Author: Hilary

Connecting with Nobel and Turing Laureates at the Global Young Scientists Summit in Singapore

Each year, Tel Aviv University sends outstanding doctoral students to the Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) in Singapore, an interdisciplinary forum for emerging researchers worldwide. In 2026, Arielle Kaim from the Gray Faculty of Medical Sciences and Alon Itzkovitch from the Faculty of Life Sciences represented TAU.

Coming from very different research backgrounds — disaster response (Kaim) and neurobiological decision-making (Itzkovitch) — both found the Summit took them beyond their usual academic frameworks: explaining complex research to unfamiliar audiences, drawing unexpected links across disciplines, and engaging directly with award-winning scholars in candid, informal settings.

A Summit Built on Dialogue

Hosted by Singapore’s National Research Foundation, GYSS gives outstanding early-career scientists an opportunity to meet recipients of the Nobel Prize, Fields Medal, Millennium Technology Prize, and Turing Award. The programme combines plenary lectures, research seminars, panel discussions, and smaller interactive sessions that encourage direct dialogue between laureates and participants. 

For both TAU students, the most meaningful moments often happened outside of the formal programme, echoing the summit’s theme of Excite, Engage, Enable.

“I think that the element that was most interactive and nice was sitting down at dinner and having just normal conversations with the Nobel Prize or Turing award winners.”—Arielle Kaim

“At the end of the day, the Nobel Prize winner is a person that undergoes the same challenges that we do as young researchers,” she reflects.

The Israeli delegation at the Global Young Scientitsts Summit 2026

For Itzkovitch, who had previously attended virtually in 2023, the in-person format highlighted what makes GYSS unique.

“The topics are very broad, which is very different from a regular scientific conference. But if you want to collaborate, if you want to communicate, if you want to hear new ideas, this is the place.”—Alon Itzkovitch

Alon Itzkovitch: How to Explain Your Research in Simple Terms

Itzkovitch also participated in the Summit’s poster session, presenting his work to audiences far from his usual academic circle.

A PhD candidate in Professor Tom Schonberg’s lab, Itzkovitch conducts multidisciplinary research at the intersection of biology, neuroscience, and decision science.

His work combines laboratory experiments, physiological signals, and computational analysis to better understand how subjective thermal perception conditions cognitive choices.

At GYSS, he had to translate these complex ideas for engineers, computer scientists, and researchers from entirely different fields.

“In regular conferences, I’m used to diving in and being much more specific than I had to be in the GYSS. It was like trying to explain to my father what I am doing.”

“Talking to the first person was a bit difficult, but then I understood that this is not the audience I’m used to and adapted,” Itzkovitch comments.

Arielle Kaim: How to Find Connections with Other Disciplines

Arielle is a PhD candidate in the Department of Emergency and Disaster Management of the School of Public Health, and her research is connected to real-world humanitarian response. She works with World Health Organization teams that deploy field hospitals during disasters and public health emergencies.

Her doctoral research focuses on developing a real-time evaluation tool to assess how effectively these field hospitals function in environments with limited infrastructure and unstable resources. She examines how teams adapt and how emergency response systems can be strengthened.

“It’s not research for the sake of theory, but research for the sake of enhancing disaster response.”

The tool has already been applied in real-time across multiple disaster medical full-scale simulations and deployments, including most recently in a field hospital setup in Israel during an ongoing war, and an upcoming mission related to flooding and cholera outbreaks in Mozambique.

The Israeli delegation at the Global Young Scientitsts Summit 2026

At GYSS, Kaim found connections between her field and others, from water quality research to emerging technologies.

“It’s very interesting to engage with colleagues from different disciplines. I always find that no matter what anyone is working on, there are always linkages to emergency and disaster management.”

Kaim deliberately chose sessions outside her immediate field, such as panels on quantum computing and artificial intelligence, where Turing award recipient Prof Adi Shamir of the Weizmann Institute took part. 

“They spoke about supercomputing versus the quantum era, how things are going to change going forward and where computing is taking us. It’s not my field, but interesting to expose yourself to.”

She also attended the session on Geopolitics to Genomics: Concurring Minds in a Multipolar World, where Professor Aaron Ciechanover, the Nobel laureate in Chemistry from the Technion Institute of Technology was among the panelists. The session explored the potential for collaborative science and shared innovation in the environment of rising complexity and competition.

