Faculty & Research

Assoc. Prof. Zaid Abassi
Prof. Ofer Binah
Prof. Lior Gepstein
Assist. Prof. Noam Kaplan
Assist. Prof. Izhak Kehat
Prof. Shimon Marom
Assist. Prof. Yoni Savir

Prof. (emeritus) Ido Perlman
Prof. (emeritus) Joseph Winaver

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The Vascular Biology Laboratory of Associate Professor Zaid Abassi. Mechanisms of sodium/water retention and cardiac hypertrophy in congestive heart failure. Involvement of the endothelin and nitric oxide systems in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Pathogenesis of proteinuria in experimental models of nephrotic syndrome: Novel therapeutic approaches. Adverse renal effects of pneumoperitoneum: Mechanisms and therapeutic approaches. Acute kidney injury-Pathogenesis, detection and therapy.


The Cardiac Research Laboratory of Professor Ofer Binah. Investigating the molecular and cellular derangements in iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes generated from patients with inherited cardiac pathologies such as Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT), LQTS, and a variety of cardiomyopathies, including dystrophic cardiomyopathies. Main activities include: (1) Reprogramming human hair keratinocytes and dermal fibroblast to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC); (2) Generating iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CM) from patients with varies inherited cardiac pathologies; (3) Investigating the molecular, cellular and functional changes in the mutated cardiomyocytes.


The Cardiac Electrophysiology and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory of Professor Lior Gepstein. Identification of Human Embryonic-Derived Cardiac Progenitor Cells – Implications for Myocardial Repair. The research performed in the Gepstein laboratory lies in the emerging fields of cardiovascular regenerative medicine. Specifically, the research focuses on the potential use of human pluripotent stem cells (such as human embryonic stem cells, hESC) for myocardial regeneration (for the treatment of post-myocardial infarction heart failure), and on utilizing genetically-engineered cell grafts to modify the myocardial electrophysiological properties (for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias). Specific research programs that involve hESC include: Studying the mechanisms that are involved in early human cardiac-lineage commitment and differentiation, and the potential presence of a differentiation hierarchy during this process. Studying the mechanisms that underlie the development of excitability and calcium handling in human cardiac tissue. Using the hESC cardiomyocyte differentiation system as a platform for functional genomics, pathophysiological modeling, and drug testing. Developing molecular, cell-based, and tissue engineering approaches to utilize hESC-derived cardiomyocytes for future myocardial repair strategies.


The Genome Structure and Function Laboratory of Assist. Professor Noam Kaplan.

The Genome Structure and Function Laboratory of Assistant Professor Noam Kaplan studies the profound connection between genetic information and its physical organization. We use a combination of advanced computational and experimental methods to decipher how the genome encodes its 3D organization and how this mediates biological function across different biological systems and in disease.


The Cardiovascular System Molecular Research Laboratory of Assistant Professor Izhak Kehat. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a worldwide epidemic. It is estimated, for example, that in Europe around 10 million people are suffering from this disease. Despite some progress in medical treatment within the last 10 years, morbidity and mortality of CHF are still high: 70-80% of patients suffering from heart failure will die within the next 8 years. This lab studies the molecular mechanisms responsible for cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling during heart failure. Specifically the group focuses on the molecular signals, genome organization and the epigenetic modifications that control gene expression in the heart and on the mechanisms that differentially control concentric and eccentric cardiac growth in order to suggest targets for treating heart failure. The lab is also interested in heat valve disease and valve calcifications and in ways to inhibit this devastating process. This group uses advanced molecular biology, physiology, genomics, cell culture techniques and gene modified mice to address these questions.


Excitable Systems Laboratory of Professor Shimon Marom. Biophysical and functional aspects of excitability in point and extended systems.


Biophysics & Systems Biology Laboratory of Assist. Professor Yoni Savir focuses on machineries by which cells sense their environment and accordingly regulate their growth and metabolism; the impacts of age on signal processing networks in cells; information processing in biological systems.


Emeriti

The Visual System Research Laboratory of Professor Ido Perlman. The research in the laboratory deals with visual information processing in the healthy and diseased retina and in the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying retinal diseases. Perlman study the effects of neuromodulators e.g. nitric oxide and dopamine on light- and dark-adaptation and on the receptive field properties of ganglion cells. The group study the molecular response of the retina to stressful episodes such as light exposure, hyperglycemia, high intra-ocular pressure, retinal detachment. Perlman investigates stress-induced protein expression and the role of these proteins in retinal degeneration.


The Kidney Research Laboratory of Professor Joseph Winaver. Studying regulation of renal blood flow by hormonal and paracrine systems, and mechanisms of salt and water retention by the kidney in experimental congestive heart failure.


Adjuncts

— Under Cinstruction —