Assaf Zinger

One of Israel’s rising stars in the areas of chemical and biomedical engineering and nanotherapeutics, he has received more than 15 national and international excellence awards.

His research group in Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering develops biomimetic nanoparticles to treat neurodegenerative pediatric diseases, brain injuries, and multiple cancers. He has developed various novel drug delivery systems, each aiming to deliver different treatments and target different diseases. One such system, dubbed “nano-taxis,” are tiny, nature-mimicking vesicles that carry medication such as mRNA directly to targeted neurons, without being destroyed or changed en route, to potentially revolutionize various treatments and drug delivery.

Prof. Zinger received his Technion bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and his master’s and doctoral degrees in Associate Professor Avi Schroeder’s Laboratory for Targeted Drug Delivery and Personalized Medicine Technologies. He went on to conduct postdoctoral research at the Houston Methodist Academic Institute in Texas, where he now holds adjunct professor positions in both the Cardiovascular Science and the Neurosurgery Departments.

Since returning to his alma mater in October 2021, he has received the Alon Fellowship for the Integration of Outstanding Faculty, became a member of the Global Young Academy, and was invited to join the prestigious “Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting” as a young scientist.

The grandson of a Holocaust survivor, Prof. Zinger (Major res.) served the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in three wars and operations during the 2000s, receiving an excellency award for his leadership in the Second Lebanon War of 2006. As a reservist, he serves as the Executive Officer of the Armored Corps Headquarters.

Last Updated: October 2022