Fellowship / Fellows

Benny Shilo

  • 2011–2012
  • Biological Sciences
  • Radcliffe Institute Fellow
  • Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel)
Headshot of Benny Shilo
Photo by Tony Rinaldo

This information is accurate as of the fellowship year indicated for each fellow.

Benny Shilo is a professor of molecular genetics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. He is fascinated by processes of embryonic development, which are mediated and dictated by molecular communication between cells. His lab has uncovered key signaling pathways that are conserved in all multicellular organisms. Shilo’s current work focuses on ways in which these communication pathways are integrated within the cellular milieu and on computational approaches to understanding the generation of robust and reproducible patterns.

At Radcliffe, Shilo will focus on new ways to convey the underlying principles of embryonic development to the general public. The essence of embryonic development is the ability of cells to follow rules—dictated by the genome—that determine the final fate and shape of each cell. A variety of human social situations may resemble such interactions; by relating cellular settings during embryogenesis to human situations, Shilo may provide sensual and associative understanding of intricate biological processes.

Benny Shilo earned his BSc and PhD degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and carried out his postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He established a research group at the Weizmann Institute, where he has also served as head of the Department of Molecular Genetics, chair of the Council of Professors, and dean of biochemistry. Shilo received the Michael Bruno Memorial Award in 2000, and his papers have been published in leading scientific journals such as Cell, Development, Developmental Cell, the EMBO Journal, Genes & Development, Nature, and Science.

Our 2023–2024 Fellows

01 / 09

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