BOG 2025: 11th Kadar Awards Presented
The Kadar Family Award for Outstanding Research was presented this year to four trailblazing researchers who are spearheading some of the most innovative and compelling research at Tel Aviv University: Prof. Gal Oestreicher-Singer (Coller School of Management), Prof. Doron Shabat (School of Chemistry), Prof. Liad Mudrik (School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience), and Prof. Pavel Ginzburg (Faculty of Engineering).
The award, given for the 11th consecutive year, was bestowed at a special ceremony during the 2025 Tel Aviv University Board of Governors meeting. Each year, the award is granted to two senior and two junior faculty members from across the academic spectrum, based on various criteria such as groundbreaking research, teaching quality, and international academic standing.
The Kadar Family Award, supported by the Naomi Foundation, honors the memory of Dr. Naomi Prawer Kadar, a Yiddish language scholar and educator, and the late wife of Dr. Avraham Kadar, a physician, educator, inventor, and philanthropist who has contributed significantly to Tel Aviv University. The three children of the Kadar family, Einat Kadar-Kricheli, Nadav Kadar, and Maya Kadar-Kovalski, are all graduates of Tel Aviv University and serve alongside their father as active board members of the Naomi Foundation. Avraham, Nadav and Maya are also members of the Tel Aviv University Board of Governors.
Said Maya Kadar in a moving recorded message during the ceremony: "Naomi wasn’t just a seeker of knowledge but a sharer of it. That spirit lives on in the Kadar awards, making great ideas visible, vibrant and accessible.”
About the 2025 Kadar Award Recipients:
Prof. Oestreicher-Singer is the Associate Dean for Research and a professor at the Coller School of Management, where she holds the Mexico Chair for Information Systems. Prof. Oestreicher-Singer is a leading researcher in her field, focusing on emerging online business models, Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications for digital platforms, and their impact on consumer behavior. Her research has been published in top academic journals worldwide and she received international recognition, including two consecutive ERC grants.
Prof. Doron Shabat is a senior researcher at the School of Chemistry, in the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences. He is an internationally renowned researcher whose work focuses on the development of innovative chemiluminescent (light-emitting) materials, as well as smart polymers and novel molecular platforms for targeted drug delivery in cancer treatment. He has received numerous awards for his research achievements, including the Israeli Chemical Society’s Excellence Award for Researchers.
Prof. Liad Mudrik is a professor at the School of Psychological Sciences, in the Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, and a faculty member at the Sagol School of Neuroscience. She is a leading researcher in her field, focusing on the study of consciousness, especially the neural basis of conscious experience and the boundaries of unconscious processing—a line of research for which she received an ERC grant. Recently, she has also been engaged in developing tests for consciousness in artificial intelligence systems and animals. Her groundbreaking studies have been published in the world's top academic journals, and she is one of three researchers leading a large international consortium examining neuroscientific theories of consciousness.
Prof. Pavel Ginzburg is a professor in the Fleischman Faculty of Engineering. His research focuses on a variety of related areas including quantum-fueled optics, wireless communication, and light-scattering technology. Among other achievements, Prof. Ginzburg has developed tools for detecting hostile drones under changing and extreme weather conditions, which help protect Israel’s airspace.