Institute For Medical Research, Israel-Canada

The Institute for Medical Research, Israel-Canada, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

המכון למחקר רפואי ישראל-קנדה, האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים
Type	Public
Established	2008
Chairperson	Haya Loberboum-Galski
Students	3400
Undergraduates	2700
Postgraduates	700
Location	Jerusalem , Israel
Campus	Urban
Nickname	IMRIC
Affiliations	UNIMED
Website	medicine.ekmd.huji.ac.il/En/academicUnits/imric

The Institute for Medical Research, Israel-Canada (IMRIC) is a research institute that is part of the Faculty of Medicine of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It was founded in 2008, and conducts fundamental and applied research in the field of biomedicine with the objective of finding the causes of disease and discovering how to treat and prevent them. The five departments of the Institute (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Medical Neurobiology and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics) provide a multidisciplinary base.

In addition to its research, IMRIC teaches the basic sciences for the undergraduate, pre-clinical programs of the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Medicine, including Medicine, Military Medicine, Dentistry, Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacy and Nursing. IMRIC is the largest education institute in Israel for graduate studies in Medical Sciences having about 700 master and doctoral students. The doctoral programs offer a wide range of multidisciplinary research areas in basic medical science and related fields. Within each field, students may undertake a variety of multidisciplinary studies in many areas and they also participate in numerous collaborative programs with clinicians from the Hadassah Medical Center.

Since 2012, the chair of the institute has been Professor Haya Loberboum-Galski who took over from Professor David Lichtstein, the chair from 2008-2012.

IMRIC is supported in part by the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University (CFHU) through the establishment of scholarships and research funding. In addition, the CFHU aids in creating key collaborative medical research partnerships between Canada and Israel, such as the Alex U. Soyka Pancreatic Cancer Research Project, the Grafstein Network for Cancer Research and the Canada-Israel International Fetal Alcohol Consortium.

Departments

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

24 research groups, headed by 12 faculty members and 12 emeritus professors, conduct diverse research in this department. The scientific interests of these groups are characterized by the use of biochemical, cellular and molecular biological methodologies to explore mechanisms underlying physiological and pathological processes, and to develop therapeutic agents and strategies.

Developmental Biology and Cancer Research

The Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research conducts research that is based on the concept that developmental processes lie at the foundation of normal human biology, as well as of many diseases, including cancer. Members of the department are engaged in the research of cell differentiation processes and the mechanisms underlying them in various biological settings, with a particular interest in cancer. Scientists in the department apply a variety of multidisciplinary approaches in order to understand how a single cell develops first into the embryo, and then to the adult organism, forming the human body with all the complexity of multiple tissues and cell types, each with its distinct traits and functions. The department’s scientists study the activity of genes at the molecular level, and how these genes act to shape the organism by controlling cell movement and differentiation. The understanding of developmental processes should help overcome diseases such as diabetes, and to tackle the challenges posed by the Fragile X syndrome and other neurological disorders. It is also essential for the elucidation of the basic defects in cancer and the development of new approaches for the treatment and prevention of this disease.

Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research

The Lautenberg Center was established in 1968 as the first department of Immunology at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School. Investigations at the Lautenberg Center range over a spectrum of topics in cellular and biochemical immunology, molecular cell biology and genetics, cancer biology and immunology, the biology of autoimmune and immunodeficiency disorders, immunogenetics and transplantation immunity. Although the specific research projects differ widely, the Center achieves a high degree of integration of its efforts. This is accomplished by a framework of constant interactions between the individual research teams including weekly formal seminars, informal discussion groups and a journal club, periodic research planning and data analysis meetings between different groups, and frequent policy meetings among the faculty members. The Center stands at the hub of an international network of scientific endeavors. Many of its graduate students and post-doctoral fellows come from abroad. Senior scientists from other institutions are constant visitors of the Center, presenting lectures and participating for various periods of time in its research program. The Center’s scientists are involved in collaborative research efforts with colleagues at Hadassah Medical Center, other hospitals and leading universities and research centers in Israel and other parts of the world. The Center’s members organize symposia, workshops and advanced training courses in Israel and abroad.

Medical Neurobiology

The department of Medical Neurobiology includes 18 department and 2 affiliated faculty with active research groups, and 11 emeriti. The major basic research areas are cellular and molecular biology of neurons, neural signaling, development of the brain and nervous system, degeneration and regeneration, learning and memory, motor control, cognition and behavior. Clinical research efforts are focused on mechanisms of diseases of the brain and nervous system, research of traumatic injuries of the brain and spinal cord, plasticity and repair of the brain and nervous system, and development novel therapies.

Microbiology and Molecular Genetics

34 research groups, headed by 21 faculty members and 13 emeritus professors, conduct the research in this department. The department’s research focuses on life processes that can be explained in terms of molecular events in individual cells. These processes are studied at the level of single biochemical reactions through subcellular compartments, single cells and multicellular tissues. A multitude of techniques are employed to this end, including state-of-the-art methods of molecular biology, microbial physiology, biochemistry and genetics. There are numerous collaborations between groups in the department and with other groups at IMRIC.

Teaching Divisions

Anatomy; Physiology; Biochemistry; Metabolism and Endocrinology; Cell Biology; Microbiology; Neurobiology; and Human Genetics are responsible for the teaching of basic sciences for the entire undergraduate, pre-clinical programs of the Faculty of Medicine. These include programs for Medicine, Military Medicine, Dentistry, Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacy and Nursing. In 2011, more than 2700 students were enrolled in these programs. IMRIC is also the largest education institute in Israel for graduate studies in Medical Sciences having about 700 Master (MSc) and doctorate (PhD) students.

Research Hubs

The following are the research hubs currently active:

1. Brain Disease Research Center - BDRC. Director: Prof. Shlomo Rotshenker.
2. Cancer Epigenetics. Coordinator: Dr. Asaf Hellman.
3. The Tumor and its Microenvironment. Coordinator: Dr. Ittai Ben Porath.
4. Mitochondria. Coordinator: Prof. Ophry Pines.
5. Autism. Coordinator: Prof. Abraham Fainsod.
6. Developmental Processes, Malformations and Diseases. Coordinator: Prof. Joel Yisraeli.
7. Cardiovascular Research. Coordinator: Prof. David Gertz
8. Metabolic Disease. Coordinator: Prof. Yuval Dor
9. Microbe Brain Storming – MIBS. Coordinator: Prof. Sigal Ben-Yehuda
10. Virus-host Interactions and Viral Pathogenesis. Coordinator: Prof. Albert Taraboulos.

Research Centers

There are four research centers affiliated with IMRIC:

• The Lautenberg Center for General and Tumor Immunology headed by Prof. E. YefeNoff.

• The Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases headed by Prof. Y. Shlomai.

• The Hubert H. Humphrey Center for Experimental Medicine and Cancer Research.

• The Rogoff Center for Research in Physiology headed by Prof. A. Lev-Tov.

Notable Faculty Members

• Hagai Bergman, professor, Department of Medical Neurobiology
• Howard Cedar, emeritus professor, Department of Developmental Biology & Cancer Research
• David Lichtstein, professor, Department of Medical Neurobiology
• Aharon Razin, emeritus professor, Department of Developmental Biology & Cancer Research

External links

• IMRIC's Canadian website
• IMRIC's Facebook page

• The Hebrew University of Jerusalem's website
• The Hebrew University's Faculty of Medicine's website