Institute for Medical Research, Israel-Canada (IMRIC) is a research institute affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

History

The Institute for Medical Research was founded in 2008. It conducts fundamental and applied research in the field of

biomedicine Biomedicine (also referred to as Western medicine, mainstream medicine or conventional medicine)

and has five departments: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Developmental Biology and Cancer Research; Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research; Medical Neurobiology; and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. IMRIC also offers a bachelor's degree course in Biomedical Sciences (B.Sc.Med), teaches the basic sciences for the undergraduate, pre-clinical programs of the Hebrew University's Faculty of Medicine and is the largest educational institute in Israel for graduate studies in Biomedical Sciences having about 600 master and doctoral students. The doctoral programs offer a wide range of multidisciplinary research areas in basic medical science and related fields and collaborative programs with clinicians from the

Hadassah Medical Center Hadassah Medical Center ( he, הָמֶרְכָּז הָרְפוּאִי הֲדַסָּה) is an Israeli medical organization established in 1934 that operates two university hospitals in Jerusalem – one in Ein Karem and one in Mount Scopus –, ...

. The first and founding IMRIC chair was Professor Eitan Yefenof, who oversaw the establishment of the institute and shaped its vision and scope. The second chair was David Lichtstein, from 2008-2012. Since 2020, the chair of the institute has been Professor Rami Aqeilan who took over from Professor Haya Lorberboum-Galski, the chair from 2012-2020. 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 the Canada-Israel International Fetal Alcohol Consortium and the Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Cancer Genomic and Immunotherapy Program. Hebrew University researchers

IMRIC is also the largest educational institute in Israel for graduate studies in Medical Sciences. In 2016, it had 600 master (MSc) and doctorate (PhD) students.

Departments

* Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (24 research groups) * Developmental Biology and Cancer Research (23 research groups) *Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research (14 research groups,) The center was established in 1968 as the first department of

Immunology Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see there ...

at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School and named after the US senator,

Frank Lautenberg Frank Raleigh Lautenberg (; January 23, 1924 June 3, 2013) was an American businessman and Democratic Party politician who served as United States Senator from New Jersey from 1982 to 2001, and again from 2003 until his death in 2013. He was orig ...

. *Medical Neurobiology (30 research groups) *Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (33 research groups)

Teaching divisions

The Institute provides a bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences. In addition its faculty teaches the basic sciences for the undergraduate, pre-clinical programs of the Faculty of Medicine. These include programs for Medicine, Military Medicine, Dentistry, Biomedical Sciences, and Nursing. In 2016, more than 2800 students were enrolled in these programs.

Research hubs and centers

Research Hubs gather together scientists and clinicians focusing on a specific subject or disease, integrating various scientific and medical disciplines. Each hub consists of researchers from IMRIC,

, The School of Pharmacy, The School of Public Health,

Shaare Zedek Medical Center The Shaare Zedek Medical Center ( he, מרכז רפואי שערי צדק, ''Merkaz Refu'i Sha'arei Tzedek'') (lit. "Gates of Justice") is a large teaching hospital in Jerusalem established in 1902, It affiliated with Hebrew University of Jerusal ...

and more. The following research hubs are currently active: # Epigenetics and Common Human Diseases # The Tumor and its Microenvironment # Mitochondria # Developmental Processes, Malformations and Diseases # Cardiovascular Research # The Herbert and Dorothy Nadolny Cardio-Metabolic Diseases Research Hub # Microbe Brain Storming - MIBS # Muscle Degeneration Diseases # Virus-host Interactions and Viral Pathogenesis. There are six research centers affiliated with IMRIC: The Lautenberg Center for General and Tumor Immunology; The Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases; The Brain Disease Research Center - BDRC; The Autism Center; The Hubert H. Humphrey Center for Experimental Medicine and Cancer Research; and The Rogoff Center for Research in Physiology.

