A routine underwater expedition off the coast of Israel has led to the discovery of the largest concentration of shark eggs ever found. "We couldn't believe what we were seeing!" exclaimed Dr. Yizhaq Makovsky (Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences). "The habitat, which spans dozens, if not hundreds of meters, has an abundance of marine life not found in the waters in or around Israel." High-resolution videos of the scene, including shark embryos moving inside their eggs, were captured by cameras mounted on a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle that was purchased with support from the Helmsley Charitable Trust and maintained by the Hatter Department of Marine Technologies. Researchers from University of Haifa, Ben Gurion University and Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research (IOLR) are taking part in this groundbreaking scientific project.

"One of the biggest challenges we face during a crisis like COVID-19 is translating science into concrete guidelines for citizens," explains Prof. Anat Gesser-Edelsburg (School of Public Health).  In a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR), she argues that authorities should provide both statistical data and narrative information to the public that can influence cognitive and emotional responses. Prof. Gesser-Edelsburg presented her findings at the 2nd WHO Training in Infodemic Management Conference, which prepares hundreds of health professionals from a variety of disciplines around the world for the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting information overload. Prof. Gesser-Edelsburg is Head of the Health Promotion Program and Director of the Health and Risk Communication Research Center. 

The Moments of Refuge Project, launched by Prof. Amit Bernstein (Department of Psychology), is a unique mindfulness-based trauma recovery program for refugees and asylum seekers, including survivors of torture, human trafficking and former child soldiers. Project participants demonstrated significantly reduced rates and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety after the 9-week intervention. In developing the project, Prof. Bernstein drew upon his work with refugees spanning over a decade. The study was published in Clinical Psychological Science and was recently featured in the internationally acclaimed documentary "My Year of Living Mindfully".

Credit: Amir Yurman, Head of the University of Haifa's Maritime Workshop

A 200-pound stone anchor belonging to an ancient ship was recently discovered at the Tel Dor excavation site near Haifa. Researchers believe that the anchor was first used during the Bronze Age and through the Roman and Byzantine periods (~3,000 years ago). The underwater excavation was led by the University's Leon Recanati Institute of Marine Studies and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. More in Times of Israel. Researchers from UofH and UC San Diego have been exploring the Tel Dor site for a number of years – even during the pandemic. 

Prof. Edi Barkai (Sagol Department of Neurobiology and former Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences) was awarded the grant for his exploration of the mechanisms underpinning epigenetic inheritance of superb learning abilities.

Prof. Adi Livnat (Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology) was awarded the grant for his work on mutation rates, variational specificity  and long-term directionality in genome evolution.

Prof. (Emerita) Fania Oz-Salzberger (Faculty of Law) to receive the Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm Prize from the German Academic Exchange Service, (DAAD). Her research focuses on aspects of European history and political thought, enlightenment studies and Israeli-European relations.

The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities has inducted sociologist Prof. (Emeritus) Sammy Smooha (Herta and Paul Amir Faculty of Social Sciences) into its ranks. Prof. Smooha is an Israel Prize laureate (2008) and former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Prof. Des. h.c. Manfred Lahnstein delivered the annual Bucerius Lecture, a fascinating talk covering 1,700 Years of Jewish Life in Germany and its long history of prejudice. According to Prof. Lahnstein, Germany must continue to fight against anti-Semitism while promoting coexistence. "Many of the elements defining anti-Jewish hatred in modern times were present in the Middle Ages." Prof. Lahnstein (Honorary Chairman of the Board of Governors and 2007 UofH honorary doctorate recipient) and his wife, Sonja Lahnstein-Kandel, are cherished and longstanding friends of the University of Haifa. Prof. Lahnstein also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the ZEIT-Stiftung Fund.

The American Friends of the University of Haifa hosted an online event that brought together scholarship recipients and members of the Chicago-based PSSF Foundation. The PSSF Foundation has supported Arab scholars in various academic disciplines since 2015. Students were given the opportunity to introduce themselves and thank their generous donors during the meeting. Dr. Hanin Karawani Khoury (Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Haifa) shared her experiences as both a student and lecturer.

Hundreds tuned in to an exclusive online interview with Colonel (Res.) Kobi Regev of the Israeli Air Force. Colonel Regev discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from his unique perspective, with simultaneous translation into Portuguese. In his remarks, he addressed the challenges Israel faces when trying to balance operational objectives with humanitarian rights concerns when Hamas uses civilians in Gaza as human shields.  Adrian Teper, Director of the Latin American Desk, coordinated the event on behalf of the Brazilian Friends of the University of Haifa.  Hebraica SP, Beith Halochem and Stand With Us Brazil promoted the event.