Introducing New Scientists 2012 Introducing New Scientists 2012 is published by the Department of Resource Development at the Weizmann Institute of Science P.O. Box 26, Rehovot, Israel 76100 Tel: 972.8.934 4582 e-mail: [email protected] Table of Contents

New scientists are vital for Israel’s future...... 1 Prof. Oded Aharonson, Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research Solving planetary puzzles...... 2 Dr. Erez Berg, Department of Condensed Matter Physics When matter breaks the rules...... 4 Dr. Shahar Dobzinski, Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Handling selfishness in algorithms...... 6 Dr. Eran Elinav MD PhD, Department of Immunology Immunity and inflammation...... 8 Dr. Sarel Fleishman, Department of Biological Chemistry Designing new protein functions...... 10 Dr. Itay Halevy, Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research The climate and geochemistry of planets...... 12 Dr. Yohai Kaspi, Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research The dynamics of storms...... 14 Dr. Rafal Klajn, Department of Organic Chemistry Robert Edward and Roselyn Rich Manson Career Development Chair Chemistry at the nanoscale...... 16 Dr. Emmanuel Levy, Department of Structural Biology Understanding protein-to-protein interactions...... 18 Dr. Yaron Lipman, Department of Computer Sciences and Applied Mathematics The mathematics of shapes...... 20 Dr. Shmuel Rubinstein, Department of Physics of Complex Systems The dynamics of interfaces...... 22 New Scientist Funds and Gifts...... 24

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New scientists are vital for Israel’s future

Prof. Daniel Zajfman, President

The Weizmann Institute’s 250 principal researchers are leaders in the world of science, both in Israel and abroad. Over the next five years, nearly 60 of these eminent scientists will be retiring. Approximately 40 reached retirement age in the past five years and have been succeeded by 43 new hires, including the 11 young scientists profiled here. The Weizmann Institute of Science looks for promising researchers who are rising stars in their fields and who are pioneering new directions in science. One of the most notable developments this year is that we recruited three young scientists whose focus is earth and planetary sciences, whose research is helping inform understanding of life on Earth. To help a scientist come to Israel, the Institute offers a commitment of three or more years of research funding and new equipment to establish his or her new laboratory. The costs average from $1 to $2 million depending upon the field of research. Sometimes we are fortunate to recruit a veteran scientist who is an established leader in his or her field, such as Prof. Oded Aharonson, who returned to Israel after teaching at the California Institute of Technology. Private, philanthropic gifts are vital to helping the Institute meet this tremendous funding challenge each year.

Friends of the Weizmann Institute from around the world are making it possible for the Institute to recruit some of the sharpest minds in mathematics and science and give them the tools to follow their restless curiosity wherever it may lead. The following pages profile the young principal investigators recruited in 2011-2012 who illustrate the range of research and startup needs of the Institute’s newest scientists. Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research

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Solving planetary puzzles

Prof. Oded Aharonson and humidity) to measure uses measurements from and model phenomena spacecraft dispatched such as deposition of ice throughout the solar and frost detected from system to study other orbit and photographed planets. In concert with by the Phoenix Lander. computer modeling and Prof. Aharonson used laboratory simulations, laser measurements from data from these space spacecraft orbiting Mars to missions help piece map the geologic evidence together planetary puzzles. of former lake beds and For instance, he combined fluvial features (see picture orbital measurements with at left). He designed and computer modeling to ran experiments using the propose a probable answer for why the crust of Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity to study the Mars is markedly thinner (up to 30 km.) in its surface of Mars up close. northern hemisphere than its southern half — it appears to have been hit by a Texas-sized asteroid Prof. Aharonson serves as a co-investigator on more than four billion years ago that forever a number of space missions and instrument changed the red planet. He has built laboratory teams, and his research is helping inform our simulations reproducing Mars-like surface understanding of Earth and the universe around conditions (temperature, pressure, composition, us. 3

Prof. Oded Aharonson Prof. Oded Aharonson earned a BSc in Applied and Engineering Physics in 1994 and an MSc in 1995 from Cornell University, New York. He completed a PhD in Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in 2002. He worked as an Assistant, Associate, and full Professor at the California Institute of Technology, from 2002 until 2011. He joined the Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research at the Weizmann Instute in 2011.

