President, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
Prof. Daniel Chamovitz is the 7th President of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Previously he served as Dean of the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University, where he also founded the Manna Program in Food Safety and Security. Chamovitz grew up in Aliquippa, PA, and is a proud alumnus of Young Judaea. He took part in the Institute for Youth Leaders from Abroad in Jerusalem, and then studied at both Columbia University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he received his Ph.D. in Genetics.
Prof. Chamovitz carried out postdoctoral research at Yale University under fellowships from the European Molecular Biology Organization and the Human Frontiers Science Research Program. He returned to Israel on the prestigious Alon Fellowship of the Council for Higher Education in Israel for Outstanding Young Researchers. His scientific career has been characterized by novel and field-defining research on plant biology, biochemistry, developmental biology, and systems biology. He has published numerous peer-reviewed research articles and served on the editorial boards of several scientific journals.
Prof. Chamovitz has held positions as a visiting scientist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and a visiting Professor at the School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Peking University. He is a sought-after speaker and science commentator, and has lectured worldwide on issues of global food security. His 2012 book What a Plant Knows was translated into 19 languages and was discussed in global press and media.
