A researcher from the Hebrew University is the only Israeli scientist to have been singled out this year by EMBO – the European Molecular Biology Organization - to receive the support of its prestigious Young Investigator Program.
Dr. Sigal Ben-Yehuda, 36, from the department of Molecular Biology at the Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, was one of 21 young scientists chosen from among 150 candidates from across Europe by EMBO.
The EMBO Young Investigator Program supports researchers who are within four years of establishing their first independent laboratories. Benefits include networking through a mentorship program, annual meeting and lab exchanges, as well as professional training and an annual award of 15,000 euros.
The ''young investigators'' join a network of some of Europe's best young life scientists. The three year program offers a range of benefits designed to smooth the transition between setting up independently and establishing a reputation in the scientific community. The aim is to raise the profile of the young investigators and help them to attract new collaborations and funding.
Ben-Yehuda was chosen for this program based on her work in DNA damage repair in sporulation. Earlier this year, Ben-Yehuda headed a group of HU researchers who succeeded in observing and describing for the first time ever how damaged DNA is naturally identified. The research sheds new light on understanding this molecular mechanism and is likely to aid in research on diseases involving DNA damage, including cancer.
According to Ben-Yehuda, "This understanding of the molecular basis of the DNA repair is a basic step in furthering our ability to understand those illnesses stemming from DNA damage, for example cancerous growths."
Dr. Ben-Yehuda was also awarded the Prof. Yaacov Matzner Dean's Prize 2006 for an outstanding young researcher in the Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew University.
For further information:
Rebecca Zeffert, Dept. of Media Relations, the Hebrew University, Tel: 02-588-1641, or Orit Sulitzeanu, Hebrew University spokesperson, Tel: 02-5882910 or 052-260-8016. Internet site: http://media.huji.ac.il.