His professional and academic honors include the NASA Group Achievement Awards for the NEAR Shoemaker Mission Team (2002), the Mars Exploration Rover Science Team (2008), and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Laser Ranging Team (2009). He was also awarded an MIT Kerr Fellowship, an AGU Outstanding Student Paper Award, a Lewis Scholarship, and was elected to the Tau Beta Pi Honor Society. Department of Condensed Matter Physics

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When matter breaks the rules

Physicists like Dr. Erez Berg are fascinated space. He plans to study this phase further, whenever matter “breaks the rules” of everyday and in particular propose and interpret future physics and becomes superconducting (able to experiments that can establish its occurrence in conduct electricity with zero resistance). Even nature. though superconductivity was discovered a long time ago, new experiments keep suggesting At the Weizmann Institute, Dr. Berg plans that the class of phenomena that occurs in to tackle some of these intriguing questions superconductors is richer than scientists had in quantum and superconductor physics as a believed. In his PhD work, Dr. Berg began theorist looking to understand the quirkiness studying a new type of superconducting phase, of matter and to find new rules to explain the a “striped superconductor” in which the local apparent contradictions. superconducting amplitude is modulated in 5

Dr. Erez Berg Dr. Erez Berg spent six years of military service in the Theoretical Physics Division of Rafael - Israel’s Armament Development Authority. He earned his BSc in 1998 and his MSc in 2003, both degrees summa cum laude in Physics at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. He completed his PhD in Physics at Stanford University in 2009, and studied as a postdoctoral scholar at Harvard University starting in 2009. He joins the Weizmann Institute in 2012.

Dr. Berg has been awarded a number of academic and professional honors, including a Silver Medal in the 26th International Physics Olympiad, Canberra, Australia, in 1995, a Special Award from Israel’s Parliament (Knesset) in 1998 for outstanding undergraduate students, a departmental prize for outstanding performance from Rafael in 2000, and the Kirkpatrick Award for excellence in teaching at Stanford University in 2005. Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics

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Handling selfishness in algorithms When you search for “pizza” on Google with the ads of pizzerias were indeed those in your area, intent of finding a local pizzeria that delivers, including the last pizzeria web site you were on, you get a list of options on your screen. On top and that Google’s revenue will be maximized. of the search results, you will find some ads. The algorithms controlling this ad-display function Dr. Dobzinski, who draws on expertise in behind the scenes are highly complicated, and economics, game theory, and computer science, take into account many parameters such as your aims to design auctions (algorithms) that location and your search history—which help have the following three properties. The first predict, for example, whether you are in fact is truthfulness—the expectation of “selfish” searching for a pizzeria, or a pizza recipe. It’s all behavior in which bidders do not bid the true done in a split second. Google doesn’t actually value of their product; instead, they overvalue it access all the pizzerias and ask them for bids, of by some degree. The second property is speed, course; instead, algorithms exist for each pizza ad since it’s best for auctions to take place quickly. and they are all making bids and competing with And the third property is “good approximation,” one another to appear on your screen. which is useful because in many settings the very best algorithms take a long time to run, so the Internet ad display is just one example of the compromise is algorithms that are pretty close to use of algorithms in business. There are plentiful ideal, and also fast. Constructing algorithms that similar examples whenever there is a big and contain all three of these properties is the focus of complicated auction—on or off the Internet— Dr. Dobzinski’s research. like when the U.S. and European countries held auctions for selling spectrum licenses for mobile Applications of his work can be found in many 3G networks a decade ago. The focus of Dr. areas of computer science and economics, from Shahar Dobzinski’s research is to enable such the design of large electronic markets and highly auctions, by designing appropriate algorithms complicated auctions to the construction of more so that the auctions are highly effective. In effective Internet protocols. Google search terms, this would mean that the 7

Dr. Shahar Dobzinski

Dr. Shahar Dobzinski earned his BSc cum laude in 2004 and his PhD summa cum laude in 2009, both degrees in Computer Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Since September 2009, he has been a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University in New York. He joins the Weizmann Institute in 2012.

