Dr. Keren Agay-Shay Appointed Associate Professor

Prof. Keren Agay-Shay is a leading researcher at the Faculty of Medicine, specializing in environmental epidemiology with a focus on the relationship between health and the environment.

She holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a PhD from the School of Public Health at the University of Haifa, where she studied congenital anomalies and air pollution in Israel. Her postdoctoral work was conducted in Barcelona at the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) at the ISGlobal Institute and later in Israel as part of the "Mimshak" program at Tel Aviv University and the Ministry of Health.

Prof. Agay-Shay’s interdisciplinary research primarily explores the health impacts of harmful environmental conditions such as air pollution and extreme temperature events, as well as the benefits of conditions like green spaces and vertical greenery systems. Additionally, she investigates temporal and spatial patterns of disease, enabling the identification of environmental hazards and hotspots of health inequality.

In groundbreaking research funded by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF), she revealed a link between exposure to extreme temperatures during pregnancy and an increased risk of low birth weight in newborns, highlighting the health implications of climate change in Israel and globally. Another study explored the connection between green residential environments early in pregnancy and chronic cortisol levels, finding evidence of positive effects on women's health.

In a large-scale study involving around one million residents, Prof. Agay-Shay identified an association between living in greener areas in Tel Aviv and a lower risk of cancer, as well as elevated morbidity rates in the Haifa Bay area that could not be attributed solely to socio-demographic factors. This research provides critical insights for environmental and public health policy.
Prof. Agay-Shay’s prolific career includes the publication of dozens of studies and academic articles. She serves as a model for academic engagement that bridges the gap between scholarly work and practical impact, ensuring her research is deeply connected to real-world challenges.