Dr. David Wernick

Dr. Wernick received his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. In addition to being a Zuckerman Postdoctoral Scholar, he is both a Fulbright Research Scholar and a Weizmann Institute Systems Biology Network Fellow. Dr. Wernick has focused on applying biology to solve engineering problems, culminating in engineering microbial metabolism for efficient production of gasoline-alternative biofuels from wastes, and studying carbon fixation to aid removal of CO2 from the air and increase crop biomass. He has filed three patent applications.

During his time at UCLA, he served as one of two student representatives selected from all University of California schools to meet with the governor and a team of state legislatures. The school representatives discussed research at the different campuses and made the case for increased funding for graduate student programs. Dr. Wernick is noted for his strong commitment to sustainability, his social skills, and his ability to make his ideas clear and engaging. His very strong background in metabolic engineering is a welcome addition to the field in Israel.