Clara Shikhelman has shown interest in mathematics from a young age. Following her passion for the field, she commenced her studies at Tel Aviv University at the age of 14. After serving in the IDF as an R&D team leader in a leading intelligence unit, she resumed her studies. She received her Masters degree from the Weizmann Institute and returned to Tel Aviv University where she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Mathematics under the supervision of Prof. Noga Alon.

Her main research interests are Graph Theory, Combinatorics and random aspects of both. In recent years she became interested in the emerging field of cryptocurrency/distributed ledger technology, and the mathematics behind it.

Clara is a frequent visiting scholar in universities such as Harvard and Princeton. She also loves giving public talks about mathematics and especially about the hidden mathematics in ״Alice in Wonderland״.

About joining IOTA:

I am fascinated by the deep mathematical questions in the heart of the crypto revolution. IOTA’s design uses elegant and innovative math to rethink crypto from the bottom up and take it to the next level. As a mathematician, it is a privilege to have an opportunity to impact the everyday lives of billions of people by solving complex mathematical problems.

Clara is a true mathematician that is dedicated to the core issues that are crucial to resolve properly in order to construct an thoroughly efficient and secure standardized protocol. Her impressive background and experience overlaps exactly with the crucial aspects of IOTA’s unique architecture, and she has already contributed to IOTA since November 2017. Her work will be of great value to the IOTA project. Give her a warm welcome!