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Nervous System and Brain Disorders
Prof. Eran
Perlson
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
is a lethal adult-onset moAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) tor neuron disease, pathologically characterized by neuronal death and degeneration N o effective treatment exists for ALS . Prof. Perlson is taking a fresh approach to this challenge using advanced microscopy, genetic engineering and a novel NMJ -on -a -Chip platform that mimics the human motor unit This novel platform was developed first in the world by Prof. Perlson’s team, and enables growth of patients’ neurons and muscle on a silicon chip .
Prof. Perlson , PhD, at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and Sagol School of Neuroscience, is a leader in the research of nerve degeneration and regeneration. He completed a Ph.D. at the Weizmann Institute of Science in molecular and cellular neurobiology. As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University of Pennsylvania Medical School, he focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying axon degeneration in ALS. His scientific work has earned him a large number of distinguished grants, awards and honors, and he is the author of numerous publications in high profile journals and invited speaker to leading international meetings.
http://www3.tau.ac.il/medicine/perlson /
This unique platform opens new possibilities for experimental analyses of neuron degeneration and regeneration process, and provides a tool for personalized medicine . The team’s main goal is to elucidate the critical events leading to neuron damage that can be targeted and prevented . By preventing nerve degeneration and activating its regeneration, they will be able to find effective treatment to neurodegenerative disease such as ALS or spinal cord injuries
Nervous System and Brain Disorders
Dr. Sigal Portnoy
Dr. Portnoy, PhD, is head of the Department of Occupational Therapy at the School of Health Professions. Dr. Portnoy received her B.Sc. in Electronic Engineering at Tel Aviv University and her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Laboratory at Tel Aviv University. She was the scientific director of the Gait and Motion Laboratory at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.
https://www.tau.ac.il/~portnoys/ Technology for rehabilitation
The promise of new and exciting technologies to enhance the world of motor and cognitive rehabilitation, relies on its integration in the clinics One of the main goals of Dr. Portnoy is to create and distribute accessible and innovative tools that will promote the use of technologies in rehabilitation Among the developed tools are a software that evaluates cognitive function, validated, published and to date, downloaded by more than 250 users worldwide, and a software that automatically fits the dimensions of virtual model of orthoses for 3 D printing, according to simple limb measurements performed by the clinician .