#  Galit Lahav 

Associate Professor of Systems Biology, Junior Faculty Liaison for Faculty Development, HMS

 

 

 



   ![Galit Lahav is holding up a magnifying glass on a stand.](/sites/g/files/omnuum11411/files/styles/hwp_4_5__480x600/public/2026-05/58.Galit-Lahav-Questions.jpg?h=16f098c7&itok=0-xmomkI) 

 



 





 

**What inspires or motivates you in your role at HMS/HSDM?**  
Many things inspire and motivate me in my work. I love solving difficult problems with highly intelligent creative people. I am inspired by my colleagues and trainees, each bringing a unique set of skills, looking at our work from a different perspective. I feel as I am constantly growing, learning from others and influencing others. I am also passionate to work on a pathway highly related to human cancer and knowing that the discoveries we make are fundamental for understanding this disease and for developing better

**In what ways do you feel you contribute to the Harvard community?**  
One of my most fulfilling roles in the last few years has been supporting and nurturing new faculty at Harvard. I have organized a series of workshops and courses on leadership techniques for junior faculty and founded meetings for Harvard junior faculty to discuss the challenges associated with running a lab in academia. I am now involved in organizing a series of formal events for Junior faculty, during which we discuss the various aspects of being a faculty at Harvard such as navigating publications, funding and the promotion process. I have recently received an Excellence in Mentoring Award for my contribution to mentorship at Harvard, which is one of the achievements I am most proud of.

**What is the significance of the object you brought with you to the photo shoot?**  
I love magnifying glasses. This was the first scientific tool I used as a little girl exploring nature. I have a collection of them at home, which my kids now use to look at bugs they find in our yard. To me, a magnifying glass also symbolizes that our discoveries highly depend on the way we look at biology; the specific tools and lenses we use for our studies. In my lab for example, we often ask old questions using new tools that allow higher spatial and temporal resolutions. This allows us to reveal new mysteries that have been hidden for many years,



 

 

 



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