Another Summit highlight was the session Breaking Barriers, Leading Change: Challenges in STEM, which focused on leadership, inclusion, and the evolving responsibilities of researchers.

Stronger Community Ties

Both students emphasize the value of the human connections they formed with international peers and in particular with fellow Israeli researchers. 

“What I enjoyed the most was connecting with Israeli colleagues. We’re still in touch and we find how we can help each other and connect other colleagues with the ones that we met at GYSS.”—Arielle Kaim

Every evening, the Israeli participants went out to have dinner and explore the city together. They also visited the Israeli embassy in Singapore and will meet the Ambassador of Singapore to Israel.

Why Is the Summit Worth Participating in? 

Kaim’s advice is to fully engage with the Israeli colleagues and with international researchers you might never meet otherwise

“Try to find points of connection, whether personal or professional, and just enjoy and take time to explore also.”—Arielle Kaim

Itzkovitch emphasizes the value of meeting leading scientists from different fields, and communicating with very different people.

“Participating in the summit is a great idea if you want to communicate and hear some new ideas that are far from what you do in your daily lab work.”—Alon Itzkovitch

And then, there is the city of Singapore itself, beautiful, modern, and very green.

Alon Itzkovitch and  Arielle Kaim at the GYSS-2026 in Singapore

“I was most shocked by the greenery of the city and how in such a vibrant city you can actually create something so green. It’s a city that’s living and breathing. It has a lot to offer,” says Kaim.

Both described Singapore as innovative and forward-looking, drawing parallels to Israel’s own culture of research and development.

With the support of the Lowy International School, Tel Aviv University’s doctoral researchers were able to represent TAU on a global stage and return with new insights and professional connections.

The TAU Student Success Center is ensuring that students of all abilities have access to higher education

Each student has unique needs on their path to success. This is a simple principle, but meeting different needs of thousands of students requires a deep commitment to educational equity. At Tel Aviv University, the Student Success Center (SSC) is growing its resources for one of the most underrepresented populations in higher education: disabled students. 

Easing the Individual Burden 

About 35% of Israelis hold academic degrees, compared to just 16% among people with disabilities. This is largely due to a lack of accessibility resources, or to a lack of awareness about available assistance. Even before applying to university, potential students may have no way of knowing what accommodations are available, and often must spend time and energy advocating for services to which they are entitled. Upon beginning their studies, this problem does not go away as they must now self-advocate before professors and administrative staff. 

In recent years, however, there has been a welcome increase in the number of students with disabilities enrolled in higher education in Israel. At TAU, to ensure equal access to success, the SSC has made accessibility a top priority. This includes physical accessibility of campus spaces, digital accessibility of learning materials and online platforms, and faculty and staff training for disability inclusion.  

Current initiatives include:  

• Tzavta, an alternative admissions pathway for students with disabilities, which also helps them integrate into the University  
• An employment-oriented college program for young adults with disabilities, designed to support academic learning alongside vocational preparation  
• Yahalom, which provides a tailored admissions route and ongoing support for students on the autism spectrum 
• The Mia and Mile Pinkas Accessible Learning Center at the Sourasky Central Library, which provides a space for disabled students to meet and get academic support, as well as equipment such as reading assistors for the visually impaired 
• Personalized tutoring and peer support for those with impairments and disabilities of all kinds 
   

The University is also in the process of establishing a student-led activist group which brings together students with and without disabilities, aimed at advancing awareness, advocacy, and inclusive change on campus. The group is established in partnership with Link20, an organization advocating for disability inclusion.  

TAU Diversity VP Prof. Neta Ziv presents on the many accessibility efforts on campus, present and future.

Gathering to Learn 

As part of this partnership, a conference was held recently on the TAU campus. Representatives from several academic institutions all committed to a shared objective: gaining a deeper understanding of the needs of students with disabilities and using those insights to create a more organized, accessible University experience. Importantly, disabled students themselves presented at the conference on their own unique challenges and barriers.  

The conference was also initiated in collaboration with Academi-Link, a student-led network of students with disabilities in higher education; the National Union of Israeli Students; Rothschild Partnerships; and Tel Aviv University’s Office for Equality, Diversity, and Community. 

Says Prof. Neta Ziv, Vice President for Diversity, Equality and Community: “In the wake of the war, we are already seeing, and expect to continue seeing, an increase in the number of students with disabilities entering higher education. This reality underscores the urgent need to strengthen accessibility, support structures, and inclusive policies across the university. Our commitment is not only to respond to individual needs, but to ensure that the academic environment as a whole is prepared to enable these students to thrive and succeed.” 

