Additional activities of the group at the Institute – outreach science through culture, and make science your culture
The Galun lab is deeply involved in cultural and educational activities. For us working together is as living together. Our lab is a large open space and while each project has a leader, the team members are highly engaged in each others' projects. To increase and encourage the sense of a family unit and to better understand each other, we also organize special events at the institute.
1. High-school education: On a number of occasions over the past year we have invited high school students majoring in Biology to spend a full morning discovering our state-of-the-art research labs. These high schools were from Arab and Jewish towns near Jerusalem. The students were exposed to research in general, how we ask a question, how we design an experiment and what it means to be a scientist. The experiences were through the establishment of educational stations in the lab mentored by PhD students and post-docs à see the below pictures.
​
​
​
2. On every special holiday and festival throughout the year (such as for the New Year or Passover holidays), we organize a mid-day celebration where we read relevant short passages from literary works or tell anecdotes or personal tales with meaningful, educational importance. Poetry is a big favourite amongst our lab members and there is always much interest in exploring the roots of traditional symbols representing the holidays. Lab members cater on these occasions and enjoy bringing home prepared food of their choice.
3. Socializing together: The Galun Group enjoys participating in the annual retreats organized by the institute. These overnight retreat trips are conducted in selected locations throughout the country. This is an ideal setting and opportunity for group leaders to talk about the past, the future questions they wish to ask s well as to describe their planned programs.
​
​
The retreat 2016 in Kibbutz Dalia in Ramot Menashe (Center of Israel)
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
The retreat 2021 in Kibbutz Tzuba in Jerusalem
4. Travelling to meetings: One of the more important aspects of science education is the participation in scientific meetings. To be involved, to sharpen the curiosity, to speak science in English, to be open to the sharing of ideas, information, technologies and to make contact with other international investigators and students , is of prime importance in our efforts to develop excellence in science.
At the ILANIT 2017 Mila Rivkin and Chofit Chai EASL 2016
5. International collaboration and guest lecturers: Every year we invite international scientists to address seminars and to discuss potential collaborations. These invited guests contribute shared thoughts and experience with the group leaders. In addition they run seminars and teach graduate students. This year we were honoured to host Prof. Raymond Schinazi from Emory Atlanta, the inventor of the triple therapy for HIV. We also hosted Prof. Stefan Rose John from Kiel, the Director of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Kiel. And Prof. Fulvio Mavilio the scientific Director of Genethon, the largest gene therapy institute in Europe, Evry France will be visiting us this year 2017.
With Raymond Schinazi With Stefan Rose John (and Nevo Eithan grandchild)
