FameLab Israel was launched in March 2007 in partnership with the Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem, the Hemda Centre for Science Education, and the Science Festival at the Weizmann Institute of Science . FameLab Israel was supported by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd and the Scientific American Israel Journal. Three competitions took place to identify 9 finalists. The finalists received a masterclass in communicating science and then participated in the final competition where an overall winner was chosen. MICHAL DEKEL is the first winner of FameLab Israel.

The FINAL took place at the Hemda Science Education Centre in Tel Aviv on 2 May 2007 and the judges were:
Mr Tal Berman, Science Presenter Channel 8
Dr Noah Efron, Bar Ilan University
Prof Eilam Gross, Weizmann Institute
Dr Adee Matan, Science Attache, British Embassy Tel Aviv

FameLab Finalists (alphabetically)

Rotem Bar-Or obtained a BSc in Physics and an MSc in Atmospheric Sciences from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he is now researching radiation & climate dynamics. He is the Manager of the Berel Ginges Computer Center at the Faculty of Science at the Hebrew University. Final talk: The polarization property of light and the ways some animals use it.
Lior Cohen studied medicine at the Technion where he obtained an MSc in Medical Sciences. His research focused on the Polytene chromosome, the giant chromosomes of Drosophila larva, looking for the target genes involved in the development of nervous system (Neurogenesis).  Lior is about to undertake his internship at the Rivka-Ziv Hospital, Safed (Tsfat) and aims to specialise in paediatrics as well as to continue research in genetics. Final talk: "Flies and Parkinson disease" or "A drosophila as  a model for Parkinson disease".
Michal Dekel- ISRAELI WINNER - has a BSc in Biotechnology (Cum Laude) from Bar Ilan University, and an MSc in Molecular Genetics from Tel Aviv University. Her research, at the Danek Institute of Human Genetics, focuses on detecting genomic alterations affecting fertility of male translocation carriers. Final talk: Mickey Mouse, Minnie doesn’t need you anymore! Birth of parthenogenetic mice that can develop to adulthood.
Dr Orlev Levy-Nissenbaum - Runner up - is an Hadassah College Jerusalem (HCJ) professor who holds a Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology. He completed his post-doc study in molecular biology and immunology and is now halfway through medical school. Orlev lectures on a variety of subjects (e.g., cellular and molecular biology, basic and clinical immunology and molecular bases of genetic diseases) in other collages and hospitals in Israel (e.g. The Chaim Sheba Medical Center and Assaf Harofeh Medical Center). He recently published a book about techniques for teaching biology, biotechnology, and related subjects. Final talk: Bacteriophages as a potential weapon against bacteria.
Arie Melamed-Katz is an electronic engineer, physicist and writer and holds a BSc in Electronic Engineering and an MSc in Physics from Ben-Gurion University. He is about to finish his PhD in Physics at the Weizmann Institute. As an experimental physicist in particle physics, he is studying various "New Physics" signals, such as mini Black Holes, with the ATLAS detector at CERN. Arie is active as a popular science lecturer and writer, and serves as the scientific editor of "Galileo for Children", an Israeli scientific journal for kids. Final talk: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Black Hole"
Adi Natan is working on a PhD in Physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science. His research focuses on trying to harness the unique properties of ultra-fast laser light to control quantum processes in atoms and molecules. Adi obtained his first degree in Physics from the Hebrew University and an MSc in Biological Physics from the Weizmann Institute of Science. Final talk: How the way plants draw energy from the sun is being used to cure cancer.
Dr Eran Schenker is the head of the Aerospace Medicine Center at the Fisher Institute for Air & Space Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University and a team leader of SmartTouch EU consortium project of Near Field Communication (NFC and RFID) medical wireless health solutions. He holds an Israeli medical degree and license, from the School of Medicine and Faculty of Health Sciences at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev and graduated from the Life Sciences Department at the International Space University (ISU), Vienna, Austria. Eran founded the Israel Aerospace Medicine Institute (IAMI). He is a biomedical space research specialist and served as the primary investigator and general medical director for the Israeli payload crew for the biomedical studies onboard the Columbia Space Shuttle in 2003. Final talk: RFID will change our Future.
Dr Naomi Siew is a Post-doctoral Fellow in Bioinformatics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where she is researching metabolic networks. She has a BSc in Chemistry and an MSc Pharm from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a PhD in Bioinformatics from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Final talk: Why are there bubbles in Champagne?
Roey Tzezana - Runner up - has a first degree in Biology from the Technion and is now studying for a Master degree in the program of Nanotechnology Engineering at the Technion. His research focuses on tissue engineering via nano-technology. Final talk: Eternal life:Genetic engineering and the hormone of youth:how some plants live forever, while others die after a single season.