Spotlight on a Student: 

Tova is a second-degree law (LLM) student at the Buchmann Faculty of Law. She is already working full-time as a lawyer in a boutique firm and is pursuing this advanced degree in her very limited free time. “I felt a calling to law,” she says. “I have needed lawyers to help me advocate for myself in the past, and those experiences made me want to help others in the same way.” 

Tova’s impairment is physical, and she is able to participate in classes thanks to the accommodations offered by the Student Success Center through the Pinkas Center and the Faculty. “I need a footrest and a pillow for my back during my studies, which help me physically sit in class with all the other students.” 

Read other success stories here and here. 

Groundbreaking discoveries, big dreams, and the joy of life in the lab from TAU’s next generation of cancer experts.

On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we spoke with three outstanding female cancer researchers at Tel Aviv University’s Gray School of Medical Sciences. They shared insights into their groundbreaking work, what they love most about scientific discovery, and how they balance ambitious careers with family life and other priorities. Their answers were honest, motivating, and full of passion. One thing was especially clear: these women don’t just do science — they genuinely love it.

A Female Powerhouse in Medical Science

The Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Tel Aviv University is a true hub of female leadership in medicine and research. Led by Dean Prof. Karen Avraham, the Faculty is committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming home for scientists and students of all backgrounds.

The Gray School of Medical Sciences is headed by Prof. Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, a TAU cancer research “superstar” and a leading figure in the field for over a decade. The Faculty is also home to prominent researchers such as Prof. Carmit Levy, who studies skin cancer, Prof. Lihi Adler-Abramovich, who investigates novel bio-inspired materials, and many more.

And now, a new generation of trailblazing women scientists is making its mark.

Dr. Yaara Oren: Targeting Cancer’s “Persister” Cells

Dr. Yaara Oren studies one of the most challenging mysteries in cancer treatment: why some cancer cells survive therapy unharmed.

After earning her Ph.D. at TAU and completing postdoctoral training at Harvard University and the Broad Institute, she now leads a lab focused on rare “persister” cells — cancer cells that withstand treatment and may later cause the disease to return.

Her research aims to understand these stubborn survivors better and develop new strategies to eliminate them.

“I love what I do because I get to travel all over the world, meet scientists with brilliant minds, and brainstorm about how to make the world a better place,” she says.

A mother of three, Dr. Oren also speaks candidly about balancing science and family: “Do not give up on your hopes. You can be an amazing scientist and a wonderful mother!”

Dr. Inbal Wortzel: Decoding Cancer Metastasis and Immune Defense

Next is Dr. Inbal Wortzel, a new faculty recruit at the Gray School of Medical Sciences and a mother of four.

Dr. Wortzel studies metastasis, the process by which cancer spreads throughout the body. Her work focuses on the hidden communication systems that influence how tumors travel and how the immune system responds.

“By understanding this communication, we hope to learn how the body naturally protects itself from cancer — and how we can boost that protection,” she explains.

Her research could lead to new approaches to strengthen immune-based therapies and prevent cancer from spreading.

Dr. Wortzel describes science as a thrilling race to discovery: “Never lose hope in yourself. Always believe in yourself, even when somebody tells you that you cannot. You probably can, and you will.”

Dr. Merav Cohen: Mapping Cell Communication Inside Tumors

Our third rising star is Dr. Merav Cohen, whose lab explores how immune cells “talk” with the cells inside tumors.

This cellular communication plays a major role in how tumors grow, and how the body fights back. “The goal is to uncover molecular signals that could become new targets for immunotherapy, disrupting harmful cell-to-cell interactions in cancer,” Cohen explains.

Also a mother of four, Dr. Cohen finds joy in the creativity of research: “You can dream about something during the night and then come to the lab the next day and actually do it.”

Her advice to young women: “Just do the best that you can at any stage of your life. Even if you don’t know today what you’ll be in the future, be the best you can.”

Celebrating Women and Girls in Science

These three scientists and their peers at the Gray Faculty represent the future of cancer research, and the growing impact of women in STEM at Tel Aviv University and beyond.

Their work is advancing the fight against cancer, while their stories are inspiring the next generation of girls to believe in their potential and pursue scientific discovery.

Dr. Wortzel’s lab: all-female!

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!