Career History:
Prof. Berta Levavi-Sivan is a renowned figure in fish endocrinology and aquaculture biotechnology. She has been a faculty member at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem since 2000, where she currently serves as a full professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Her research focuses on reproductive endocrinology in fish, emphasizing hormonal regulation, aquaculture innovation, and conservation biology. She has led numerous national and international research projects, significantly advancing the understanding of gonadotropins and reproductive control in teleosts and sturgeons. Berta serves as the Vice-Rector of the Hebrew University for Academic and Research Affairs.
Academic History:
Prof. Levavi-Sivan earned her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Biology from the Tel-Aviv University of Jerusalem, and completed her Ph.D. in Physiology at the same institution. She pursued postdoctoral training at the Weizmann Institute, specializing in neuroendocrinology and molecular biology, before establishing her research group at the Hebrew University.
Engagements:
Prof. Levavi-Sivan actively engages in international scientific collaborations, EU-funded projects, and interdisciplinary research networks. She has mentored over 70 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have become leaders in academia and industry. She regularly participates in international conferences and serves on editorial boards of leading journals in endocrinology and aquaculture. Her collaborations span Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, often focusing on improving sustainable aquaculture practices and reproductive technologies in farmed fish.
Prof. Levavi-Sivan co-founded two start-up companies: AquiNovo, which accelerates fish growth, and Sea2Cell, which develops a unique technology to produce cultivated fish meat.
Accolades:
Prof. Levavi-Sivan is the recipient of multiple awards recognizing her scientific excellence, including the Golda Meir award, the Rector's Prize for Excellence in Research and Teaching, and the Kaye Innovation Award from the Hebrew University, and the Richard E. Peter Lectureship at the 10th International Symposium of Fish Endocrinology (ISFE). as well as grants from prestigious funding bodies such as the Israel Science Foundation (ISF) and the European Union's Horizon programs, US-AID, DFG, BSF-NSF, World Bank, BARD and Israel Ministry of Agriculture. Her innovations in hormone production and reproductive manipulation in fish have been patented and translated into applied technologies in global aquaculture.
ORCID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0183-9524
Google Scholar:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bv41ipEAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra