Faculty News

The Azriel Faculty of Medicine of Bar-Ilan University held a multidisciplinary conference in the Esther & Haim Carasso Auditorium in honor of UNESCO’s World Bioethics Day. Organized in cooperation with the Zefat Academic College and the Ziv Medical Center, the conference’s topic was “New Eugenics and Genetic Editing.”

The conference, co-convened by Prof. Tamar Gidron of Zefat Academic College and Dr. Miriam Bentwich of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, commenced with a short introduction by Dr. Bentwich. In her opening remarks, Dr. Bentwich reflected on a similar conference held recently at Harvard University, and urged the participants to remember that at the end of the day, New Eugenics is not merely a theoretical topic, but rather a subject that has practical and moral ramification for human beings. The conference proceeded with greetings by the Dean, Prof. Karl Skorecki; Dr. Anan Abbasi, deputy director of Ziv Medical Center; Prof. Aharon Kellerman, president of the Zefat Academic College; and Prof. Tzipora Falik-Zaccai, vice dean of medical research at the Faculty. Special guest lecturer Prof. Amnon Carmi who chairs the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics at Haifa University's International Center for Health, Law and Ethics gave the closing remarks, emphasizing the theme of cultural diversity in general and specifically in the context of eugenics, while praising all presenters for raising so many important questions.

The conference presentations opened with world-renowned Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, a member of the ethics committee of the Israeli Ministry of Health, raising a wide range of questions while quoting universally relevant Judaic sources. He offered the following guidelines: take small steps, consult with specialists in a broad range of disciplines, and be open for changing views in the future.

The first session was moderated by Prof. Falik-Zaccai. A short historical explanation of “old” as opposed to “new” eugenics was presented, stressing that at the heart of the difference is the decision maker – eliminating the “feeble minded” of the turn of the 20^th century and Nazi Germany was a governmental decision; attempting to prevent horrific birth defects today is an individual decision.

Recurring themes throughout the day revolved around who decides when to intervene, and how, and how is prevention different than healing, on the private as well as public mass level. The UNESCO theme of accepting and embracing diversity, also hovered throughout – is a disability-free society in our best interests, and what is more important, individual rights (e.g. to choose the sex of a baby) or the public good?

Genetic testing played a major role in the sessions. Should health funds cover the costs? Should parents even be offered the option, considering the limitations? How much should be divulged, and how? Are parents even capable of being sufficiently informed of the findings? Is a gene indicating increased risk of disease considered the same as being born with a full-blown disease – and what if the disease is late-onset in adulthood? What happens when we find something we weren’t looking for? Will an adult be able to sue the doctor who did not inform his/her parent while pregnant that there may be an increased risk for disease, claiming he/she should have never been born in the first place?

As Israel is known for its strong support for fertility treatments, the theme of “over-medicalization of pregnancy” was especially relevant. One of the presenters went so far as to suggest that babies undergo quality assurance (QA) even before they leave the factory! The dangers of stress from potential “toxic knowledge” were detailed, for the parents and ultimately the child.

The second session, moderated by Prof. Tamar Gidron of Zefat Academic College’s law school, brought doctors and lawyers together on the same podium – not always seeing eye to eye. Legal issues of innovative genetic testing measures were discussed, as was the financial incentive for large companies. For example, who prepares consent forms? Are they even necessary for all tests? Do the lawmakers understand the technologies well enough? In addition, Dr. Bentwich presented a philosophical argumentation emphasizing the idea that state-of-the-art genetic editing complicates and further stresses the need to cope with this new technology as part of the New Eugenics moral challenge.

All would agree that the future is here: we are experiencing science fiction…only it is no longer fiction! A scary thought was presented – Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Hawkin, and Robin Williams suffered from dyslexia, Marfan syndrome, ALS, and depression respectively. If society succeeds in perfecting genetic testing, we may reach a day when they would not have been born at all. Food for thought.

The conference schedule (in Hebrew) can be seen here https://medicine.biu.ac.il/en/node/2734. For more information, feel free to contact the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine at Bar-Ilan University.

Pictured from left to right Dr. Miriam Bentwich, Dr. Anan Abassi, Prof. Tamar Gidron, Prof. Karl Skorecki, Prof. Aharon Kellerman and Prof. Amnon Carmi

On Thursday December 5, 2019 Prof. Weinberg delivered a special faculty seminar entitled Mechanisms of Malignant Progression. He emphasized the “epigenetic” contribution to cancer pathogenesis and progression for which genomic analysis of cancer alone is not sufficient.

