At Sheba Medical Center nutrition isn’t an afterthought, it’s a critical part of the healing process. And leading that effort is Dana Weiner, Director of the Division of Nutrition, who has dedicated over a decade to building one of the most advanced clinical nutrition teams in the country.
When Dana joined Sheba more than 10 years ago, the department included just 50 dietitians. Today, that number has more than doubled. “We started off with 50 dietitians, and now we are more than 100,” she says. Under her leadership, the division has expanded in both size and scope, supporting a growing and increasingly complex patient population.
Dana’s specialty lies in nephrology and intensive care, and despite the demands of her leadership role, she continues to work hands-on with patients. She explains, “I still work in a dialysis unit just…to keep in touch with the patients.” That personal connection to the clinical side is central to her approach—keeping her grounded in patient needs while driving system-wide innovation.
Sheba’s Dedicated Research Center for Nutrition
With a master’s degree in medical science from the Technion, Dana brings a strong research mindset to her work. One of her latest initiatives is the development of a dedicated research center for nutrition at Sheba. Her vision is to bridge the gap between nutritional science and real-world clinical outcomes.
“Sheba is a very big and excellent hospital,” she says. “A lot of people come here with… diseases that nobody knows how to treat.” That reality demands constant learning and innovation. Dana and her team are continuously exploring new technologies, methods, and personalized approaches to meet the unique needs of patients across departments.
Responding to Urgent Needs
That drive became even more critical in the aftermath of October 7, 2023, when Sheba began treating numerous critically injured soldiers. Recognizing that traditional nutritional guidelines might not suit such trauma cases, Dana’s team began using advanced tools to measure each patient’s individual metabolic needs.
“We started measuring them with all kinds of machinery that we didn’t use before,” she explains. What they found was a striking gap between standard guidelines and actual patient requirements. Without these new tools, many of the soldiers would have received significantly fewer calories and less protein—delaying their recovery. “They would stay longer in the ICU and get to rehabilitation at a much later stage,” Dana notes.
This data-driven, personalized approach is already making a difference, helping patients recover faster and more effectively. For Dana, moments like these bring meaning to the work. “To see the strength of patients here and how they are able to overcome their injuries…fulfills me,” she says.
Despite her pivotal role, Dana is quick to highlight the strength of her team. With more than 100 dietitians—most of them women—Sheba’s Division of Nutrition is known for its proactive, research-minded approach. “They want to be the best—not just in Israel, but globally,” she says.
It’s this spirit of excellence that Sheba fosters and supports. “Here, I can dream and make those dreams happen,” Dana says. Her vision is turning into reality: a model of clinical nutrition that integrates research, compassion, and innovation—setting new standards for hospitals worldwide.
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