Sheba has recently announced a major collaboration agreement with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital aimed at advancing neuroscience research and clinical care.

The human mind is still uncharted territory despite the vast amount of knowledge gathered owing to the sophisticated imaging devices that have been developed in recent years, the huge research budgets allocated to the field, and all the attention it has received.

Last September, Sheba and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital signed a memorandum of understanding that will focus on four key areas: academia, innovation, research and clinical care.

As part of the collaboration, the two organizations aim to utilize their respective expertise and knowledge in neuroscience and develop the next generation of treatments.

Prof. Yitshak Kreiss on Neuroscience Collaboration

Sheba Director General, Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, spoke of the need to continuously break new grounds in healthcare as the driver behind the agreement: “We share a mutual vision with Thomas Jefferson University that the world must accelerate the transformation of clinical care and forge a bold new path. This agreement is part of that goal. Our collaboration in neuroscience will enable both of us to lead the way in development and implementation of cutting-edge, world-changing technology.”

Prof. Michal Schnaider Beeri, Director of the Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center in Sheba, elaborated on the new opportunities in the field: “We have developed a technology at Sheba that allows highly focused access to the blood-brain barrier in order to deliver treatments directly into the brain. We have very great capabilities in understanding the workings of the blood-brain barrier. In addition, Jefferson has important knowledge concerning the synapses which ensure the interaction between two neurons allowing the passage of a signal.”

The Sheba and Jefferson teams meet regularly to compare their studies and incorporate them into their work. The new neuroscience center will focus on a range of brain diseases, including epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, movement disorders, stem cell research, and behavioral disorders. In addition to offering the latest technologies and treatments available to Israeli patients, the center will also serve as an academic research facility, and serve as the permanent office of Thomas Jefferson University in Israel.

Neuroscience collaboration between Sheba and TJUH

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