SPRI Summit 2026: Prepared for Today, Research for Tomorrow
Organized by the Sheba Pandemic Preparedness Research Institute (SPRI), the summit aimed to strengthen ties between physicians working abroad and their colleagues in Israel, supporting collaboration across healthcare and academic institutions.
Held at Sourasky House under the theme “Prepared for Today. Research for Tomorrow,” the conference featured a program largely delivered by Israeli physicians and researchers working at leading universities and medical centers worldwide. Alongside the scientific sessions, it emphasized direct interaction with colleagues in Israel and opportunities for professionals considering returning to work in the country.
Opening greetings from Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, Founder and President of ARC Global and Vice Chairman of Redesign Health, and Prof. Gili Regev, Director of SPRI, introduced a five-session agenda spanning physician migration and retention, obesity, longevity, infectious diseases, clinical AI and research into psychoactive substances.
Connecting Medical Expertise Across Borders
The opening session, “Brain Drain,” focused on the decisions that shape Israeli physicians’ careers abroad and their potential return to Israel. Presentations examined fellowship choices and findings on physician emigration, followed by a panel titled “Stay, Leave or Return? The Future of Israeli Physicians.”
The international scope continued throughout the program, with speakers affiliated with institutions in Israel, the United States, Canada and Australia, as well as the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe. Their topics connected workforce questions with clinical challenges and opportunities for research collaboration.
From Pandemic Preparedness to Clinical Innovation
The session “Pandemics of the Future” considered health challenges across obesity, aging, poverty and infectious diseases. Its program included SPRI’s response to West Nile virus, drug discovery during pandemics and vaccine-delivery technology.
The afternoon agenda explored translating AI into clinical practice, using AI to anticipate pandemic threats and applying language models to radiology education. Further presentations addressed infectious diseases, pediatric cardiac surgery, immune-response diagnostics and cardiac arrhythmias. The final session focused on research and therapy with psychoactive substances.
Together, the program reflected the summit’s emphasis on connecting scientific knowledge with clinical practice and maintaining professional exchange among physicians working in different settings.
Sheba thanks all the speakers and participants who shared their expertise at the summit and looks forward to strengthening these connections and continuing the exchange of ideas that can support new research, closer collaboration and better patient care.
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