Israel Active

One of the Israeli startups presenting at the Conference of Presidents’ “Resilience Panel” was neao - a pioneering Virtual Reality platform for remote group therapy. It features anonymity (with avatars), wider access and accessibility, and tailored environments.  

Israel’s Lavaa Health’s platform can identify disease and hard-to-diagnose illnesses at the earliest stage, allowing doctors to quickly draw up efficient treatment plans. It uses AI to connect a person’s medical data with its own massive database and identify hard-to-diagnose or rare illnesses.

Tel Aviv University scientists have developed an innovative biosensor imaging tool for measuring the gene PTEN, whose mutations are linked to cancer and autism. It should help develop personalized treatments and aid early disease detection and more effective therapies.

Researchers at Israel’s Technion Institute have discovered a unique genetic mechanism that provides cells with rapid protection against viruses. Normally, molecules NORAD and STAT3 control the immune system. On virus attack, the cells eat NORAD, and STAT3 unleashes an immune response.

Israel’s Itay & Beyond is developing a medicine discovery and AI-based testing platform for psychiatric and neurological disorders. They generated stem cells from autistic individuals, grow brain cells on a chip, connect to a computer, teach it to play games and analyze changes from medicines.

By now you probably know about my personal experience of Israel’s terrific emergency medical service. If interested in the full details, I’ve written it up. More important, though, are the links to the sites of the wonderful Laniado and United Hatzalah. Please support them.

Sigal Vorzhev, a researcher at the Israeli Phage Therapy Center at the Hebrew University and Hadassah, has discovered a phage (a kind of virus) that kills deadly resistant bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae. She has named the phage “KpRaz1” after her life partner MSG Raz Abulafia who fell in Gaza.

This article gives a comprehensive insight into Israel’s largest volunteer organization – Yad Sarah (see previously). The range of medical and social services that Yad Sarah provides is truly amazing, including to help rehabilitate wounded IDF soldiers.

Scientists at Israel’s Ben Gurion University have identified new types of fat cells in the body and described their purpose – e.g. to control appetite. Their research findings, part of the international Human Cell Atlas project, could pave the way for personalized medicine in obesity.

Yuval Kutz is founder and President of Israel’s online Happiness Studies Academy, which uses scientific research to educate leaders about how to find and share happiness. Kurtz says, “Research shows you will be more productive, more resilient, more efficient, and that you’ll live longer” if you’re happy.