Hebrew University Research Finds Optimism Extends Life Expectancy Among Seniors

Hebrew University Research Finds Optimism Extends Life Expectancy Among Seniors

1 June, 2021

Happiness might lead to better health but does it help you live longer? That’s a question that researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) took on in a longitudinal study they began back in the 1990s.  They looked at the impact of optimism on longevity and found that maintaining a positive outlook can directly extend your life. Professor Jochanan Stessman, Director of HU’s Institute on Aging led the study, along with HU’s Prof. Jeremy Jacobs and Dr. Yoram Maaravi.  They published their findings in The Journals of Gerontology.

Research
Medicine
Hebrew University Researchers Decipher the Sweet Taste of Heavy Water

Hebrew University Researchers Decipher the Sweet Taste of Heavy Water

6 May, 2021

A long-standing, unresolved puzzle concerns the taste of heavy water.  Regular water has no distinct taste but rumors indicate that heavy water tastes sweet.  Why is this so if heavy water, D2O, is practically identical to ordinary water, H2O? 

Research
Sciences
HUJI Bites: A Formula for Success with Prof. Hillel Furstenberg, Abel Prize Winner 2020

HUJI Bites: A Formula for Success with Prof. Hillel Furstenberg, Abel Prize Winner 2020

29 April, 2021

Professor Hillel Furstenberg, a researcher in the Einstein Institute for Mathematics and professor emeritus at The Hebrew University, was awarded the 2020 Abel Prize – the Nobel Prize of Mathematics. The award recognized his incredible achievements and contributions in the field, and he is the first Israeli to win this prestigious prize.

Staff
In the media
Research
HUJI Bites: The Biology of Honeybees with Dr. Sharoni Shafir

HUJI Bites: The Biology of Honeybees with Dr. Sharoni Shafir

16 April, 2021

This week marks Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut.  A time to honor Israel’s fallen soldiers, as well as celebrate Israel Independence Day.

On this episode of HUJI Bites, we speak with Dr. Sharoni Shafir, head of the recently established Institute of Environmental Sciences at The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at The Hebrew University. The Institute works to promote research and teaching in environmental sciences in agriculture – combining the diverse research approaches of the over 40 research laboratories that comprise the Institute.

Staff
Research
Making Sense of Megadroughts with Dr. Nathan Steiger

Making Sense of Megadroughts with Dr. Nathan Steiger

23 April, 2021

Featuring Dr. Nathan Steiger, The Fredy and Nadine Hermann Institute of Earth Science in the Faculty of Science This week we celebrate Earth Day – a day that promotes clean living and a healthy, sustainable habitat for people and wildlife alike. A main component to a cleaner environment is climate education. At The Fredy and Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences at The Hebrew University they are doing just that – focusing on the latest in the fields of climate change, water resources and natural hazards.

Research
HUJI Bites: The Power of Listening with Prof. Avi Kluger

HUJI Bites: The Power of Listening with Prof. Avi Kluger

19 March, 2021

Listen to this - Avraham (Avi) Kluger is a professor of Organizational Behavior at the Jerusalem School of Business Administration at The Hebrew University. His area of expertise – listening.

Kluger has studied the destructive effects of performance feedback for over 20 years and is considered the father of many HR methods that are being used in some of the biggest companies around the world.

On this episode of HUJI Bites, Kluger explains why he became interested in this field and how learning to listen can lead to a change, not only in others, but in yourself.

Staff
Research
Adi Torfstein

HUJI Bites: Understanding the Climate with Dr. Adi Torfstein

26 March, 2021

On this episode of HUJI Bites, Dr. Adi Torfstein shares his research, which reconstructs past climate changes and the mechanisms driving them to better understand current and future global climate change. Using field observations together with chemical analysis, Dr. Torfstein and his team are able to understand the past and apply it to evaluating potential future climate change trends.

Dr. Torfstein, is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Earth Science at the Hebrew University, and at the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences of Eilat.

Staff
Research

Students - news

Following Hebrew University's Emergency Aid for Ukrainian Academic Staff & Students: 10 Refugees Arrive on Campus

Following Hebrew University's Emergency Aid for Ukrainian Academic Staff & Students: 10 Refugees Arrive on Campus

13 April, 2022

Considering the threat on the lives of academics and university students in Ukraine, and in a show of solidarity, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) has offered academic hosting for Ukrainian academic staff and students.  To date, 18 such refugees have been accepted to continue their studies at the University and 10 have already arrived at our Jerusalem and Rehovot campuses. 

Staff
Students
Senior Moroccan Academic Delegation Visits Hebrew University

Senior Moroccan Academic Delegation Visits Hebrew University

31 March, 2022

Israel’s academic cooperation with Morocco hit a high point this week with the visit of a senior delegation from Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI).

Seeking to establish a medical school and school of pharmacy, the UM6P representatives met with Professor Dina Ben Yehuda, Dean of the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, to learn how HUJI prepares its future doctors for a medical career based on computational medicine and AI, while maintaining humanity and compassion for their patients.

