Yifat Merbl

Dr. Yifat Merbl is a professor at the Systems Immunology Department in Weizmann Institute of Science. She earned her PhD in Systems Biology from Harvard Medical School. Her research lies at the intersection of biochemistry, proteomics, and immunology, where she explores how protein regulation and degradation shape immune function and human disease. A major focus of her work is the proteasome - the “cellular garbage can” - and its unexpected roles in immunity. In 2025, her lab discovered that the proteasome generates natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), revealing a new mechanism of immune defense and novel translational possibilities for combating antibiotic-resistant infections. Dr. Merbl is the recipient of numerous awards including the Rappaport Prize (2024), CRI Lloyd J. Old STAR (scientists taking risks) Award (2024) and AACR Trailblazer Award (2026). She was named one of Nature’s 10: Ten People Who Shaped Science in 2025. Dr. Merbl is a biotech entrepreneur and co-founder of sev