Dr. Dobzinski’s honors include the Outstanding Paper Award at the Tenth ACM Conference on Electronic Commerce (EC’09), and the Hebrew University’s Schlomiuk Prize for outstanding PhD thesis. Department of Immunology

8 Immunity and inflammation

As an immunologist and a physician trained in in Cell, he reported on the role of the NLRP6 internal medicine, Dr. Eran Elinav is intrigued by inflammasome, a previously unknown complex the dynamics of the gastrointestinal tract, a diverse found in the epithelial cells of the colon that ecosystem that contains trillions of bacteria, appears to serve as a master regulator governing viruses, fungi, and parasites that are separated the gut microflora ecosystem. by only a single layer of epithelial cells from the rest of the body. The intestinal system normally He showed that impairing NLRP6 functions is able to recognize and tolerate these foreign results in profound alterations in the microflora bodies. In the case of inflammatory bowel disease composition, with expansion of certain bacterial (IBD) however, the body triggers inflammation strains that re-program the host gut epithelial that ultimately results in the destruction of parts cell gene expression program, resulting in of its own tissue. It provides immunologists like pre-disposing for the development of IBD. Dr. Elinav with a great model to study immune Understanding the role inflammasomes play in tolerance and inflammation. As an MD working mucosal immunology and their effects on how on his PhD at the Weizmann Institute, he the host and microflora interact may suggest experimented with using “reprogrammed” T cells new therapies for IBD and other inflammatory, to successfully treat a colitis-like disease in mice. autoimmune metabolic, and neoplastic disorders.

In his postdoctoral work, Dr. Elinav concentrated on the inflammasome, a multi-protein complex that recognizes bacterial and viral antigens and can initiate a rapid immune response against dangerous pathogens. In a recent paper published 9

Dr. Eran Elinav MD PhD

Dr. Eran Elinav served for four years in the Israel Defense Forces and completed his BSc in Medical Sciences at Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1995. He earned an MD at Hadassah Medical School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1999, followed by a year of rotating internship at the Hadassah hospitals. Between 2000 and 2004 he completed a residency in internal medicine at Hadassah University Hospital, Mount Scopus. Dr. Elinav earned a PhD in Immunology at the Weizmann Institute in 2009. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Yale University School of Medicine starting in 2009. He joins the faculty of the Weizmann Institute in 2012.

His honors include being listed on the Rector’s and Dean’s honor role at Hadassah Medical School each year from 1994 through 1997, class representative for the medical students exchange program at Mount Sinai University Hospital in 1998, best presentation awards at the Israel Association for the Study of Liver Disease in 2006 and the World Immune Regulation meeting at Davos in 2007, and at the Yale Cancer Research Center in 2010, and the Otto Schwarts Prize in 2009. He received the 2011 Claire and Emmanuel G. Rosenblatt award from the American Physicians for Medicine in Israel Foundation, the Keystone foundation award in 2012, a Fullbright scholarship (2009), and Cancer Research (Irvington) Foundation fellowships (2010-2012).

He has been granted four biomedical patents, including the co-development of a recombinant mutant of the human leptin hormone being tested by BiolineRx for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and pathological weight loss (cachexia). Department of Biological Chemistry

10 Designing new protein functions

Dr. Sarel Fleishman works at the interface of cellular biology, biophysics, and evolution. He uses a combination of computational modeling and lab experiments to study molecular recognition: how proteins recognize and bind to their intended targets rather than the thousands of other macromolecules that coexist in the cell. He then designs computer-based algorithms that can suggest entirely new proteins that do not exist in nature and can carry out the desired molecular recognition task, such as neutralizing flu. The designed proteins were able to neutralize hostile viruses or bacteria. To test these the flu’s infectivity. The finding is of tremendous predictions, Dr. Fleishman and his colleagues potential value in medicine, because the same synthesize each protein in the lab and conduct “designer protein” would be able to target different high-throughput experiments to isolate the most strains of the flu year after year, precluding the potent binders. need for vaccinations to be updated every year. Dr. Fleishman anticipates that protein design In research they described in Science in 2011, Dr. will, in the coming years, be the method of choice Fleishman and his colleagues used computational for generating high-specificity and potency design to produce two proteins that target a therapeutics, diagnostics, molecular probes, and critical piece of the deadly Spanish flu virus other biomedical advances. Already, the research (H1N1), the virus that caused the worldwide has led to potential commercial advances in influenza outbreak of 1918. The target site on the therapeutic and diagnostic potential for a wide flu surface exists in many pathogenic flu strains, range of deadly flu viruses. including the avian (H5N1) and Asian (H2N2) 11

Dr. Sarel Fleishman Dr. Sarel Fleishman completed the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Program for Outstanding Students and the Life Sciences Research Track Program at Tel Aviv University in 2000. He then completed an MSc summa cum laude in 2002, and a PhD with distinction in Biochemistry in 2006, both at Tel Aviv University. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington, Seattle, from 2007 until joining the faculty of the Weizmann Institute in 2011.

