Judy Siegel-Itzkovich

Judy Siegel-Itzkovich is the health and science reporter at The Jerusalem Post . She has been writing for the paper since February 1973. She has published over 31,000 news stories, features and columns as a Post journalist – more than any other journalist in the world. A Master's degree graduate of Columbia University in New York who made aliyah immediately after completing her studies and within weeks joined the paper, she has a strong background in biology but received her BA and MA in political science because she could not bear to kill animals for lab experiments. She ravenously reads professional medical and science journals. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Ben-Gurion University – the first Israeli newspaper reporter to do so – in November 2015 and has received numerous awards such as the Hadassah Women’s Organization Women of Distinction Award in the Knesset, Yeshiva University in Israel’s community service award and Tishkofet’s public service award. She is also a fluent English and Hebrew translator and editor in her specialized fields.
PROF. MAYER BREZIS: The greatest barriers to patients’ safety are cultural.

Many medical institutions automatically refuse to admit, correct errors, researcher finds

According to Prof. Mayer Brezis, “the greatest barriers to patient safety are not technological or scientific – but cultural," such as the fear of legal consequences and institutional defensiveness.

FEBRUARY 8, 2026
PHD STUDENT Yulia Melnik-Kesler.

Early warning system for undrinkable wine glows in the dark

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have built a living biosensor made of bacteria that lights up when it detects acetic acid, a chemical compound present in spoiled wines.

FEBRUARY 7, 2026
One of the photos of birds exhibited at the Herzog Medical Center.

Jerusalem doctor uses bird photos to comfort PTSD and elderly patients

The birds, in their movement between ground and sky, presence and vulnerability, emanate the possibility of freedom that can inspire patients.

FEBRUARY 7, 2026

War trauma can hinder development of children's teeth, study finds

A study conducted by the Maccabident Research Institute found that ongoing national security tensions led to significant changes in the dental and skeletal development of children and teens.

JANUARY 31, 2026
MACCABIDENT’S DR. Doron Haim: Anxiety alters hormonal regulation, which can affect how and when teeth emerge.

How AI is bringing the dead back and what that means for the living

A new study by Tom Divon, a media and cultural researcher from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, explores the use of generative AI to recreate deceased individuals' likenesses.

JANUARY 31, 2026
MEDIA AND cultural researcher Tom Divon. Society has reached a stage where it seeks to overcome death through technology, he maintains.

Medical students who spend a year with seniors rethink aging, Jerusalem study finds

Ageism is prejudice directed toward someone based on their age, particularly older people, and it persists among clinicians and medical students, undermining empathy and care quality.

JANUARY 25, 2026
PROF. NAAMA CONSTANTINI

Triennial report: Israeli science at the precipice

The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities warns of the danger of losing independence and being left out of research collaborations.

JANUARY 25, 2026
A STATUE of Albert Einstein in the garden of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

New study reveals how the brain prepares facial expressions before we move

Every time we show facial gestures, it feels effortless, but the brain is quietly coordinating an intricate performance.

JANUARY 18, 2026
Couple smiling at each other.

Israeli researchers develop SafeWax coating that could cut pesticide use by 50%

The team concluded that SafeWax is “an innovative technology with the potential to become a breakthrough in the field of sustainable crop protection.”

JANUARY 18, 2026
WORKERS TAKE care of cannabis plants at a farm in central Israel, late last year.

BIU study reveals that origin of sleeping in humans is deduced from jellyfish, sea anemones

A new study from the multidisciplinary brain research center at Bar-Ilan University found that jellyfish and sea anemones were the first to present one of sleep’s core functions.

JANUARY 10, 2026
THE NATURAL HABITAT of Cassiopea andromeda in the Gulf of Aqaba, Eilat.

TAU discovers breakthough mechanism for treating deadliest type of skin cancer

A major achievement with far-reaching implications for treating deadly skin cancer has been discovered by Tel Aviv University scientists and colleagues.

JANUARY 10, 2026
THE RESEARCH TEAM (from bottom left, counterclockwise): Stav Melamed, Prof. Carmit Levy, Paulee Manich, and Yuval Sade.

Shaare Zedek Medical Center opens new center for reservists, first responders

The Resilience Center’s professional team, headed by psychiatrist Dr. Jennie Goldstein, who is its medical director, includes therapists from various fields.

JANUARY 4, 2026
Silber family members with Shaare Zedek Medical Center staff.

How sex hormones make our internal clocks 'tick'

Weizmann Institute molecular geneticist discovers what makes humans ‘tick’ and causes disruptions during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.

JANUARY 4, 2026
THE SUN sets behind the Houses of Parliament in London. It’s known that circadian clocks are affected not only by external signals such as sunlight but also by signals carried through the bloodstream.