Dr.Varda Lev-Ram

I believe that Science is Art and that there is a flawless meld between the scientific and artistic mind.
I was born in Israel and did my Ph.D. at the Wiezmann Institute of Science in Israel. Now I am an associate scientist at the department of Pharmacology at UCSD. My main interest is learning and memory in the cerebellum.

The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon) taught us, more then 800 years ago, “Healthy soul within a healthy body” and I try to follow it by practicing Martial arts to nourish both my soul and body. As I am approaching my Dan testing I feel the increase in my physical fitness and mental ability to focus longer and deeper.
During my whole life I have tried to project my creative need through different media, from ceramic to silversmith, but they all demanded a well-equipped studio. About 10 years ago I discovered the perfect media for me, Polymer Clay. It turned out to be the media that is versatile and flexible enough to allow me to express my creativity in the sporadic time slots that a career mother can spare. It all started when I discovered Dr. Z. Kripke’s beautiful pieces at the Grove Crafts Center and there after I started to learn how to manipulate the colorful clay to express ideas that suckled from microscopic natural images and shapes. My work is featured in several Polymer Clay books, calendars, magazines, at a Gallery in Old Town, as well as at the San Diego county fair in Del Mar.

I am a member of the San Diego Polymer Clay Guild, which is a group of wonderful, warm, nonjudgmental, and supportive people. I teach friends and family new techniques in Polymer clay whenever there is enthusiasm and eagerness to learn.