His honors include: postdoctoral fellowships from the Human Frontier Science Program from 2006 through 2009, the GE Healthcare and Science Young Investigator Award in Molecular Biology in 2008, a Rothschild Postdoctoral Fellowship, a Sir Charles Clore Doctoral Fellowship from 2003 to 2006, a Dean’s scholarship from the Tel-Aviv University Faculty of Life Sciences in 2002, Dr. Eliahu Mani Awards of Excellence in 2001 and 2002, and the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Program Award of Excellence in 2001. Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research

12 The climate and geochemistry of planets

Dr. Itay Halevy’s research focuses on the climate existence of valleys on ancient surfaces, but also and geochemistry of Earth and other planets. His warmer than the present climate. He measured insights into the early oceans and atmospheres carbon and oxygen isotopes in carbonate minerals in a four-billion-year-old meteorite from Mars (see picture at left) as one of his pieces of evidence.

Moreover, Dr. Halevy has shown that this early warmth, as well as the record of water- lain minerals on Mars, may have been strongly influenced by volcanic emission of sulfur-bearing gases. Among his insights about the Earth’s early oceans, atmosphere and biosphere prior to of Mars and Earth as reflected in their geology about 2.5 billion years ago, Dr. Halevy surmises and geochemistry have shed new light on their that biological utilization of sulfur was minor past climate and on the conditions that allowed and that the composition of volcanic gases had life to evolve. He has provided the first direct a major role in driving the cycling of sulfur evidence that near-surface conditions on ancient through Earth’s surface environment. Mars were not only wetter, as evidenced from the 13

Dr. Itay Halevy Dr. Itay Halevy received his BSc in Geological and Environmental Science, and in Computer Science, in 2004 from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He received an MA in 2007 and PhD in 2010 in Earth and Planetary Science from Harvard University. Dr. Halevy conducted his postdoctoral research at the California Institute of Technology. He joined the faculty of the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2011.

Dr. Halevy is a recipient of a Fulbright Graduate Fellowship from 2005-2007, the Harvard University Origins of Life Initiative Graduate Fellowship (2006-2010), the Mary Taussig- Henderson Prize for Outstanding Work in Crystallography in 2008, the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship in 2009-2010, the Texaco Postdoctoral Fellowship of the Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences (2010-2011),the Editors’ Citation for Excellence in Refereeing from the Journal of Geophysical Research, Atmospheres in 2010, and the Sir Charles Clore Prize for Research in 2011. Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research 14

The dynamics of storms Space missions and orbiting telescopes are Here on Earth, atmospheric circulation in the providing a wealth of data on planets and temperate mid-latitudes is dominated by regions moons, and super-computers now enable of turbulent energy called storm tracks. These scientists to build detailed, dynamic models storm tracks carry much of the momentum, of their atmospheres, including, Earth. heat, and moisture in the mid-latitudes and Dr. Yohai Kaspi is on NASA’s science team for are essential to understanding Earth’s climate. the Juno spacecraft mission to Jupiter. He is Using a general circulation computer model

responsible for calculating x 10−3 (GCM) and comparisons a some of the first close-up 10 to observations, Dr. Kaspi gravitational measurements showed that storm tracks 5 of the atmosphere of that are maintained because −1 giant, gaseous planet. Jupiter’s K km 0 of stationary waves in the atmosphere is dominated atmosphere, which act by violent storms, with b 0.6 to increase the equator- superrotating winds traveling 0.4 to-pole temperature

faster than planetary rotation 0.2 gradient where the storm

at the equator and strong −2 track is strongest (see MJ m 0 alternating east-west jet illustration showing average

streams poleward in both temperature gradient and c 400 hemispheres. Dr. Kaspi created a 3D fluid variance of kinetic energy). He would like to dynamical computer model to understand the explore questions200 about the changes in these

deep wind structure and superrotation on such storm tracks over0 time, such as shifts in response giant planets. to globalW warming.m−2

^^ “Figure above: Atmospheric observations averaged vertically over the atmosphere for northern hemisphere winter months and averaged over the years 1970-2009. (a) The north-south temperature variation and (b) turbulent kinetic energy. 15

The dynamics of storms

Dr. Yohai Kaspi Dr. Yohai Kaspi earned his BSc in Physics and Mathematics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2000, his MSc in Physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2002, and a PhD in Physical Oceanography at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in 2008. Dr. Kaspi worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the California Institute of Technology. He joined the Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research at the Weizmann Institute in 2011.

