizmannScience! Each will receive US$100,000 for their groundbreaking scientific research: https://t.co/ALFm3Ri4gc pic.twitter.com/6U7BbbrkHj
— Blavatnik Awards (@BlavatnikAwards) May 6, 2025
Many of the previous year’s winners have gone on to found their own companies, which are now worth $12 billion collectively.
Professor Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, said: “We are excited to see international representation in this year’s Laureates with our first Blavatnik Awards Israel Laureate from the UK.
“This international dimension highlights the global nature of scientific pursuit and collaboration in highly promising and vitally important interdisciplinary fields including epigenetics, biomineralization, and atmospheric science.”
Professor David Harel, President of The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities said: “Today we honor the exceptional achievements of Israel’s very best scientists.
“This is especially important at the present time, with Israel going through one of its worst periods, exacerbated by unprecedented obstacles for science, both here in Israel and in the US…
“Maintaining Israel’s position at the forefront of global science, which is crucial for its security and economic stability, relies upon supporting and encouraging its scientists.
“We are proud to honor this year’s Blavatnik Awards Laureates, and we celebrate their innovative breakthroughs with confidence in the far-reaching, positive impact of their achievements on society at large.”
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