It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Professor Ester Fride, the founder of the Ariel University Center of Samaria's Behavioral Biology Laboratory. Professor Fride was a distinguished researcher of Psychobiology. Born in the Netherlands in 1953, Professor Fride moved to Israel in 1972 and studied Psychology and Biology at the Hebrew University. Professor Fride completed her MSc. studies in neurobiology (cum laude), and her doctoral studies in Neurobiology, at the Hebrew University School of Medicine (1983 - 1986). Advised by Prof. Marta Weinstock (Rosin), the title of Prof. Fride's thesis was "Effects of prenatal noise and light stress on behavioral and neurochemical functions in the developing and adult rat". During the years 1986 - 1990, Professor Fride was a doctoral and post-doctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Maryland. Ester returned to Israel to join Prof. Rafael Meshulam's research group, the Natural Products Department of the Hebrew University. She was also a Visiting Professor for the Department of Psychology, at Hebrew University.

Ester moved to Efrat ("Gush-Etzyon") in 1992, where her son, Nati, and daughter, Elisheva were born. Later, in 1999, she moved to Elkana. Ester joined the Academic College of Judea and Samaria, (later "Ariel University Center"), where she established the Behavioral Biology Laboratory. The death of her younger brother motivated her to study analgesic substances extracted from natural plants (Boswellia, Cannabis). One major research interest of Prof. Fride was the physiological and pharmacological aspects of newborns' development and the relation to "Failure to Thrive" syndrome (suckling failure). Professor Fride was appreciated worldwide and highly praised. She published dozens of papers in leading scientific journals, wrote books and edited important scientific journals. In addition to her scientific efforts, Ester invested much time and effort in teaching and education, which also reflected her patriotic Zionist spirit. Ester was known as modest, gentle and dedicated, with a noble spirit. She was beloved by all, colleagues, students and all staff members.

Her death is a big loss for all.

We shall miss her dearly. May her soul rest in peace.

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