Faculty News

Warmest congratulations are extended to recipients of this year's Rector’s Prize for Outstanding Students.

• Hanan Zbedat, of Prof. Itay Onn's lab (to the right)
• Lynn Khoon of Dr. Ron Piran's lab (to the left)

A ceremony was held at the BIU Ramat Gan campus on June 24, 2024.

The 24th Nahariya Conference on Medicine and the Holocaust, in memory of Prof. Shaul Shasha, took place on June 5, 2024 at the Galilee Medical Center. The yearly conference is a joint collaboration between the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, the Ghetto Fighters' House Museum, and the Western Galilee College.

This year's conference focused on three areas:

• The Nahariya Conference on Medicine and the Holocaust
• Teachers' Course on Medicine and Holocaust Education
• Conference to mark the launch of the Task Force Report on Medicine, Nazism, and the Holocaust

Dr. Hadas Shasha Lavsky, of the organizers, adds: "For the three days of this conference, the BIU Faculty of Medicine stood out in leadership. The Galilee is where the conferences on medicine and the Holocaust began, from where the Galilee Declaration came out in 2017 calling for the teaching of medicine and the Holocaust in all medical faculties in the world, and where there have been four partners on the subject for many years - the Galilee Medical Center, the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Western Galilee College, and the Ghetto Fighters' House Museum. We wish to continue to lead this field in Israel, to attract researchers and lecturers working in the field and to be a role model for the other faculties. The establishment of a research center on medicine and the Holocaust within an ethics research center constitutes another layer of activity in the field in our faculty.

"I would like to thank Prof. Orly Avni, Dean of the Faculty, for her active participation. Generally, deans come to conferences to deliver a greeting at the beginning of the conference and to express their participation in the first minutes of the conference. Dean Avni did not do that; Prof. Avni was available for two full days and was actively present at the conferences when she chaired a session at the Medicine and Holocaust conference in Nahariya and participated in the panel at the conference launching the report at the Western Galilee College. This active presence contributed greatly to the conference, both in terms of content and in expressing support and commitment to the assimilation of medical and Holocaust studies in the Faculty of Medicine. "

Specific details can be seen on the Hebrew site.

Following our previous article on the FLIP initiative, Dr. Ferass Abu Hanna, a pediatrician specializing in pediatric gastroenterology, and director of FLIP (French Hospital Leadership and Innovation Program) program, has updated us that the final meeting of this cohort of FLIP - a training program for entrepreneurship and innovation -  took place last week. The French Hospital in Nazareth is an Azrieli Faculty of Medicine affiliate.

Present at the closing session were the Dean, Prof. Orly Avni, as well as Prof. Nael Elias, director of the French hospital, and Dr. Ferass Abu Hanna.

This exclusive program was developed to encourage medical teams from different disciplines to engage in medical innovations by providing theoretical training and practical tools that can be used by any entrepreneur who would like to choose this route. The training is delivered by SIT, an international company for training and building training programs for entrepreneurship.

The program is made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Innovation Authority and is carried out in cooperation with Northmed, Takwin VC, and the AlphaOmega company.

Students from the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine are encouraged to apply for the next program cohort.

Azrieli Faculty of Medicine MSc graduate degree in Medical Sciences graduation ceremony was held on May 29, 2024 at the Safed campus.

Congratulations, and the best of success in the future, to:

• נורה אבו רומי, בהצטיינות.  בהנחיית: דר' רון פירן
• מנאר אלחטיב, בהצטיינות. בהנחיית: פרופ' מיטל גל תנעמי
• הננא שעלאן דעבוס, בהצטיינות. בהנחיית פרופ' אבי פרץ
• רים סכס, בהצטיינות. בהנחיית פרופ' ז'אן סוסטיאל 
• סאוסן אבו גאלי. בהנחיית דר' יעקב ממן
• מאיה ברכאת. בהנחיית פרופ' משה דסאו
• איה עואד. בהנחיית דר' שי בל
• סוהא זגאירי. בהנחיית פרופ' עמרי קורן
• אראם שעבאן. בהנחיית פרופ' מיכאל בלנק
• ראניה ספא. בהנחיית דר' רונית אילוז
• עליסה כהן. בהנחיית פרופ' עמרי קורן
• תינה חון. בהנחיית פרופ' עמרי קורן ודר' איילת שי
• פתאן הבראת זועבי. בהנחיית דר' ניר קוויט
• הלנה שומאף. בהנחיית דר' ניר קוויט

A few pictures can be seen here.

