Tel Aviv University’s professor Judith Bermane elected to European Molecular Biology Organization

Tel Aviv University’s Prof. Judith Berman was recently named one of 56 new members of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), a group of more than 1,800 of the most prestigious researchers in Europe and around the world.

Prof. Berman of TAU’s George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences is being recognized for her outstanding achievements in the study of the growth and evolution of yeast. A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Society for Microbiology, she uses yeasts, especially pathogenic yeasts, to address basic mechanisms of genome change that underlie rapid phenotypic responses to stress.

“We are proud of Prof. Berman for being elected to EMBO, which chooses only the most exceptional scientists to join its ranks,” says Prof. Karen Avraham, vice dean of TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine, a member of the EMBO Council and Prof. Berman’s nominator for EMBO.

“Prof. Berman is a highly appreciated member of the Faculty of Life Sciences at TAU,” says Prof. Abdussalam Azem, dean of the Wise Faculty. “Prof. Berman’s election to EMBO is a strong recognition of her research, which is at the forefront of molecular biology of pathogenic yeasts.”

EMBO members actively participate in the execution of the organization’s initiatives by sitting on committees and editorial boards, evaluating applications for EMBO funding, mentoring young scientists and providing suggestions and feedback on activities. They conduct research at the forefront of all life science disciplines, ranging from computational models or analyses of single molecules and cellular mechanics to the study of higher-order systems in development, cognitive neuroscience and evolution.

“It is a great honor to be recognized for my study of pathogenic yeasts of humans and their responses to antifungal drug stress,” Prof. Berman says. “These include mitotic defects that cause aneuploidy and cell-to-cell heterogeneity driven by non-genetic mechanisms. We investigate the interplay between chromosome instability, membrane and cell wall dynamics, and intracellular localization of antifungal drugs to better understand processes that modulate the amplitude and diversity of phenotypic responses.”

EMBO will formally welcome its new members and associate members October 29-31 at the Annual Members’ Meeting in Heidelberg.

###

American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israel’s most influential, comprehensive and sought-after center of higher learning, Tel Aviv University (TAU). TAU is recognized and celebrated internationally for creating an innovative, entrepreneurial culture on campus that generates inventions, startups and economic development in Israel. TAU is ranked ninth in the world, and first in Israel, for producing start-up founders of billion-dollar companies, an achievement that surpassed several Ivy League universities. To date, 2,500 US patents have been filed by Tel Aviv University researchers — ranking TAU #1 in Israel, #10 outside of the US and #66 in the world.