Rappaport Institute and BioRap members, Profs. Michael Aviram and Gera Neufeld receive Herschel Rich Innovation Awards for the year 2007

It has been announced that Professors Michael Aviram and Gera Neufeld, of the Rappaport Institute and BioRap have been awarded two of the Hershel Rich Technion Innovation Awards for the year 2007. The goal of the prize is to encourage original research at the Technion by providing financial incentives.

Professor Aviram, of the Department of Biochemistry of the Faculty of Medicine and the Rappaport Institute, is recognized as a world leader in the research on pomegranate juice and other dietary antioxidants; and Professor Gera Neufeld, Professor of Cell Biology has done extensive research into angiogenesis and its role in cancer metastasis.

Friend of the Technion from Texas, Mr. Hershel Rich, grants six  $3200 prizes annually, for inventions, discoveries, developments, computer software, or publications that originate in the Technion proper, and have the potential for  profits or royalties for both the discoverer and the Technion. 

The competing researchers were nominated by the heads of their academic units.  The nominees were rated by a committee in the following areas:

• Market need and potential for market growth of the subject
• How close the idea is to application
• Commercial potential of the Technology