Non-Jewish A-level biology students hear Israeli experts at Science Museum

Huge numbers of non-Jewish school students took part in a special day at the Science Museum on Thursday under the auspices of Technion UK, the British arm of the Haifa-based Israeli university.

Three of Technion’s most innovative academics — Professors Jon Finberg, Ruth Hershberg, and Zahar Azzam — came to address the students, almost all of whom are studying A-level biology.

Separately the three professors addressed a small Technion UK science lunch at Bank Leumi’s London headquarters, to discuss their most recent work.

Professor Finberg, a specialist in pharmacy, pharmacology and biomedical research, is best known for his part in the development of the anti-Parkinson’s drug, Azilect, which received FDA approval in 2006 and has since been used successfully all over the world.

British-born, Professor Finberg is married to a 14th generation sabra and is now engaged in new work, studying the effect of magnets on neurons.

Professor Hershberg established her own laboratory at Technion in 2012 and works on evolutionary biology. Two aspects of her pioneering work relate to antibiotic resistance and the evolutionary process of cancers. The Hershberg laboratory is also looking at the possibility of editing genetic disorders.

Technion UK’s chief executive, Alan Aziz, reported close co-operation with Imperial College, London. In particular, he said, help was being offered to Imperial’s Israel Society, which is leading a trip of 60 Imperial students to Israel in March.