Judith Berman (academic)

Judith Berman
Berman in 2020
Academic background
EducationBSc, Plant Pathology, Cornell University
PhD, Biochemistry, 1985, Weizmann Institute of Science
Academic work
InstitutionsShmunis School of Biomedical and Cancer Research
University of Minnesota
Main interests
Model and pathogenic yeasts
Websitewww.jbermanlab.com

Judith Gabriela Berman is an Israeli molecular geneticist. She is a Professor at Tel Aviv University and Professor Emerita at the University of Minnesota. In her research, she focuses on cellular response mechanisms to drugs and the effects of genetic mutations.

Education

Berman completed her Bachelor of Science at Cornell University and received her PhD in biochemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science.[1]

Career

Following her PhD, Berman became an assistant professor in the Deptartment of Plant Biology at the University of Minnesota. She was promoted to Full professor in 2000.[1] As a Full Professor, she was awarded Minnesota's Distinguished McKnight University Professorship in 2008.[2] In 2012, Berman moved her laboratory to Tel Aviv University (TAU) and joined the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences.[3]

At TAU, Berman led a research team studying drug resistance and tolerance in Candida albicans. In 2013, her team found that under certain conditions, the Candida fungus undergoes sexual reproduction. This method of reproduction creates haploid cells, instead of diploid cells.[4] In 2020, Berman's team collaborated with Markus Ralser and his team at Charité's Institute of Biochemistry to study drug tolerance in invasive fungal pathogens. They specifically investigated the mechanisms by which fungal cells survive exposure to antifungal drugs.[5]

Awards and honors

As a Full professor at the University of Minnesota, Berman was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Society for Microbiology.[6] She served as a member of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology’s International Scientific Advisory Board from 2016 to 2023.[7] In 2019, Berman was elected a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization in recognition of her research into drug resistance and tolerance in Candida albicans.[8]

In 2026, Berman was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for her research in the field of microbiology and genetics.[9] She also became the sixth TAU researcher to be elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences.[6]

Personal life

Berman and her husband Mike have two children together. In Twin Cities, they were involved in the local Jewish community; their sons attended the Minneapolis Jewish Day School, and the Bermans both served on the boards of local Jewish organizations.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 "פרופ' יהודית גבריאלה [ג'ודית] ברמן" (in Hebrew). Tel Aviv University. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Judith Berman". University of Minnesota. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Judith Berman Tel Aviv University". National Academy of Science. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  4. ↑ Nevo, Itai (February 28, 2013). "סקס קטלני של פטריות". hayadan.org (in Hebrew). Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  5. ↑ "ERC Synergy Project studies drug tolerance in intractable fungal infections". eurekalert.org. November 10, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Tel Aviv University Researcher Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences". Tel Aviv University. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Prof Judith Berman appointed as MRC CMM Honorary member". University of Exeter. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  8. ↑ Hacohen, Hagay (June 29, 2019). "TAU professor Judith Berman named as new member of EMBO". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  9. ↑ Blizovsky, Avi (May 16, 2026). "Two Tel Aviv University researchers elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences". hayadan.com. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Judy and Mike Berman Invest in Adath's Future". Adath Jeshurun Congregation. Archived from the original on May 15, 2026. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
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