Dr. Kaspi’s academic and professional honors include: an MIT Presidential Fellowship (2002), the Charney Prize in the Program in Atmospheres, Oceans and Climate at MIT (2002), a Teaching Excellence Award at MIT (2007), a prestigious NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship (2008 – 2010), and a Marie Curie Career Integration Grant (2012). He is a member of the Science Team for NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter. Department of Organic Chemistry

16 Chemistry at the nanoscale

Manufacturing objects with well-defined shapes onto minuscule templates, each composed of at a very small scale is a challenging task because a metallic (silver) and a magnetic counterpart. of an absence of viable tools analogous to those A single process yields a population of bowls we have available at the macro-scale. In order to greater than the Earth’s population. make nanoscale analogs of various objects useful in everyday life, one has to resort to a wholly He and his colleagues envision several different set of tools—those offered by chemistry. applications for the nanobowls. First, their Dr. Rafal Klajn is developing such tools. cavities may provide environments beneficial for many types of chemical reactions to proceed in He and his colleagues have developed a an accelerated manner—just like the active sites “chemical carving” process to produce bowls of the enzymes do. Second, the researchers are 10 million times smaller than those used in our now investigating in what ways properties of kitchens every day. These bowl-shaped particles, various molecules or nanoparticles change when dubbed “nanobowls,” are made of gold and have they are placed in the cavities of the nanobowls— diameters of only 10 nm—that is, 10,000 times for example, recent results show that acids smaller than the thickness of a human hair, placed in these cavities are much weaker than and comparable in size to individual protein they are outside. Finally, just like the bowls molecules. in our everyday life are used to hold different foods, the nanobowls can be filled with various Dr. Klajn is making the types of cargo (for example, drug molecules), nanobowls by a nanoscale which can then be released “on demand.” This analogue of a technique that has tremendous potential applications for drug has been used for centuries to discovery because it means that after they are manufacture bells: He “pours” administered, therapies could be released into a precursor of metallic gold the body at pre-specified times. 17

Dr. Rafal Klajn Robert Edward and Roselyn Rich Manson Career Development Chair

Born in Poland, Dr. Rafal Klajn completed an MSc summa cum laude in Chemistry at the University of Warsaw, Poland, in 2004 and a PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, in 2009. He joined the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2010.

Among his honors and awards are Laureate of the National Chemistry Olympiad in Poland in 1999, 2000, and 2001, first prize in Poland for the EU Contest for Young Scientists in 2000, the Goldman Sachs Global Leader Award in 2003, National Science Foundation (U.S.) Materials Research Science & Engineering Center Fellowships in 2006 and 2007, the International Precious Metals Institute Student Award in 2008, and the IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) Prize for Young Chemists in 2010. Department of Structural Biology

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Understanding protein-to-protein interactions

Dr. Emmanuel Levy aims to discover novel in the formation of protein complexes, which can functional and evolutionary properties of be viewed as “teams of proteins.” During his PhD proteins. Proteins are central to biology and life, as work, Dr. Levy created 3DComplex, a structural they are the main actors of cellular functions, and classification of protein complexes (see picture the primary targets of therapeutic drugs. Proteins below of major classes of structures). Using this in a cell are much like people in a company: They database, he addresses the general question of must interact with each other in order to work. how protein complexes are built-up during the Protein-to-protein interactions come in different course of evolution. types. Strong and long-term interactions result In addition to strong, long-term interactions, cellular functions involve tens of thousands of weaker, short-term interactions. Dr. Levy studies the broader picture of all protein interactions within a cell; he has proposed the concept that many “promiscuous” interactions exist. He has shown how key proteins evolved their chemical properties to minimize their promiscuous interactions. He is devising new ways to distinguish true functional interactions from promiscuous ones, to understand how cells work, and ultimately to help treat cells in diseased states. 19

Understanding protein-to-protein interactions

Dr. Emmanuel Levy

Dr. Emmanuel Levy was born in Morocco and grew up in France. In 2002 he completed his BSc magna cum laude in Biology and Computer Science at Evry University and at the French Genome Sequencing Center (Genoscope). He obtained an MSc magna cum laude in Genome Analysis and Molecular Modeling at Paris VII University. Dr. Levy received his PhD in 2007 from Cambridge University, UK, working at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology where protein crystallography and DNA sequencing were born. Dr. Levy did his postdoctoral research at the University of Montreal. He joins the Weizmann Institute in 2012.

