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Dr. Yuval Eshdat Ph.D, joined NRS H&W, Israel, at its formation to serve as Chairman of Scientific Advisory and Policy Board. The retired Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (2007-12), serves as NRS’s expert in innovative agricultural research & development, biotechnology and bio-economy.

Dr. Eshdat graduated in Chemistry at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and received its Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Weizmann Institute of Science (1973). He served as research Associate at Yale University Medical School (1974-6) and as Senior Scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science (1976-1981). At the ARO-Volcani Center (1981-2013) he acted as Principal Scientist (protein chemistry and biotechnology), Head of the Department of Fruit-Tree breeding and Molecular Genetics (1990-1998), and Director of the Institute of Horticulture and Floriculture at the ARO (1998-2002). His scientific work expanded in both fields of agricultural biotechnology and bio-medicine, including international collaboration as senior scientist and visiting professor in several leading research centers.

In 2007, Dr. Eshdat was nominated as Israel’s Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, thus directing the public agricultural R&D system in Israel. He was also involved in mediating the worldwide activity of Israel international agricultural research and served in the governing boards of several European Research Area Networks (ERA-Nets), EU Joint program Initiative on agriculture, food security and climate change (FACCE-JPI), the USA-Israel bi-national fund for agricultural research (BARD), and was the national delegate and Member of SCAR (the EU Standing Committee for Agricultural Research) (2007-13).

Currently, Dr. Eshdat acts as consultant to BioHarvest Ltd., Rehovot, Israel and to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; and Expert, on behalf of Israel Governmental Innovation Authority, to the European Framework Program Committee for Horizon 2020 Societal Challenge 2 Bioeconomy [Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine and Maritime and Inland Water Research and the Bioeconomy, European Commission – DG Research & Innovation]. He also active as Emeritus Principal Scientist (“Research Professor”) at the Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Israel.