The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine was honored to host delegates from American, Canadian, and British Friends of Bar-Ilan University. Accompanied by Alona Gringauz, Director North America and UK Desks, BIU Global Resource Development, the group met with the Dean, Prof. Orly Avni; Prof. Omry Koren, a well-known microbiome scholar; Prof. Itay Onn, who invited the group to see the Scientific Equipment Center; Prof. Naim Shehadeh, Director, The Russell Berrie Galilee Diabetes SPHERE;medical students; and experienced the Anatomage Virtual Anatomy Teaching Table.

The visit to Safed, which took place on May 28, 2024, just before the opening of the annual BIU Board of Trustees meetings, included:

• Steven Rosenberg, Board member, AFBIU
• Jessica Feldan, CEO, AFBIU
• Beth Gorin, Director, Northeast Region, AFBIU
• Randy Spiegel, CEO, Canadian Friends of BIU
• Max Dunbar, CEO, BFBIU

Randy Spiegel, CEO CFBIU, shared his warm thoughts with us: "The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine is a jewel that sparkles in the North. Every student researcher, teacher, and staffer exudes a passionate belief in the future that is contagious. I am proud that Naomi Azrieli and the foundation partnered with the State of Israel to breathe new life into the North and to know that the next generation of doctors will be building community through their work."

We look forward to seeing you again, soon!

Congratulations again to Dr. Shai Bel, upon receipt of the Rector's Prize for Scientific Innovation (the prize was awarded to 12 researchers for their groundbreaking research in the fields of science, society and culture) - for the discovery of the control system that controls the amount of mucus secreted in the intestine. The digestive system is exposed to bacteria and viruses from the environment and food. In order to protect against the intrusion of pests, the body secretes mucus which acts as a buffer between the body's tissues and the outside world, which allows the passage of substances (oxygen and food), but not the passage of harmful factors. Too little secretion of mucus exposes the body to infections, and too much secretion causes diseases, such as asthma. In his research, Dr. Bel discovered how to control this system in a targeted way that protects against intestinal diseases. Manipulation of this system can lead to a cure for inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's and Colitis) and respiratory diseases.

A ceremony took place at the Bar-Ilan Ramat Gan campus on May 20, 2024.

A short video describing Dr. Bel's exciting research can be viewed here.

Tomorrow is Yom Hazikaron but the Student Union ceremony took place today. In addition to speakers, a song in memory of a victim of October 7, Haim Benaim, was performed.

The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine Student Union commemorated Yom HaShoah (Yom HaZikaron laShoah ve-laG'vurah) on May 6, 2024.

After convening in the Carasso Auditorium, MD students Raz Croitoru and Elizabeth Shohat, moderated the gathering.

Elizabeth: "As part of my responsibilities leading the student union, I was called upon to plan the Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony this year.... This year the topic is particularly sensitive and raises more challenging feelings than in the past. I had a very hard time finding an appropriate topic, and I turned to Dr. Hadas Shasha-Lavsky who suggested we discuss rebirth. I immediately accepted this idea.... I was looking for a small ray of light in all the darkness that has surrounded us  recently. I  also realized that this is the message that I want to convey in the ceremony, a message of hope, of the ability to stand up and choose life. While reading up about Holocaust survivors in general, and the role of doctors in the process of revival and rehabilitation in particular, I discovered a world of real heroes. The doctors who themselves were survivors and suffered serious emotional and physical injuries, found within themselves the strength to help others. Many came to Israel and  were instrumental in establishing the medical system in Israel. Along with the horrors of the Holocaust, hope arose in my heart for a better future. I believe that we have the opportunity and the power to heal and to restore ourselves and those around us."

During the presentation, the audience had the opportunity to learn about the doctors Dr. Leopold Kohlberg, partisan doctors who immigrated to Israel after the war (at the end of 1952 the surviving doctors were about a third of Israel's doctors), Dr. Noah Kaplinsky, Prof. Moshe Prives, Dr. Mordechai Lansky, Dr. Viola and Gabriel Torek. There were also musical interludes.

After the reading of the Yizkor for Doctors by Dr. Mark Dvorzhecki, a candle was lit in memory of the doctors who perished in the Holocaust, and in memory of the doctors who were part of the process of restoration, revival and the establishment of the State of Israel.

