Israeli Professor Chaim Sompolinsky Wins Prestigious 2026 Dirac Medal for Theoretical Physics

Professor Chaim Sompolinsky of the Hebrew University, a leading physicist and brain researcher, has been awarded the 2026 Dirac Medal by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). The Dirac Medal, established in 1985 in honor of Nobel laureate Paul Dirac, is one of the most prestigious international awards in theoretical physics, given to scientists whose work has fundamentally transformed the field. Sompolinsky, 76, is an emeritus professor at the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences and the Racah Institute of Physics at the Hebrew University, and also a professor at Harvard University. He received the award for his groundbreaking contributions linking physics principles with brain research and artificial intelligence, helping to establish the field of theoretical neuroscience. His research explained how neural networks perform memory, learning, and computation in both biological brains and computer systems.

Hebrew University President Professor Tamir Sapir praised Sompolinsky's exceptional scientific vision and the innovative tools he developed to integrate physics, neuroscience, and AI, noting that his work has fundamentally changed the understanding of both human and artificial intelligence. Sompolinsky shares the Dirac Medal with three other international researchers: Professor Deepak Dhar (India), Professor Bernard Derrida (France), and Professor Marc Mézard (Italy). The award ceremony will take place in 2027 at the ICTP headquarters in Trieste, Italy.

Born in Denmark, Sompolinsky is the son of the late Professor David Sompolinsky, who in 1943 helped save hundreds of Jews from the Nazis by ferrying them to safety in Sweden. Sompolinsky previously received a major international brain research prize in 2024, underscoring his global scientific impact.