Dr. Levy’s professional and academic honors include three prizes from the French Educational Ministry at the inventors’ competition “Concours Lépine” between 1993 and 1996. He received two merit-based scholarships during his studies in France, a Medical Research Council scholarship at Cambridge, and the Max Perutz Prize for outstanding PhD work. Dr. Levy received prestigious postdoctoral fellowships from the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP). He has patented one invention. Department of Computer Sciences and Applied Mathematics

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The mathematics of shapes

Dr. Yaron Lipman is fascinated with the data approximation, shape modeling and a geometry and mathematics of shapes and 3D host of other tools to work on these types of objects. Comparing 3D objects such as faces, theoretical and real-world problems. His work bones, and organs can be a challenging task even has great potential for computational biology, for human experts. However, using sophisticated computer graphics and animation, facial mathematics and harnessing the power of recognition software, analysis of images for modern computers makes it possible to build security or medical applications, and a variety of algorithms that come close, and in some cases other possible uses. exceed, the human abilities.

Dr. Lipman explores discrete differential geometry, geometric modeling and processing, computer graphics, scattered and non-smooth

^^ Dr. Lipman and his colleagues develop automatic algorithms to find correspondences between anatomical surfaces that are used by morphologists to investigate evolution. Correspondences are marked with spheres of same color in the image below. 21

The mathematics of shapes

Dr. Yaron Lipman completed a BSc in Mathematics summa cum laude and Computer Sciences magna cum laude at Tel Aviv University in 2003. He completed his PhD there in 2008 and went on to become a postdoctoral research fellow at Princeton University. He joined the Weizmann Institute in 2011. Dr. Yaron Lipman Dr. Lipman has received a number of academic and professional honors and awards, including the Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists from the New York Academy of Sciences in 2010, a Eurographics Young Researcher Award in 2009, Rothschild postdoctoral fellowships in 2008 and 2009, and the Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Mathematical Sciences PhD excellence award in 2005. He has patented one invention. Department of Physics of Complex Systems

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The dynamics of interfaces

particles in another geologic phenomenon, sedimentation. In the process, he developed a new type of microscopy to allow the direct imaging of a single micron-sized fluorescent object deep within a large system. Dr. Shmuel Rubinstein finds fascinating physics His insights have shed light on phenomena and beautiful mysteries in a water droplet hitting ranging from sediment on the sea floor, to a glass slide, or the dynamics of two continent- network-forming biological systems, and have sized tectonic plates contacting along a fault informed many industrial applications related line. He tries to narrow his investigations of to reclaiming of waste lagoons, food science, and such phenomena to systems that are as simple the design of personal care products. as possible, yet exemplify the questions in areas such as non-equilibrium physics and interface Dr. Rubinstein is also interested in the non- dynamics in a natural and intuitive manner. linear dynamics of soft and liquid systems, as well as irregular materials that fall into the areas For instance, earthquakes are governed by often called “squishy physics” — materials that frictional instabilities occurring at a sub-micron- are easily deformed by very weak forces or even thick interface between two tectonic plates. temperature. These range from mayonnaise, Dr. Rubinstein has created model systems to shaving cream, and Jello to biomaterials such as study the movement along a tectonic plate worms, cells, and living tissue. (see illustration) as well as the dynamics of 23

The dynamics of interfaces

Dr. Shmuel Rubinstein

Dr. Shmuel Rubinstein completed his BSc in Physics and Mathematics magna cum laude at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2000, followed by the direct-track, MSc / PhD in Physics summa cum laude at the Racah Institute of Physics at Hebrew University in 2009. He conducted research as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Physics at Harvard University from 2009 until he joined the Weizmann Institute in 2011.

