Haran Gilad

Prof. Gilad Haran is a Full Professor in the Chemical and Biological Physics Department at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry (2012–2018) and Director of the Dwek School of Chemical Research (2008–2010). His research focuses on single-molecule biophysics, nanophotonics, and protein dynamics, employing advanced spectroscopic techniques like fluorescence and Raman scattering. He holds prestigious positions such as the Hilda Pomeraniec Memorial Professorial Chair and has been recognized with major awards including the American Chemical Society Nakanishi Prize (2023) and the European Research Council Advanced Grant (2017).

Education: PhD in Chemical Physics (1993, Weizmann Institute), postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania (1994–1998). His academic progression includes Senior Scientist (1998–2005), Associate Professor (2005–2011), and Full Professor (2011–present).

Research Interests:

• Single-Molecule Biophysics: Dynamics of proteins in action, including enzyme catalysis and molecular machines like ClpB.
• Nanophotonics: Surface plasmon excitations, quantum dot-light emission interactions in nanocavities.
• Super-Resolution Microscopy: 3D localization of T-cell receptors and membrane protein organization.

His work bridges chemical physics and biology, with a focus on real-time molecular processes.

Key Achievements:

• Pioneered methods in single-molecule FRET for studying protein dynamics.
• Discovered ultrafast dynamics in AAA+ protein disaggregases.
• Advanced plasmon-exciton coupling studies in nanophotonic systems.

Grants & Awards: Over 10,000 citations, H-index 53. Major grants include ERC Advanced Grant (2017) and Israel Science Foundation Breakthrough Grant (2022). Honors include Fellowships from the Royal Society of Chemistry and Biophysical Society.

Labs/Teams: Leads a multidisciplinary group at Weizmann, integrating spectroscopy, nanotechnology, and computational modeling to study molecular mechanisms at the single-particle level.