Awards and recognition

Israel Prize The Israel Prize ( he, פרס ישראל; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor. History The Israel Prize is awarded annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state cer ...

Howard Cedar Howard Chaim Cedar (Hebrew: חיים סידר; born January 12, 1943) is an Israeli American biochemist who works on DNA methylation, a mechanism that turns genes on and off. Biography Howard Chaim Cedar was born in the United States. He rece ...

1999; Marcel Elkayem 2001;

Aharon Razin Aharon Razin (Hebrew: אהרון רזין; April 6, 1935 – May 27, 2019) was an Israeli biochemist. Biography Aharon Razin was raised in Petah Tikva. He began his academic studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, majoring in physics a ...

2004; Shaul Feldman 2005; Eli Keshet 2021 *

The EMET Prize for Art, Science and Culture ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

: Moshe Abeles 2004; Eli Keshet 2006;

& Aaron Razin 2009; Baruch Minke 2010; Hanna Engelberg-Kulka 2018; Yinon Ben-Neriah 2019 *TEVA Founders Prize: Moshe Abeles 1995; Yehezkel Bernoltz 2000; Yinon Ben-Nerya 2007; Ofer Mandelboim 2008; Orna Amster-Choder 2013; Yehudit Bergman & Eli Keshet 2014 *

Gairdner Foundation International Award The Canada Gairdner International Award is given annually by the Gairdner Foundation at a special dinner to five individuals for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a p ...

& Aaron Razin 2011 *Rothschild Prize in Life Sciences: Hagai Bergman 2016 *The Rappaport Prize: Yinon Ben-Neriah 2016; Ofer Mandelboim 2020; Yehudit Bergman 2021 *Boyalife Science & Science Translational Medicine Award in Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine: Dr. Yosef Buganim, for his work in stem cells and regenerative medicine. *Kaye Innovation award: Yechezkel Barenholz 1995; Arie Dagan & Shimon Gatt 2008; Raymond Kaempfer 2013; Noa Kaynan 2013; Ofer Mandelboim 2015; Pinchas Tsukerman 2016; Yuval Dor and Ruth Shemer 2017 *

Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize The Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for Biology or Biochemistry is an annual prize awarded by Columbia University to a researcher or group of researchers who have made an outstanding contribution in basic research in the fields of biology or biochemist ...

(Columbia University)

& Aaron Razin 2016 *

The Youdim Family Prize for Excellence in Cancer Research ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

: Eli Pikarsky 2013; Rami Aqeilan 2017

Notable faculty

* Professor, Department of Medical Neurobiology *

, Emeritus Professor, Department of Developmental Biology & Cancer Research *

Eli Keshet Eli Keshet ( he, אלי קשת) is an Israeli biochemist and professor of molecular biology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the laureate of the 2021 Israel Prize for Life Sciences. Biography Keshet completed his B.Sc., M.Sc. and P ...

, Professor, Department of Developmental Biology & Cancer Research *

Yinon Ben Neriah Yinon ( he, יִנּוֹן, lit. "it shall flourish") is a moshav in southern Israel. Located near Kiryat Malakhi, it falls under the jurisdiction of Be'er Tuvia Regional Council. In it had a population of . History The moshav was founded 1952 b ...

, Professor, Department of Immunology & Cancer Research *

Hanah Margalit Hanah Margalit is a Professor in the faculty of medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her research combines bioinformatics, computational biology and systems biology, specifically in the fields of gene regulation in bacteria and eukaryot ...

, Professor, Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics *

Ofer Mandelboim Ofer (, ''lit.'' Fawn) is a moshav in northern Israel. Located south of Haifa, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof HaCarmel Regional Council. In it had a population of . History The moshav was founded in 1950 by immigrants from India (mai ...

, Professor, Department of Immunology & Cancer Research

References

{{Reflist

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
Hebrew University of Jerusalem Universities and colleges in Jerusalem Medical schools in Israel Canada–Israel relations