Renowned Israeli Scientist Wins German Award For Achievements

Internationally renowned Tel Aviv University (TAU) professor Ehud Gazit has been given the prestigious Meitner-Humboldt Research Award from Germany’s Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for his work in nanotechnology, biochemistry and biophysics.

The annual award, which comes with a prize of €60,000 and the opportunity to conduct research in Germany for up to a year, is given to leading researchers in all disciplines in recognition of their academic achievements.  

The foundation is funded by Germany’s Foreign Office, Ministry of Education and Research, and Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. 

Gazit, who works at TAU’s Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research and is founding director at its Blavatnik Center for Drug Discovery, has previously served as chief scientist at the Ministry of Science and Technology, TAU Vice President for R&D, and coordinator of the forum of chief scientists of Israel’s ministries.  

He also holds more than 100 patents and has published close to 400 peer-reviewed articles.  

Nor is this the first international honor for Gazit. In 2015, he was knighted by Italy for services to science and society, and in 2022 was selected as the International Solvay Chair in Chemistry in Belgium, a position previously held by 15 of the world’s most outstanding scientists, including three Nobel laureates.

Gazit is also a fellow of Britain’s Royal Society of Chemistry, a member of   European Molecular Biology Organization and of the National Academy of Sciences in India. 

“I am grateful to receive international recognition for my academic research and support towards future endeavors,” said Gazit.

“I would like to thank the members of the award committee and Prof. Klaus Jandt from the University of Jena in Germany for the nomination and selection. This is a profound honor for me.”