Faculty News

Last week (the week of November 15, 2020) international students from India, from both Bar-Ilan U campuses, Safed and Ramat Gan, celebrated the Diwali Festival together. This Hindi festival celebrates light while banishing darkness. It is customary to decorate with flowers and lights. The campus celebration was of course limited in scope, in keeping with the Coronavirus guidelines, but the light and bright atmosphere was felt, both literally and figuratively. Joyous music could be heard, and students joined in a fun Kahoot! game.

A representative from the Indian Embassy came to BIU to greet the students, and the Safed campus joined in via Zoom.

Students also received boxes of Indian candies, a gift from the Indian Embassy.

Each year, Clarivate™ identifies the world’s most influential researchers ─ the select few who have been most frequently cited by their peers over the last decade. In 2020, fewer than 6,200, or about 0.1%, of the world's researchers, in 21 research fields and across multiple fields, have earned this exclusive distinction.

Prof. Omry Koren of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine has been chosen now for the third consecutive year among this elite group recognized for his exceptional research influence, demonstrated by the production of multiple highly-cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year in the Web of Science™.

Special congratulations from Prof. Karl Skorecki the Dean: "This is terrific. A sustained record of citation means huge scientific impact of your research."

Congratulations to Prof. Arnon Blum (Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya)  upon the publication of his chapter (ch. 38) "Cardiac Cell-Based Therapy: Methods of Application and Delivery Systems" in Grossman and Baim's, Textbook of Interventional Cardiology, 9th edition

The Dean of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine and researcher Dr. Meital Gal-Tanamy were panelists at the live Reshet13 (TV) Health Conference, held on TV and the Web, on Thursday November 5, 2020 from 12-3 PM. The focus was, of course, Covid-19. The conference (in Hebrew) can be viewed here.

The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine Student Union commemorated Rabin Memorial Day on Thursday October 29, 2020, 11 Heshvan 5781. Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated 25 years ago, on November 4, 1995, at the end of a Saturday night rally in Tel Aviv. The theme of the rally was "Yes to Peace, No to Violence."

The day is an opportunity for deep introspection, and to discuss peace and tolerance with others.

At 10:00 a Zoom ceremony was held, attended by faculty as well as medical and MSc/PhD students. In addition, the Student Union uploaded various posts to its Facebook page.

The Student Union thanks all who joined and shared in this emotional day. Special thanks to Prof. Eric Shinwell, Associate Dean Medical Education, for his thoughtful words.

The Bar-Ilan University Central Library launched Azrieli Faculty member, Dr. Nomy Dickman's new book, Active Education for Future Doctors, in a well- attended evening Zoom meeting on October 13, 2020. This was the second in a series of University book launches.

The two hour event was hosted by Dr. Olga Goldin, director of the University Library System, and coordinated by Ms. Naomi Avrahami. 

Prof. Amnon Albeck, rector of the University, opened by quoting from the weekly Torah portion (Bereshit) that discusses "tohu vavohu," colloquial for lack of order or sense. He stated that in these times of Corona-generated tohu vavohu, education is the only stable constant; not one day of studies was missed. He ended on an optimistic note, pointing out that this Corona era gives us the opportunity to improve on education (with the help of Dickman and Schuster's book of course).

Prof. Karl Skorecki, dean of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, also quoted from Bereshit, mentioning the Tree of Knowledge – “etz hadaat tov v’rah.” Knowledge includes not only truth, but values (tov v’rah – good and bad). The Azrieli Faculty views this as an integral part of medical education. He also pointed out that although we are in a new era, even Abraham Flexner in 1910 appreciated the importance of active education in medical training.

Prof. Eric Shinwell, associate dean of medical education, thanked Dr. Dickman for her timely resource. He admits that resistance to change is natural, but that even a dry lecture can be turned into an active experience. He made sure to mention the introduction and success of the flipped classroom to the Azrieli curriculum.

Before Dr. Dickman and Prof. Schuster offered a few words, guest lecturers Prof. Nitza Davidovitch of the National Forum for the Advancement of Education and Teaching in Academia, Dr. Michael Kaffman of the Israeli Medical Association and Prof. Roza Leikin of the University of Haifa shared their insights and presented questions for future consideration.

Active Education for Future Doctors can be accessed here or purchased here.

The Human Microbiome in Early Life: Implications to Health and Disease presents recent research advances that have highlighted the significance of early life, possibly beginning before birth, in the establishment of both the microbiome and its role in health and disease. The book reviews current knowledge on the origins of the human microbiota in early life, presents exposures which may disturb normal microbial colonization, and covers their implications to the risk of disease. Finally, emerging means to modify the early human microbiome to improve health are discussed.

Congratulations to the 109 graduates who can now call themselves medical doctors. The ceremony, for the fourth graduating class of the four-year track and the fifth graduating class of the five-year track, was held via Zoom due to Corona restrictions. Some 200 viewers watched and listened to Prof. Karl Skorecki, Dean; Mr. Noam David Reshelbach, administrative head; Prof. Miri Faust, Rector; Mr. Shuki Ohana, Mayor of Safed; Ms. Nurit Naaman, a nurse and mother of one of the graduates; Ms. Sharon Mines, academic coordinator; and Dr. Itamar Zadok, a student, share their blessings. All took the oath together and were acknowledged by name.

Congratulations on the appointment of Associate Professor Elon Glassberg to the position of Chief Medical Officer (Surgeon General) of the IDF Medical Corps. Professor Glassberg is highly published and teaches surgery at the Faculty.

Search. Rescue. Build!

There was a lot of excitement and activity at the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine on Monday September 7, 2020. Having received the green light to purchase the land rights where an old Bezeq (Israeli telephone company) building was situated, a block from the current Azrieli campus, a creative idea surfaced, brainchild of the administrative head, Mr. Noam David Reshelbach: Optimize the opportunity for a search and rescue (SAR) drill, following the destruction of the current building, and before the erection of the new BIU edifice.

