Ido Goldstein
Congratulations to Zuckerman Faculty Scholar Ido Goldstein on receiving a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). Each year, the ERC selects and funds the best, most creative researchers, providing them with funds to pursue research projects on a large scale. The award totals 1.5 million Euro ($1.8 million) and is considered the most prestigious grant in Europe.
The ERC grant will allow Dr. Goldstein to carry out a large-scale research project and expand his lab. Obtaining the ERC starting grant brings a level of recognition and legitimacy that says “pay attention to this researcher.”
Dr. Goldstein is a Principal Investigator at Hebrew University’s Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition at The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment. His lab researches the body’s response to periodic fasting, and explores ways to harness its benefits, which may extend to diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
“Research shows that intermittent fasting regimens have been found to be beneficial, but nobody really knows why,” explains Dr. Goldstein. “Not only is it very hard to fast, it also isn’t very realistic. We want to dig deeper into the fasting response, and the biological program that puts your body into a different state when you fast. Once we have a better understanding of the response, we will know to how to better employ its therapeutic potential.”
Dr. Goldstein returned to Israel as a Zuckerman Faculty Scholar with funding to open his lab at Hebrew University. In addition to the grant, he is grateful for the care and attention to detail on the part of the Zuckerman staff.
“Being a Zuckerman Faculty Scholar goes beyond just being a grant recipient, and has exceeded my expectations,” said Dr. Goldstein. “The staff has been amazing, taking the time to make us feel part of a group. The networking events are highly enjoyable and give us a chance to connect, talk about our research, and discuss potential collaboration. I am also hoping to have a Zuckerman postdoc join my lab, because I know I will get someone on a very high level, which is a requirement to become a Zuckerman postdoc.”
Dr. Goldstein is also the recipient of a National Institutes of Health Fellows Award for Research Excellence, for his postdoctoral work at the prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Washington, DC.
