Ehud Gazit, PhD
Ehud Gazit, PhD is a Professor and Endowed Chair at the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and the Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and a member of the Executive Council of Tel Aviv University. He is also a member of Israel National Council for Research and Development (NCRD) (appointed in 2014). Gazit is also the academic director of the Blavatnik Center for Drug Development and Head of the Laura Schwartz-Kipp Institute for Biotechnology. In 2015, he was knighted by the Italian Republic for his service to science and society.
From 2012-2014 he served as the Chief Scientist of the Israeli Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the coordinator of the forum of Chief Scientists of the Israeli ministries. From 2008-2012 Gazit served as Tel Aviv University Vice President for Research and Development and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ramot Ltd., the technology transfer company of Tel Aviv University.
Gazit received his B.Sc. (summa cum laude) after completing his studies at the Special Program for Outstanding Students of Tel Aviv University (currently the Adi Lautman Program), and his Ph.D. (with highest distinction) as a Clore Fellow at the Department of Membrane Research and Biophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science in 1997. For his Ph.D. work, he received the John F. Kennedy Award. He has been a faculty member at Tel Aviv University since 2000, after completing his postdoctoral studies as a European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and Human Frontiers Science Program (HFSP) fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he also had held a visiting appointment (2002–2011). He also had a visiting appointment at St. John's College, Cambridge University (2016).
Gazit had published more than 200 peer-reviewed publications in top journals including Science, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Physics and Nature Chemical Biology. He is also one of the most prolific inventors in Israel academia with more than 100 international patents including 38 issued US patents. His technology transfer achievements were acknowledged by inclusion in the 2008 list of 100 Innovations from Academic Research to Real-World Application by the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) and in a list of 100 Technology Offers stemming from EU Biotechnology RTD results of three Research Framework Programmes (FP5, FP4, and FP3). He is also an awardee of the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant (in 2016).
Gazit served and serves in various positions related to science and technology at the national and international level. From 2003-2009 he served on the International Relations Committee of the Biophysical Society. He is currently a member of the Nominating Committee of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB). He is a member of the UK-Israel Life Science Council and member of the steering committee of Yuval Ne’eman workshop for science, technology and security. He was a member (and chairman from 2008–2011) of the executive board, The Interdisciplinary Center for Technology Analysis & Forecasting.
He has delivered more than 200 invited presentations including opening lectures, keynote presentations and named lectures such as the Thomas McMahon Lectureship, School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge MA, USA and EMBO Keynote Lecture at BioMAT 2017, Weimer, Germany.
Gazit had received numerous awards and honors including Landau Research Award, Hesterin Award and Kadar Family Award. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
