On December 31, 2025, Sheba Pandemic Preparedness Research Institute (SPRI) hosted its 8th seminar, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at Sheba Medical Center’s Shpirer Auditorium. Titled “Outbreaks of 2025 and a Look into the Future,” the event focused on West Nile virus, winter respiratory infections, and measles, sharing cutting-edge data for enhanced pandemic readiness.
Led by Prof. Gili Regev-Yochay, SPRI Director, the seminar ran from 11:30 to 15:00, starting with reception, lunch, and greetings from Prof. Dror Harats, Deputy Director for R&D. It gathered experts to discuss real-time outbreak responses and future strategies amid 2025’s infectious disease challenges.
SPRI Background and Mission
SPRI emerged from Sheba’s COVID-19 response in January 2020, when Prof. Regev-Yochay’s Infection Prevention and Control Unit recruited over 9,000 healthcare workers for long-term studies on vaccine effectiveness, immune responses, and population differences. These efforts produced over 60 publications in top journals like the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, Nature, and JAMA, influencing national policies such as Israel’s third booster shot.
Sheba then founded SPRI to pioneer rapid countermeasures like diagnostics, monoclonal antibodies, and vaccines against future crises, built on three pillars: SPRI cohorts, monoclonal antibody prevention and treatment, and the Sheba HCW cohort.
SPRI unites virologists, immunologists, epidemiologists, clinicians, bioinformaticians, and more to advance from basic research to Phase I trials and industry partnerships, including with NIH’s Vaccine Research Center, Harvard, Pasteur Institute, and Charité Berlin.
Keynote and Research Highlights
Dr. Danny Douek, Chief of Human Immunology at NIH’s VRC, PREMISE Director, and SPRI Senior Scientific Advisor, delivered the keynote lecture on “An Immunological Approach to Preparedness Against Infectious Agents,” emphasizing strategies to build resilience against emerging pathogens.
SPRI researchers followed with fresh, real-time insights from 2025 outbreaks: Prof. Ili Margalit on compassionate use of WNV-neutralizing plasma in summer 2025; Dr. Gili Joseph on WNV serology dynamics; Dr. Mayan Gilboa on the burden of respiratory virus infections via the CHILL project; and Dr. Yael Ottolenghi-Weiss, Head of the SPRI Laboratory, on serology dynamics following respiratory viral infections.
These presentations aligned directly with SPRI’s pillars of cohorts and monoclonal antibody development, showcasing data generated from ongoing surveillance and outbreak responses
Measles Outbreak Insights
Dr. Eyal Nadir from the Ministry of Health outlined the 2025 measles outbreak’s clinical and epidemiological aspects in Israel. Dr. Efrat Buchris from the Central Virology Laboratory detailed integrating epidemiological data, laboratory diagnosis, and phylogenetic analysis to track transmission and support control measures during the ongoing resurgence.
SPRI Leadership Driving Impact
Under Prof. Gili Regev-Yochay’s visionary guidance, SPRI looks toward a future where breakthroughs in real-time surveillance, next-generation vaccines, and global collaborations turn emerging threats into manageable challenges, ensuring healthier tomorrows for communities worldwide.
