Daniel Zajfman

Profile

Scientific Fields of interest: Atomic and Molecular Physics, Molecular Dynamics, Atomic and Molecular Structure, Ion Trapping and Ion Storage Rings, Cluster Physics, Molecular Astrophysics, Interstellar medium

Additional related interest: Public/Science Education (from primary school to adults), Science Policy, Popularization of Science, Philosophy of Science, Origin of Life, Astronomy

Publications:

  • More than 193 scientific papers in peer-reviewed scientific literature, with more than 4,800 citations.
  • More than 50 scientific invited lectures, and a very large number of science education and science policy related lectures.
  • Two teaching books in Physics.

Patents:

  1. A Device for Three dimensional Imaging
  2. A new method for Mass Spectrometry
  3. Social network based education infrastructure and methods of implementing and using social network based education infrastructures
Experience
2022-present
Chairman of the Schwartz/Reisman Science Education Foundation, Israel
2019-present
Chairman of the Academic Board of the Israel Science Foundation
2016-present
Chairman, Schwartz/Reisman Science Education Center (School for Science Teaching), Rishon le Zion, Israel
2015-2022
Chairman, Davidson Institute of Science Education
2013-present
Chairman, Schwartz/Reisman Science Education Center (School for Science Teaching), Rehovot/Nes Ziona, Israel
2011-2023
Member of the Senate at the Max-Planck Society
2013-2019
Chairman, Mul-Nof: Real Estate and development company of the Weizmann Institute of Science
2007-2021
Chairman, Hemda (School for Science Teaching), Tel Aviv, Israel
2006-2019
President, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
2005-2006
Director at the Max-Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg, Germany
2003-present
Full Professor, Dept. of Particle Physics, Weizmann
2002-2006
Head of the Physics Service Unit, Weizmann Institute of Science
2001
JILA (Joint Institute of Laboratory Astrophysics) fellow, Boulder, USA
2001-present
External Scientific Member of the Max-Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg, Germany
1999
Invited Professor, Universite Paris VI, Orsay, France
1997-2003
Associate Professor, Dept. of Particle Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science
1991-1997
Senior Scientist, Dept. of Particle Physics, Weizmann Institute
Awards
2024
Holon Institute of Technology (HIT) Honoray Degree
2023
Elected Fellow of the Israel Physical Society
2023
Harnack Medal from the Max-Planck Society
2022
Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Palmes Academiques (France)
2022
Technion Honorary Doctorate
2019
Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2012
Commander of the “Ordre de Leopold” (Belgium)
2003
The Minerva Award Lecture
2000
Emilio Segre award
1999
Levinson prize in Experimental Physics
1984
Guttwirth prize
Service
2024-present
Member of the committee for the establishment of the Galil University
2024-2025
Chair of the Scientific Committee of DESY, Hamburg, Germany
2023, 2024
Member of the Helmholtz Hiring Committee for Women in Science
2022-present
Scientific Advisor to the Healthtech Valley/Sheba project
2022-2023
Academic Advisor to NanoDimension (3D PCB company)
2021-present
Member of the “Science Status Report” committee for the Israel Academy of Science
2020-present
Chair of the Wolfson Advisory Committee in Israel
2020-present
Scientific Advisor to the China Changzhou CICP innovation park
2020-present
Scientific Advisor to the ADELIS Foundation
2020-2023
Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Israel National Quantum Initiative
2013-present
Board member, SpaceIL
2006-2022
Board member of Yeda- tech transfer company of the Weizmann Institute of Science
2004-2010
Member of Steering committee for the " Edge of Science meetings", Davidson Institute, Weizmann Institute of Science
2004-2006
Board member of the Davidson Institute, Weizmann Institute of Science
2003-2018
Member of the international committee for the International Conference on Dynamics of Molecular Systems (MOLEC)
2003-2006
Member of the international advisory committee for the International Symposium on Molecular Beams (I.S.M.B.)
2001-2023
Scientific Member of the Max-Planck Society
2001-2003
Member of the Executive Committee for the International Conference on the Physics of Atomic and Electronic Collisions (I.C.P.E.A.C).
2000-2007
Member of EU review committees (Marie Curie fellowship and ADVENTURE (large scale) project)
1998-2007
Member of the Minerva Fellowship Program Committee (Minerva Stiftung)
1995-1999
Member of the General Committee for the International Conference on the Physics of Atomic and Electronic Collisions (I.C.P.E.A.C)
1991-1999
Member of the General Committee of the International Conference on Atomic Collision in Solids (I.C.A.C.S)
1990-present
Referee for Scientific Journals - Physical Review Letters, Nature, Science, Journal of Physics B, Physical Review A, Journal of Chemical Physics, IEEE, Nuclear Instruments and Methods
Portrait of Daniel Zajfman
Daniel Zajfman
External Scientific Member of the Max-Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg, Germany, Full Professor, Dept. of Particle Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science
Chairman, Schwartz/Reisman Science Education Center (School for Science Teaching), Rehovot/Nes Ziona, Israel
Chairman, Schwartz/Reisman Science Education Center (School for Science Teaching), Rishon le Zion, Israel
Chairman of the Academic Board of the Israel Science Foundation
Chairman of the Schwartz/Reisman Science Education Foundation, Israel
Scientific Advisor to the ADELIS Foundation
Scientific Advisor to the China Changzhou CICP innovation park
Scientific Advisor to the Healthtech Valley/Sheba project
Board member, SpaceIL
Chair of the Wolfson Advisory Committee in Israel
Member of the committee for the establishment of the Galil University
Referee for Scientific Journals - Physical Review Letters, Nature, Science, Journal of Physics B, Physical Review A, Journal of Chemical Physics, IEEE, Nuclear Instruments and Methods
Member of the “Science Status Report” committee for the Israel Academy of Science

Credentials

1989-1991
Post-doctoral Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, USA
1983-1989
PhD, Atomic Physics, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
1980-1983
B. Sc in Physics, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel