Dr. Hanski received his Ph.D. in 1979 in biochemistry from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is currently a professor in the Department of Clinical Microbiology at the Institute of Microbiology, The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School. In 2003, he received a Sarov award for excellent achievements in medical microbiology and, in 1997, was made an honorary fellow of the Israeli Ministry of Science.

Emanuel Hanski is studying invasive strains of group A streptococcus, bacteria that causes necrotizing fasciitis, also known as the flesh-eating disease. He is focusing on the identification of factors related to bacterial virulence and their mode of regulation. Identification of these factors and learning how virulence is regulated may lead to better prevention and treatment of this life-threatening disease in humans.