Rose of Jericho, RNA and a 2026 Israel Prize for Shulamit Michaeli

Professor Shulamit Michaeli has been named the 2026 Israel Prize laureate in life sciences research, Education Minister Yoav Kish announced on 27 January 2026.

The award committee described her as a world-class pioneer in RNA research in parasites, and a pioneer in the study of RNA and the function of its various forms, with a focus on disease-causing parasites that affect populations across large regions of the world. The committee cited as a local example the "Rose of Jericho" disease, which it said is common in Israel and is caused by a Leishmania parasite.

What the committee said the work achieved

The committee said Michaeli's research has illuminated, and continues to advance, understanding of how the various types of RNA in parasites are processed and edited, and how that function controls the life of each cell. It called the studies pioneering, and credited them with opening up understanding of the role of modifications on small, non-coding RNA molecules. Her work continues at what the committee called an impressive pace, is published in leading international journals, and has led to improvements in the medical treatment of diseases caused by parasites.

The disease behind the local example

The parasite named by the committee causes leishmaniasis, which the World Health Organization describes as being caused by protozoan parasites from more than 20 Leishmania species, transmitted by the bites of infected female sandflies. It takes three main forms. The cutaneous form is the most common and produces skin lesions, mainly ulcers, on exposed parts of the body, often leaving permanent scars; the visceral form is the most severe and is almost always fatal untreated. The WHO estimates between 700,000 and one million new cases worldwide each year, and says the Eastern Mediterranean region accounts for 80 percent of all reported cutaneous leishmaniasis cases, which is why a parasite that sounds tropical is a domestic Israeli health problem.

Small RNA molecules are one of the levers by which such parasites survive the switch between an insect and a mammalian host. Bar-Ilan University, one of the Israeli institutions working in this area, currently features research describing how a small RNA molecule can alter the ribosome (the cell's protein factory) and help the Leishmania parasite adapt to life inside different hosts.

What the Israel Prize is

The Israel Prize is the state's highest cultural honour, established in 1953 at the initiative of Education Minister Ben-Zion Dinor. Laureates are chosen by committees of judges appointed annually by the education minister for each category, and decisions must be unanimous. The prize is presented on Israeli Independence Day at a state ceremony in Jerusalem attended by the president, the prime minister, the Knesset speaker and the president of the Supreme Court. Life and exact sciences is one of its four main areas, alongside humanities and Jewish studies, culture and the arts, and lifetime achievement. The published list of recipients runs back to the first awards in the 1950s.

The 2026 prizes were presented in April. Education Minister Yoav Kisch handed the visual arts award to the kinetic artist Yaacov Agam at a separate ceremony in Rishon Lezion on 20 April, because the 97-year-old could not travel to the state ceremony in Jerusalem, the Times of Israel reported.

What the announcement did not say

The ministry's statement did not name Michaeli's institution, list her publications, or say which treatments her work has improved. It did not give the size of the prize or name the members of the judging committee. Nor did it say how many candidates were considered in the life sciences category.