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The Herztberg Schechter Endowed Prize for Stem for Research 

The Hertzberg Schechter Endowed Prize for Stem Cell Research aims to strengthen the bond between stem cell researchers at UC San Diego Stem Cell Program and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. This cross-border fund has allowed for increased collaboration and has several different components for researchers to interact with.

[left to right] Richard Hertzberg; Sylvia M. Evans, PhD; 2013 Hertzberg Fellow Beatriz Freitas, Ph.D., Larry Goldstein, Ph.D.

Notably, the fund has been used to support the Cell and Gene Meeting on the Mesa, an interdisciplinary scientific meeting held at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California and organized by the UCSD Stem Cell Program. The prize is awarded for the best poster during the Symposium and includes funds for the winner to travel to Israel to meet with Weizmann labs. 

Hertzberg Schechter awardee 2015, Font-Burgada, Ph.D & Alysson Moutri, Ph.D.

Additionally, the fund has been used to bring Weizmann postdoctoral fellows and graduate students to attend the Cell and Gene Meeting on the Mesa. Their trips include meetings with top local faculty from UC San Diego and our neighboring research facilities including the Salk Institute, La Jolla Institute, and the Scripps Research Institute. Notable alumni from this fund are Francesca Avemaria, Ph.D., Aditya Kshirsagar, Ph.D., Chava Rosen, Ph.D. and Ph.D. students Johnathan Bayerl and Lior Lasman.

Finally, the fund is supporting faculty visits to the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, which serves as the Southern California hub for the stem cell community. The Sanford Consortium’s monthly seminar series, the Southern California Stem Cell Seminar Series, attracts the top researchers from around the world and is attended by both researchers and the general public alike.

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One month a year is reserved for the Herzberg Schechter Special Lecture, where a Weizmann faculty will present their work and discuss collaborations with Mesa researchers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2019 Hertzberg Lecturer was Yonatan Stelzer, Ph.D. who was hosted by Alon Goren, Ph.D. on December 12, 2019, at the Sanford Consortium and discussed collaborations with Mesa researchers.

 

If you are interested in sponsoring this program or starting a similar scholarship fund, please  contact stemcells@ucsd.edu