A week earlier, the Bezeq building was carefully demolished by contractors hired by BIU, while under the supervision of Mr. Gadi Buganim, head of the BIU Operations Division Construction Department. But before the 1200 square meter building sitting on a 2000 square meter lot was wrecked, human “dummies” with pre-defined injuries and medical histories were carefully placed throughout the site, in anticipation of the drill to take place. Come September 7, the Israeli National Search and Rescue Unit of the IDF Home Front Command, accompanied by BIU and Municipality of Safed representatives, Magen David Adom, the Israeli Police, the IDF Canine Unit, ZAKA, and some 100 reservists (who were deliberately only alerted of the drill that morning!), commenced with a search and rescue exercise that would continue for the next three days. Drills of this nature are essential for the unit, so the opportunity was warmly welcomed. The Faculty extended its hospitality by opening its doors to the IDF, allowing it to use the existing campus as its base.

A lot was learned at the drill, which was designed to simulate a rocket attack or earthquake with massive ensuing destruction on an old age home. The reservists (from all professions and walks of life) were granted a perfect opportunity to practice “real time” a new branch of emergency medicine, called Disaster Medicine, which focuses on the unique issues involved in search and rescue. All ages can be affected, and injuries on all major organs can ensue. Imagine these scenarios: how does one administer an IV in the dark, under dusty conditions, to a trapped victim? How does one quickly and safely amputate a destroyed limb under these conditions, if there is no other way to save someone trapped in a building about to collapse? What happens to the human body when a heavy object is lifted after days of being trapped (potassium and myoglobin can build up in the cells and suddenly cause fatal arrhythmia or kidney failure once blood flow is resumed, even on the way to safety, termed Crush Syndrome).

Prof. Dan Nemet, a professor of pediatrics at the Sackler School of Medicine and a specialist in pediatrics and sports medicine, who was Physician in Chief of the Israeli National Search and Rescue unit, and in charge of medical training for the drill added: “What is unique about this type of drill is that three factors must be considered at the same time: the medical situation, the physical structure or the engineering aspect, and the danger to the rescued and the team. It is called Urban Search and Rescue Medicine. Unfortunately, Israel has a lot of experience in this field, from the Tyre headquarters bombings in Tyre, Lebanon in the 1980s and then worldwide when we were called to action due to our expertise. Our unit is a member of the United Nations’ International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (UNSARAG). We also make use of search dogs, and need to know basic veterinary medicine – a specialty called K9 Medicine. We are very grateful to the Azrieli Faculty for thinking of this wonderful educational training opportunity and for offering us the opportunity to experience it and for setting up the realistic scene. This is very unfortunately so needed in today’s reality.”

It would appear that this is only the beginning of an exciting and budding relationship between the IDF Home Front Command and the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine. One of the suggestions following the successful drill was to together design and develop an international course in Disaster Medicine.

The new building, once built, will house the Azrieli Faculty’s Education Facility.

Pictured left to right: Shuki (Yehoshua) Ohana, Mayor of Safed; Lt. Gen. Liron, training officer of national rescue unit; Professor Karl Skorecki, Dean of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine; Mr. Zohar Yinon, BIU CEO; Lt. Gen. Uri, Commander of Rescue Platoon.

For more pictures, go here (credit to Or Kachlon).

See BIU spokesman office write-up about Dr. Sivan Spitzer-Shohat's excellent initiative, made possible thanks to the support of The Russell Berrie Foundation.

Congratulations to Prof. Jacob Bornstein, OB/GyN Department Head at the Galilee Medical Center in Naharia (GMC) on his appointment to Chief Editor of the journal Pelviperineology. This important journal, published in Italy since 1982, is associated with, among others, the International Society of PelviPerineology, Israeli Society of Urogynecology and Pelvic Floor, Associaciòn Latino Americana de Pìso Pelvico.

Covid-19 has caused most of us to make changes, and quickly. In the field of education - higher education included - the challenge is most pressing. Aware of this urgency to quickly yet effectively adapt the learning environment to the new online reality, Bar-Ilan University has formed a special task force dedicated to digital teaching and learning. This task force comprises approximately a dozen representatives from various BIU departments, and due to her many years of expertise, Dr. Nomy Dickman (Head of Unit, Evaluation and Advancement of Education) has been chosen to represent the Faculty of Medicine. The task force will be preparing a multi-year workplan for the advancement and development of digital learning which will be presented to the Council for Higher Education.

In the fight against COVID-19 no one can let their guard down. As part of the unique COVID-19 bio-social-health platform developed by the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine and generously supported by The Russell Berrie Foundation, the Azrieli Faculty partnered with the Galilee Society to create an education initiative in which medical students educate and reach out to the Arabic-speaking population in the Galilee.

The urgency of this project resulted from an observation that infection rates were going up, most especially in the elderly population, those with chronic illnesses, and special needs. In this public outreach campaign, first and second year medical students will be carrying out hundreds of home visits in over 10 Arab municipalities in the Galilee,coordinated with the local welfare departments.

Students underwent brief training by Dr. Muhamed Khatib of the Galilee Society on the challenges of the Arab communities in the Galilee during COVID-19.

Pictured are students preparing PR packages – over 5000 kits including written material on COVID-19 in the Arabic language, thermometers, and masks that they will distribute during the house calls. Some twenty students prepared the packages in August 2020.

For more information, contact the program directors.

Congratulation to Prof. Anthony Luder, Prof. Alex Lerner, and Dr. Inbar Ben Shachar of the Ziv Medical Center, an affiliate of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, on being chosen among the "Forbes" annual best doctors in Israel listing for 2020.