Alon Chen

Alon Chen is an Israeli neuroscientist specializing in the study of stress, anxiety, and depression. He is known for his research on the mechanisms underlying stress resilience and vulnerability, and for his work exploring the genetic and epigenetic factors that contribute to mental health disorders.

Chen's research has focused on the role of neuropeptides, specifically corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and its receptor CRF1, in mediating the stress response. He has also investigated the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its dysregulation in individuals with anxiety and depression.

Chen is the former President of the Weizmann Institute of Science, a position he held from 2019 to 2023. Prior to his presidency, he served as the Director of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, Germany, and head of the Department of Neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute.

His work has been published in leading scientific journals, and he has received numerous awards and recognitions for his contributions to the field of neuroscience. Chen’s research aims to identify novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of stress-related mental disorders.