Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Biography

Higher Education

1978    B.Sc.    Biology, Hebrew University
1983    M.Sc.    Endocrinology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
1984    D.Sc.    Pharmacology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology

Post-Doctoral Studies

1988 Post-Doc    Pharmacology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology

1991 Post-Doc    Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA

Academic Ranks and Tenure in Institutes of Higher Education.

1984-1988 Instructor of 4th year medical students.Pharmacology,Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.
1994 –2006 Teaching Fellow,Oranim, Biology,University of Haifa,
2001-2004 Senior Lecturer,faculty of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology,Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.
2004-2005 Senior Lecturer ,Neurobiology and  Evolutionary and Environmental Biology,University of Haifa
2005-2008 Senior Lecture, Biology and  Evolutionary and Environmental Biology,University of Haifa.               
2008-present Associated Professor,Biology, Medical Sciences  and  Human Biology,University of Haifa

Offices in University Academic Administration

2005-2009       Member of the Teaching Committee of the Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology
2008-present    Member of the Teaching Committee of the Department of Human Biology
2009-present    Member of the Teaching committee of the Department of Biology and Medical Sciences
2010–present    Head of the committee for regulation of disease promoting agents.
2010-2012       Member of the Post Doctoral Committee
2011-present    Member of the Social Involvement Committee
2012-present    Member of the Graduate Studies Authority Committee
2012-present    Head of the Druze division in the Jewish Arab Center
               
Scholarly Positions and Activities outside the University

A. Establishing a start-up Biotechnology company

2001 – 2013:  Founder and Scientific director of “PROLOR Biotech.”, Ltd., a start-up Biotech company established to develop Long acting proteins for clinical use. Last year the company signed an exit for $480 million.

B. Member of the Israel Council for Higher Education

2001-present   Member of the Israel Council for Higher Education
2001-present   Member of the Israel Council for Higher Education,Sub-committee for medical sciences, engineering and architecture
2002-2005      Member of the sub- Committee of Planning and Budgeting for Encouraging education among Arabs in Israel
2006-2011    Head of the sub- Committee of Planning and Budgeting for Encouraging education among  Arabs in Israel
2001-2006    Member of the Israel Council for Higher Education Sub-committee for Universities and Academic Colleges for Education.
2006-2012     Member of the Israel Council for Higher Education Committee For Quality and   Evaluation Fields of Study
2006-2012     Member of the Israel Council for Higher Education sub-Committee for Development and Academic Policy
2010          Member of the sub-committee of the Israeli Centers for Research Excellence (I-CORE)

C.  Membership of scientific organizations
2012-present    Member of the committee for Binational Science Foundation (BSF)
2010-present   Member of the European Society of Endocrinology
2007-present   Member of the European Cell death Organization (ECDO)
2005-present   Member of the Israel Society of Gene Therapy
1999-present   Member of the European Association for Cancer Research
1991-present   Member of the Israel Endocrine Society.
1998-2010      Member of the Israel Society of Lab Medical Sciences.
1998-2000      Member of the New York Academy of Science.

D. Expert evaluator

1.    2010 – present.  Expert evaluator. Member of the committee evaluating grant proposals for US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF).
2.    2000-present- Expert evaluator of grants for GIF (German-Israel Foundation).
3.    2009-present- Expert evaluator of grants for the BSF (Binational Science Foundation).

E. Referee for Journals

•    Frontiers in Oncology - member of the editorial board
•    PLoS ONE
•    Carcinogenesis
•    British Journal of Cancer
•    Cancer Letters
•    Gynecologic Oncology
•    Journal of Translational Medicine Research
•    Molecular Diagnosis & Therapy
•    Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
•    Chemistry Journals

F. Referee of M.Sc. and Ph.D. Theses
 
•    Referee of M.Sc. and Ph.D. thesis proposals submitted from:
-    Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel.
-    Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.
-    Faculty of  Life sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
-    Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gorion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
-    Human Genetic Laboratory, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India.
 

Research Interest

 In my laboratory I supervise graduate students for Ph.D and for M.Sc. thesis and the recent ongoing projects related to these fields include:
 
 1.My lab is interested in structure - function studies of Thyrotropin (TSH); identifying protein regions which are determinants for hormone specific post-translational modifications and receptor binding/biologic activity, using site-directed mutagenesis, gene fusion and mutant cell lines. Using the molecular biology techniques I will try to study the role of oligosaccharides in the structure and function of thyrotropin (TSH). This may expand our understanding in the role of oligosaccharides in the hormone function and may lead to the development of new agonists and antagonists.

2.My lab is interested in identification of pre-apoptotic factors and characterization of their molecular pathways in human cancer cells. Recently we have concentrated in indole-derivatives, derivatives that are exist in cruciferous vegetables, natural antioxidants, medicinal plants and medicinal mushrooms. The main goal of these  studies is to elucidate such a novel and powerful natural compounds that can be used as an adjuvant nutritional therapy in preventing or a delaying the progression of cancer. The efficacy of these compounds will be tested in vitro using human cancer cells and in vivo using animal models. Moreover, the molecular mechanism of action of these factors will be studied in the cells using CHIP DNA analysis. These studies may lead to better understanding the biology of human cancer and may lead to the development of new strategies for prevention and treatment of human cancer.

3. The role of hormones in cancer development; studying the role of the indolic   melatonin hormone in prevention of breast and prostate cancer. Over the last 120 years, increased exposure of humans to light at night imposed a long photoperiod of about 16-18 hours of light all year long, thus contributing to a of 'loss-of-seasonality'.  Recent studies have linked disruption of normal circadian rhythms, via exposure to LAN, to the development of cancer.  The indolic hormone melatonin (MLT) , considered as the universal regulator of biological rhythms, was found to have oncostatic and anti-proliferative effects in both in vitro and in vivo studies.  Additionally, low levels of MLT may indirectly act to increase cancer risk by modulating the secretion of hormones implicated in carcinogenesis.  In the current research we will determine the impact of 'loss-of-seasonality' due to long term exposure to light at night, experienced by the majority of people in the industrialized world, on the development of breast and prostate cancer in animal models.  Moreover, the impact of MLT on the uptake of chemotherapeutic drugs (e.g. tamoxifen) administered during the day or night will be examined. Taken together, the results of our studies are expected to facilitate the formulation of guidelines regarding sensible use of illumination that will minimize the current risks associated with LAN without compromising our ability to work and live in a safe environment.

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