In recent work, Dr. Ben-Yakar and colleagues showed that axons severed by lasers in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans can fuse and reestablish function. This work was highlighted as an "Editor's Choice" in Science magazine, which selects the most notable research findings from recent scientific publications. 

Dr. Ben-Yakar and colleague Dr. Jon Pierce-Shimomura were awarded the NIH Director's Transformative Research Award for the study of neurodegenerative diseases with the model organism C. elegans. The grants are awarded to scientists pursuing high-risk, high-reward projects that can lead to giant leaps forward in biomedical research.