Dr. Noa Shenkar

1. Education

2. Academic and professional experience

October 2012-Current Senior Lecturer, Zoology Department, Tel-Aviv University

2011-2012 “VATAT” supported Research Fellow, National Collections of Natural History, Tel-Aviv University, Israel

2009-2011 Post-doctoral F ellow , Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. Topic: “ Molecular and Morphological Approaches to Ascidian Phylogeny and Systematics”. Advisor: Prof. Billie J Swalla

2008-2009 Post-doctoral fellow supported by “ VATAT ” , National Collections of Natural History, Tel-Aviv University, Israel

3. Research Grants

2012 :  The European Commission Marie Curie Career Integration Grants (CIG)
2013 : The German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development Young Scientists’ Program
2014 : Yad-Hanadiv Ecosystem Services in Marine Environments: International Workshop Series.
2015 : ISF Equipment for young faculty
2015 : ISF Regular Research Program
2015 : BSF Young
2016 : Schulich Ocean Studies Centre Initiative

4. Prizes and awards

             2014,2015 Amongst 100 excellent lecturers at Tel-Aviv University

             2013 Caroline von Humboldt Prize for young female researchers €15,000

             2008 Dan David Prize $10,000

The research in my laboratory is focused in two main topics:

• On the taxonomic level: the class Ascidiacea (ascidians, sea-squirts), and
• Marine bioinvasion.

   Ascidians (Phylum: Chordata , Class: Ascidiacea ), or sea squirts, are the largest and most diverse class of the sub-phylum Tunicata (also known as Urochordata ). Recent phylogenomic studies place the tunicates as the sister group to the vertebrates , suggesting they are our closest relatives among the invertebrates and providing a fertile ground for evolutionary and developmental studies. During the past two decades enormous progress has been achieved in the fields of development, evolution, immunology, natural products and ecology of ascidians.

Ascidians are a key ecological group because of their invasive potential and ability to thrive in eutrophic (nutrient-rich) environments. Introductions of non-indigenous ascidians into harbors in both tropical and temperate waters are now commonplace, with the rate of introductions increasing and creating severe damage to natural fauna by overgrowth and alternation of the benthic community. T he proximity of the Red Sea coral reef environment and the Israeli Mediterranean rocky shore, together with the opening of the Suez Canal, presents unique opportunities for studying marine bioinvasion along the coasts of Israel. The geographic advantage provides a productive ground for understanding patterns of marine invasion in space and time, and developing novel theories for predicting future introductions. Such research is of significant importance in view of environmental change.

Koplovitz G, Hirose E, Hirose M, Shenkar N (2014) Being Green in the Red Sea - Ecology of the Photosymbiotic Ascidian Diplosoma simile (Ascidiacea: Didemnidae) in the Gulf of Aqaba. Syst Biodivers DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2014.978410

Levitt Y, De Grave S, Shenkar N (2014) First record of an invasive shrimp from the family Processidae (Crustacea, Decapoda) in the Mediterranean Sea. Medit Mar Sci 15: 650-653

Shenkar N, Loya Y (2008) Ecology and systematics of the ascidian fauna in the Gulf of Eilat (Aqaba). In “Aqaba-Eilat, the Improbable Gulf. Environment, Biodiversity and Preservation” Editor FD Por, Magnes, Jerusalem. pp 197-208