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Seven distinguished researchers aged up to 45 who have excelled in the fields of biology, genetics, law, history and more have been admitted to the Jerusalem- based Israel Young Academy of Sciences and the Arts.The three women and four men who have proven their excellence in the field with original thinking and have received prestigious prizes and research grants, join 26 longer-standing members of the Israel Academy of Sciences. Each will serve a voluntary four-year term in the academy.The new members are prof. Liat Ayalon of Bar-Ilan University’s School of Social Work; Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s history department; Prof. Oren Gazal-Eyal of the University of Haifa’s law faculty; Dr. Jacob Hanna of the molecular genetics department of the Weizmann Institute of Science; Prof. Dan Peer of Tel Aviv University’s cell biology and immunology department; Prof. Ron Milo of the molecular biology department of the Weizmann Institute; and Prof. Maya Schuldiner of the molecular genetics department, also of the Weizmann Institute.According to the constitution of the Israel Academy of Sciences and the Arts – whose members may serve for life – the institution can name up to 10 leading scientists and researchers, under and including the age of 45, to the Young Academy each year. The idea of having a group of younger researchers began over a decade ago in Germany, followed by the Netherlands, and was implemented here in November 2012.Its aim it to promote the status of young Israeli scientists and researchers, advance the connection between them and decision- makers and promote contacts and joint research with their counterparts abroad.Israel Academy of Sciences president Prof.Ruth Arnon of the Weizmann Institute said on Sunday that there is much importance in integrating young scientists and researchers into the Young Academy’s work.The first activity in which they will participate will be a seminar next week – to be attended by academy members and representatives of the Education Ministry and local authorities – on an idea put forth by the Young Academy, a “Science Basket” to encourage high school pupils to consider science as a career and expose them to work in research institutions. This emerged from the awareness that even though the universities are open to visits by all, few young people besides students enter their gates.