Prof. Michael Edelstein Appointed Full Professor

Prof. Michael Edelstein is a world-renowned expert in public health and infectious disease epidemiology. He began his academic career studying medicine at the University of Birmingham, UK, graduating in 2006. He later earned a master's degree in public health from LSHTM in London and completed a specialty in infectious disease epidemiology at the ECDC in Stockholm, Sweden.

From 2016 to 2020, he was one of the leading physicians of the UK's national vaccination program, combining operational research to optimize and make vaccines accessible to all populations. Upon his Aliyah to Israel in 2020, he joined the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee.

To date, Prof. Edelstein has published over 100 academic papers and integrates research and policy in his work. He collaborates with health ministries in Israel and worldwide to promote vaccination programs and address public health challenges during an age of misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he and his team were among the first to demonstrate the protective effect of hybrid immunity and the benefits of vaccines against long-term COVID-19 symptoms. His COVID-19 research focuses on the pandemic's impact on the economy, child health and allergies, and crisis management in Israel’s healthcare system.

Prof. Edelstein's research also focuses on promoting vaccinations and reducing vaccination inequality, employing innovative health data, including qualitative methods. As an example, he uses models that integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict the spread of infectious diseases.