His academic and professional honors include the Schiller Award for MSc studies (2004), a Sir Charles Clore fellowship for PhD Students (2007), the Israel Physical Society Prize for graduate students (2008), a Rothschild postdoctoral fellowship through Yad Hanadiv (2010), and the Schlomiuk prize for an outstanding PhD thesis from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2010). New Scientist Funds and Gifts

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• Abramson Family Center for Young Scientists • Abisch-Frenkel Foundation for the Promotion of Life Sciences • Ruth and Herman Albert Scholars Program The Weizmann Institute of • Alberto Moscona-Nissim, AMN Foundation for Science and the Arts in Israel Science has received substantial • Asher and Jeannette Alhadeff Research Award gifts for the benefit of new • Candice Appleton Family Trust scientists from the following • Ernest and Kate Ascher Career Development Chair individuals, families and funds, • Gerhard and Hannah Bacharach Charitable Trust and wishes to express its • Estate of David Arthur Barton • Andrew and Froma Benerofe New Scientist Fund appreciation to them: • Berlin Family Foundation New Scientist Fund • Leo M. Bernstein Family Foundation • Edith C. Blum Foundation • Estate of Shlomo (Stanislav) and Sabine Bierzwinsky • Frances Brody Young Scientists Fund • Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Burton, CBE • Carolito Stiftung • Chais Family Fellows Program for New Scientists • Clore Israel Foundation • Sir Charles Clore Research Prize • Lester Crown Brain Research Fund • Sir Harry S. Djanogly, CBE • Rena Dweck New Scientist Endowment Fund • Mel and Joyce Eisenberg Keefer Professional Chair for New Scientists • Judith and Martin Freedman Career Development Chair • Meir and Jeanette Friedman Research Fellowship • Estelle Funk Foundation President’s Fund for Biomedical Research • Fusfeld Research Fund • Alice Schwarz-Gardos • Gephen Trust • Peter and Patricia Gruber Awards • IPA New Scientist Prize 25

• J & R Foundation • Victor Pastor Fund • Nancy and Dr. Joseph Jacobson Presidential • Arnold and Diane Polinger Discovery Endowment Development Chair Fund • Enid Barden and Aaron J. Jade Presidential • Robert Rees Applied Research Fund Development Chair for New Scientists in Memory of • Henry S. & Anne S. Reich Research Fund for Mental Cantor John Y. Jade Health • Liz and Alan Jaffe Endowment • Abraham and Sonia Rochlin Foundation • Jarndyce Foundation • Mrs. Clara Clarisse Roman • Mitchell T. Kaplan and Marilyn E. Jones • Hana and Julius Rosen Fund • Sanford Kaplan • Lois Rosen New Scientist Fund • Koret Foundation • Mr. and Mrs. Louis Rosenmayer • Prof. Daniel E. Koshland, Jr. • Rosenzweig-Coopersmith Foundation • Larson Charitable Foundation New Scientist Fund • The Lewis and Alice Schimberg New Scientist Chair • Mr. and Mrs. Gary Leff • Rose Shure • Alvin and Gertrude Levine Career Development • Lord Sieff of Brimpton Memorial Fund Chair • Skirball Chair for New Scientists • Mr. and Mrs. Howard Levine • Samuel M. Soref & Helene K. Soref Foundation • Estate of Lela London • South Florida Committee for the Weizmann Institute • Loundy Fund for New Scientists in memory of of Science “Brain Gain Fund” Jeanette and Mason Loundy • Mr. and Mrs. Walter Strauss • Rhoda R. Mancher • Swiss Society of Friends of the Weizmann Institute of • Robert Edward and Roselyn Rich Manson Career Science Development Chair • Mrs. Sara Z. De Usansky • Mrs. Judith Marks • Sarah and Rolando Uziel • Dr. Karen Mashkin • Nathan, Shirley, Philip and Charlene Vener New • Rina Mayer Scientist Fund • Janice Montana • Dr. Albert Wilner • Morse Family Fund • Wolfson Family Charitable Trust New Investigator • Alberto Moscona-Nissim, Mexico, A.M.N. Fund for Laboratories the Promotion of Science, Culture and the Arts in • Jacques and Anita Zagury Israel • Natalie Zinn Haar Foundation • Dr. Ernst Nathan Fund for Biomedical Research • Dr. Celia Zwillenberg-Fridman Fund for Young • Jordan and Jean Nerenberg Family Foundation Young Scientists Scientist Fund • William Z. and Eda Bess Novick New Scientists Fund • Estate of Paul Ourieff • Paedagogica Foundation