Genomics and Precision Medicine

Prof. David Gurwitz

Precision medicine

biomarkers for CNS disorders

Neurologic and mental disorders affect over 10% of the global population, with higher frequencies seen among the elderly. The anticipated graying of the human population makes the challenge of finding better personalized treatments for CNS disorders a priority. Prof. Gurwitz leads a team whose research is focused on the identification and validation of precision medicine biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment choice for CNS disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. The team studies the effects of CNS disorders, and of their therapeutics, on the gene expression patterns of white blood cells from individuals with CNS disorders. The research approach has identified potential biomarkers and drug targets for patientoriented CNS therapeutics.

Prof. Gurwitz, PhD, is an Emeritus Professor at the Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, where he directs the National Laboratory for the Genetics of Israeli Populations (NLGIP). The laboratory was established in 1995 by the Israeli Academy for Sciences and Humanities and serves as the National Biobank of Israel. Its collection of human DNA samples and cell lines is applied for numerous research projects on the human genome diversity. He is an editorial board member of several journals, including Trends in Molecular Medicine, Genome Medicine, CNS Drugs, and Drug Development Research.