Dr. Shir Hochwald-Liber Completes the ScienceMent Program

Over the past year, Dr. Hochwald-Liber participated in ScienceMent, a unique leadership and entrepreneurship training program for scientists, operated by ScienceAbroad. The organization for Israeli scientists abroad, ScienceAbroad's goal is to facilitate ties among Israeli researchers around the world and encourage their return to Israel. Operating in more than 300 campuses worldwide, ScienceAbroad’s mission is to "connect the brightest minds to Israel."

Based in Israel, the ScienceMent program targets PhD researchers seeking to integrate into key positions in industry or academia, strengthening managerial, innovation, and entrepreneurship skills. The program provides knowledge and practical tools, along with an introduction to the Israeli business and technology landscape. Dr. Hochwald-Liber took part in the third ScienceMent cohort, a six-month period over which students participate in specialized workshops in areas such as industrial R&D, innovation management, business development, intellectual property, and regulation. Alongside Dr. Hochwald-Liber, some 30 outstanding scientists from various STEM fields participated in the program, all aiming to take on key roles in industry.

This program was a perfect fit for Dr. Hochwald-Liber. She holds a PhD in physics from Bar-Ilan University, under the supervision of Prof. Eli Sloutskin. She later transitioned into biomedical engineering and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Prof. Rachela Popovtzer's lab, during which she developed a special method for detecting and monitoring gastrointestinal diseases. This technology is now undergoing commercialization, and Dr. Hochwald-Liber is expected to head the company that will be established for this purpose. "This program was exactly right for me, and it gave me precisely the tools I needed: entrepreneurship, fundraising, business development, everything required to do it properly, including the right people and connections along the way," she says. “But beyond the professional training, the program connected me with an amazing community of scientific entrepreneurs, mentors from the biotech and high-tech industries, and leading organizations in Israel’s entrepreneurial ecosystem."

Community is a very important aspect of the program. Graduates become members of its alumni organization, with the goal of creating a community of industry leaders who contribute to society. “Right after we graduated from the program, all of us from the third ScienceMent cohort went on a two-day trip to the north, to learn about the local ecosystem in the wake of the war, to see what needs to be done, and how we can get involved and contribute on our end,” says Dr. Hochwald-Liber. “We’ve become a very tight-knit group of people, from different fields, who challenge and enhance one another, and who are eager to make an impact, contribute, and promote academia, industry, and society in Israel. The program gave me so much, in all respects, including this one."