A modest Faculty toast was held in honor of the Passover holiday. The Dean Prof. Orly Avni, Administrative Head Noam David Reshelbach, and MD/PhD student Ateret Gordon (Dr. Shai Bel's lab) offered a few words.

The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine would like to wish Prof. Erez Onn continued, meaningful activity upon his retirement from the management of Tzafon Medical Center.

At an evening held last night in his honor at Beit Gabriel on the Kinneret, participants included high ranking delegates from the Ministry of Health, hospitals including of course Tzafon Medical Center, and the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine. The Dean Prof. Orly Avni, Prof. Imad Abu Al Naaj, and Prof. Avi Peretz thanked Prof. Onn for his tremendous contribution to the development of health services Health in the North, for the promotion of the clinical and research faculty, and its commitment to medical education. All the congratulators highly praised Prof. Onn's modest but groundbreaking leadership. Prof. Avni also expressed hope for continued management involvement with the Faculty.

"Diabetes is not a destiny, it is possible to reduce the rate of patients," emphasized Minister of Health Uriel Menachem Buso during his inaugural visit to the Russell Berrie Galilee Diabetes SPHERE.

March 28, 2024 marked a pivotal moment as Safed Mayor Yossi Kakon, alongside a delegation from the Ministry of Health led by Health Minister Uriel Menachem Buso, visited SPHERE headquarters in Safed. The delegation included Prof. Emad Habous, Advisor to the Minister for the Arab Society, Dr. Maya Butara, Ministry of Health’s North District physician, Shani Barzilai, Head of nutrition Ministry of Health's Northern District and Dr. Nour Abdelhadi, Head of the implementation of government resolution 550 for the Arab Society, Ministry of Health.

This significant gathering also welcomed key figures from the healthcare and emergency services the region, including Prof. Salman Zarka, Director of Ziv Medical Center in Safed, Elhanan Cohen, Commander of the Eshkol Safed MDA station, Oren Avitan, Director of the Jordan region of MDA, Nachi Klein, Chairman of United Hatzalah Galilee branch, and Zvika Labell, Chairperson of Hatzalah in the Galilee.

The visit and discussions with SPHERE Directors, Prof. Naim Shehadeh, Dr. Sivan Spitzer, and Martin Duifhuizen, highlighted the ongoing collaboration between SPHERE and the Ministry of Health, in improving health for 20 municipalities in the Galilee.

Minister Buso expressed his admiration for the SPHERE initiative and urged its expansion nationwide. "I call on all heads of local authorities to establish health units and to adopt the SPHERE model beyond the Galilee," he stated. " Diabetes is not a destiny; it is in our hands, and we can reduce the number of patients who suffer from this disease."

While health systems and government often work in silos, SPHERE stands out as a model of collaboration creating a unique ecosystem that includes partnerships with local authorities, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and HMOs, allowing to comprehensively understand population health.

Prof. Naim Shehadeh: "I describe SPHERE's efforts as that of a conductor leading an orchestra, harmonizing all the individual musicians who previously played disjointedly. SPHERE adds significant resources and synchronizes all activities with the aim of closing gaps and improving clinical indicators in the Galilee. With the support of the Minister of Health we will be able to expand SPHERE to the rest of the country."

Dr. Sivan Spitzer adds that "reducing health disparities requires an innovative conceptual model that SPHERE developed and implements. The commitment of the Minister of Health and Ministry officials to reduce gaps and deepen the unique collaboration with SPHERE will help improve health in the social and geographic periphery. We are also proud of our partnership with the municipality of Safed, the city where SPHERE and the Faculty of Medicine of Bar-Ilan University are located. We will continue to work together with Safed municipality to improve the health and well-being of the city's residents.”

The White Coat Ceremony for 29 students in the 13th cohort of the three-year MD track was held at the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, on March 20, 2024.

The ceremony marks the transition from pre-clinical studies in the classroom, to clinical studies in the hospitals, by the patient's bedside.

The host of the evening, Sharon Mines, Administrative Deputy to the Associate Dean of Medical Education, greeted the crowd, and invited senior faculty to speak, after a short promotional video was projected:

• Prof. Orly Avni, Dean of the Faculty
• Students Zina Hek and Lihi Levy (gave a Davar Torah)
• Prof. Moshe Dessau, Vice Dean Pre-Clinical Education

After an acoustic musical duet by Yaniv Lifshitz and Naomi Meiri Israeli who performed the song "Will Always Wait for You" (lyrics and music by Leah Shabbat), the White Coat Ceremony began, led by the Dean, Associate Dean Prof. Daniel Glikman, Vice Dean Prof. Moshe Dessau, and course coordinators Dr. Limor Meoded Danon, Dr. Younes Bathish, Dr. Anat Eini, and Bat-El Menachem the student coordinator.