Prof. Weinberg is widely considered one of the world's leading cancer researchers. He discovered the first oncogene and the first tumor suppressor gene. During his visit he met with Faculty investigators, toured the labs and offices, and offered very kind words about the Faculty. 

At the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine of Bar-Ilan University's Third Annual Conference for Autism, the diverse background of participants was as well rounded as the topics covered.  Parents, therapists, academics, and students from as far south as Beersheva traveled to the Faculty's home in the Galilee city of Safed to learn about the latest developments in autism research and treatment. Particular focus was placed on the experience of parents and other family members when faced with a child diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Dr. Julia Carmel and Dr. Evan Elliott, the organizers of the conference that was made possible thanks to the support of Teva, the Ziv Medical Center, and AIMS-2-TRIALS, ensured that a wide variety of voices was heard. Common themes centered around the role of the family, early diagnosis and creative intervention. Dr. Elliott opened the first session and Dr. Yael Marantz of Teva added that she hopes to “strengthen the connection with the community…as there needs to be a strong connection between the parents and the researchers…ASD is part of the family.” Dr. Yael Gal, a developmental psychologist from the Golan pointed out that finding support systems in the North for siblings of those with ASD is difficult but said that many siblings actually become therapists themselves. The conference aimed to increase awareness, share ideas, and connect the participants from all over the country.

Indeed, several presenters, especially Tal Sadeh-Kon and Dr. Ronit Argaman, mentioned how excited they were to come speak in the North, as the bulk of their professional work takes place in the center of the country. Dr. Argaman very elegantly discussed a topic not often broached – sexuality and special needs. Ms. Sadeh-Kon, a nutritionist, raised interesting points about nutritional and eating issues commonly found among special needs and ASD children, as well as challenges with which most parents and families can identify. On a lighter note, Ilan Fromkin and Dr. Carmel demonstrated hands-on how helpful dogs can be when it comes to helping the autistic child, as well as family. Participants were offered the opportunity to train Louie the dog on stage!

Prof. Karl Skorecki, Dean of the Faculty, opened the second day stressing that “interdisciplinary work is crucial in this field, it’s the only way to develop – and we see this here.” He shared his interpretation of the book of Jonah, pointing out that some of the prophet’s behaviors may have seemed inappropriate, but the outcome of the story shows the importance of seeing the entire individual, the soul and not just the actions. Prof. Ditza Zachor, a well-known leader in the field and prolific researcher as well as physician, shared many relevant and practical research findings with participants. She noted that she holds professionals in the North of Israel with the highest regards and sees conferences such as this one as crucial for increasing awareness and cooperation.

Caroline Barmatz, Director of Hydrotherapy at Sheba Medical Center, showed videos of how successful water therapy can beand pointed out that there are dozens of hydrotherapy pools all over the country. “Israel is in fact a leader in hydrotherapy,” she said.

Research on probable predictors and causes of ASD was highlighted by Prof. Yoram Bonneh and Dr. Niva Shefer-Kaufman (as well as other presenters) in a manner understandable to the entire audience. Capping off two days filled with valuable information, Dr. Shefer-Kaufman shared her personal journey, as mother to a boy with severe autism. Her son was ultimately able to share his thoughts – very deep and insightful indeed – with the assistance of a keyboard. Her research and personal experience shed light and share hope for the families of autistic children struggling with communication. She shared videos of her family’s personal success story, inspirational to all.

On exhibit was artwork by two autistic youth; professional books as well as relevant educational materials and games were displayed for on-site purchase.

For more information, see facebook.com/asdnet.il.

The president of BIU, Prof. Arie Zaban, invited several most-cited researchers, including the Faculty's Dr. Omry Koren (back row, fourth from left), to a celebratory toast in his office. Also pictured from BIU are the dean of the faculty, deputy president, VP research, rector, general manager, and others.

Summer 2019 conferment of degrees at the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine.

Meet our Faculty: Dr. Michael Blank

Dr. Meital Gal-Tanamy: Infectious Enthusiasm

Conference in Translational Research at the Faculty, February 2013