Staff
Students
The Hebrew University Student Wins Prestigious Apple AI Fellowship Israelis Nab 2 Out of 15 Spots Worldwide

The Hebrew University Student Wins Prestigious Apple AI Fellowship Israelis Nab 2 Out of 15 Spots Worldwide

17 March, 2022

(Jerusalem, March 17, 2022)—Moshe Shenfeld, a computer science PhD candidate at Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU)’s Rachel and Selim Benin School of Engineering and Computer Science has been selected as an Apple Scholar in AI/Machine Learning for 2022.  Shenfeld is one of only 15 awardees worldwide, the other Israeli recipient is from Tel Aviv University.  The PhD fellowship in Machine Learning and AI was created by Apple “to celebrate the contributions of students pursuing cutting-edge fundamental and applied machine learning research worldwide”.

Staff
Students
Hebrew University Offers Emergency Aid to Students & Professors from Ukraine

Hebrew University Offers Emergency Aid to Students & Professors from Ukraine

7 March, 2022

Plus Teaching Posts, Stipends and Studies for Fleeing Ukrainian Academics and University Students

In a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) and HU Student Union hoisted the Ukrainian flag on its campus on Mt. Scopus.  The University and its students seek to send a message of support and encouragement to Ukraine, which is now suffering the second week of a brutal invasion by the Russian military.

Staff
Students
In the media
Comprehensive Hebrew U. Audit Uncovers Tobacco Companies’ Sneaky Tactics to Circumvent Regulators and Target Kids

Comprehensive Hebrew U. Audit Uncovers Tobacco Companies’ Sneaky Tactics to Circumvent Regulators and Target Kids

12 July, 2021

Smoking among young teens has become an increasingly challenging and costly public healthcare issue.  Despite legislation to prevent the marketing of tobacco products to children, tobacco companies have shrewdly adapted their advertising tactics to circumvent the ban and maintain their access to this impressionable—and growing—market share. 

Staff
Students
Research
Social Sciences
Holocaust Memory in the Shadow of Pandemic

Holocaust Memory in the Shadow of Pandemic

26 January, 2021

Hebrew University Study Analyzes How Corona Has Changed How We Remember

“This global crisis created a far more accepting culture for the role digital media must play in remembrance.”

Students
Covid-19
Potato Biosensor

New Biological Sensor Detects Hidden Rot in Potatoes

7 September, 2022

 Despite advances in increased food production, half of all world’s harvested food is lost due to rot caused by microorganisms.  Plants emit various volatile organic compounds into their surrounding environment, which can be monitored for early detection of plant disease and prevent food loss.

 

Staff
Innovation
Research
Research & Study Programs
Sciences
Left and middle image: Impact of extreme heatwave and drought in summer 2018 compared to summer 2017, on fields near Slagelse in Zealand, Denmark (Credit: European Space Agency).   Right image: Danish maize field in July 2018 (Credit: Janne Hansen).

Desert Regions May Be Best Predictors of Climate Change in Wetter Areas, Hebrew University Study Reveals

16 August, 2022

When it comes to the world’s climate, in the past decade, planet Earth keeps sending us its summer siren’s call. According to NASA, nineteen of the hottest years have occurred since 2000, with 2016 and 2020 tied for the hottest on record. This summer is already making worldwide headlines, with England scorching beyond 40 degrees Celsius.

 

In the media
Innovation
Research
Sustainability
Sciences
Social Sciences
Humanities
ARWU Ranking

THE RESULTS ARE IN: Hebrew University Ranks 77th Worldwide and #1 in Israel, According to the 2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities

16 August, 2022

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) climbed 13 places to rank 77th among the world’s top universities and number one in Israel, according to the 2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), published today (Monday).  Topping the list were Harvard, followed by Stanford, MIT, Cambridge, and UCLA Berkeley.  Two other Israeli universities placed in the top 100, as well—the Technion and Weizmann Institute both shared the 83rd spot.  This is a major achievement for Israel’s higher education at large and for Hebrew U., specifically.

 

Staff
Students
In the media
Innovation
Research
Sciences
Medicine
Social Sciences
Humanities
Lightning over Jerusalem

Coarse Sea Spray Keeps Lightning Strikes Away

11 August, 2022

As the world grapples with the cataclysmic events associated with climate change, it is increasingly important to have accurate climate models that can help predict what might lie ahead. 

 

In the media
Innovation
Research
Social Sciences
Israel - A Leader In Academic Innovation!

Israel - A Leader In Academic Innovation!

25 October, 2021

The Innovation Centers of the Hebrew University and of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have won 2 of the world’s most prestigious prizes in higher education entrepreneurship.

Innovation
Young Girl Receiving Chemotherapy. by National Cancer Institute, unsplash

Hebrew University: Understanding the Impact of Medical Marijuana on Children, a Meta-Analysis

21 June, 2021

(Jerusalem, June 21, 2021)—In recent years, the use of medical cannabis to treat sick kids is on the rise, although questions remain about the benefits and safety of such treatments. Now, a team of researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) has completed a first-ever meta-analysis of pediatric patients treated with medical cannabis to understand better the risks and benefits of cannabis use among young patients.

In the media
Innovation
Medicine
Hebrew University Inches Closer to Harnessing DNA Molecules for Disease Detection and Electronics

Hebrew University Inches Closer to Harnessing DNA Molecules for Disease Detection and Electronics

15 September, 2020

We all know that DNA molecules express heredity through genetic information.  However, in the past few years, scientists have discovered that DNA can conduct electrical currents.  This makes it an interesting candidate for roles that nature did not intend for this molecule, such as smaller, faster and cheaper electric circuits in electronic devices, and to detect the early stages of diseases like cancer and COVID-19.

Innovation
Research