At this point, with everyone back in their seats, Sharon continued: "On this occasion, we would like to honor our students who supported the national war effort in significant reserve service. Some of you while studying and one of you who was injured in combat. We would like to say thank you and good luck in your further studies - we are here with you all the way." Names were read and Liav Yakoti, who was wounded in the war, was given Mishloah Manot in honor of the approaching holiday of Purim, and a book as a token of appreciation from the Bar-Ilan University family.

For another musical performance, Yaniv and Naomi took to the stage and performed the song "A Good Word" (lyrics by Yaakov Gilad and music by Yehudit Ravitz), then Tal Permin and Tomer Wright spoke on behalf of the class.

And finally, thanks to the "Yakir" course coordinators, the "Hila" course coordinator, and the instructors. Thanks also to the organizers of the ceremony, to the student secretariat, to the events coordinator Hadas Oren, to the head of computing Dan Hinenzon and his team, to the head of operations and logistics Yehiel Dahan and his team. Thanks to the student who helped with the organization of the ceremony - Noa Biton.

A few pictures can be seen here.

The first of nine planned multi-disciplinary Research Centers was inaugurated at the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine on March 19, 2024 – The Center for Women's Health.

Over 60 doctors, researchers, industry scientists, and students interested in women's health research gathered. The participants represent hospitals, community clinics, the Faculty and industry. The day opened with words from the Dean, Prof. Orly Avni, as well as Associate Deans Prof. Meital Gal-Tanamy (academic research), Prof. Ido Birati (clinical research) and Prof. Lior Lowenstein (medical education). Afterwards, the "Research ID" segment commenced wherein doctors, researchers and students came to the podium to present in brief their areas of interest and research. Lunch was held next, an opportunity for productive networking. The keynote speech was then given by Sharon Handelman-Gotlib, one of the leaders in the field of fem-tech in Israel and the CEO of a start-up "Shela" that focuses on women's health. Sharon introduced the new field called femtech and talked about the problems and shortcomings and how some of them can be solved. Wrapping up the day, the participants were presented with a research grant program, donation from the Altman company and the Dover company, who sponsored the event.

Some pictures can be seen here.

A ceremony was held yesterday at the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, awarding the Dr. Geza Kellerman (Freemasonry) scholarships to ten medical students. The exciting meeting took place in the presence of the president Nasr George Assi as well as members Shimshon Ben Zvi, Benjamin Joseph, and Doron Keren. It was decided this year to award the scholarships to students who recently served as reservists.

Also pictured above, Prof. Orly Avni, Dean; Prof. Meital Gal-Tanamy, Associate Dean Research; and Noam David Reshelbach, Administrative Head of Faculty.
 

Orly Weisberg, a student in Prof. Evan Elliott's neurobiology laboratory, won second place in the BioMix2023 competition on March 17, 2024. Some 30 ideas were presented by students from all Israeli universities.

Orly is a participant in a Teva company program called ForumTeva BioInnovations. The program trains students in academia to prepare for the world of industry. As part of the program, participants are exposed to senior personalities in academia and industry, participate in workshops and training sessions, and learn how to develop an idea that originated in academia and translate it for industry. As part of the program the students were requested to take an academic idea then develop it into a medical startup. All ideas competed in the Teva BioMix2023 competition.

Orly has named her company HostDiffender. It is a groundbreaking idea that is based on her master's thesis and has been processed so that it can reach the clinic - a unique development designed to prevent toxicity in bone marrow transplants.

A bone marrow transplant is the main treatment for leukemia patients, but in many cases (40-60%) the patients develop a new disease called GvHD following the transplant. Everyone recognizes the risk of transplant rejection, but in a bone marrow transplant, cells of the immune system are transplanted and when they recognize the body's cells as foreign they can attack them and produce a disease called GvHD Graft versus Host Disease. About 30% of mortality after bone marrow transplants is due to complications of GvHD.

HostDiffender is an idea that is based on CAR-T technology and enables the selective removal of alloreactive T cells (which cause GvHD) from the transplant before transplantation and to produce a safe transplant.

In her research, Orly combines immunology with neurology and focuses on neurological and immunological aspects of autism.