image: Invitation to First US-Israel Alzheimer's Disease Conference
Credit: Organizers
The inaugural U.S.-Israel Alzheimer's Disease Conference is set to take place in Tel Aviv on September 22, 2024, uniting prominent researchers from Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, and Rutgers University. Aimed at fostering collaboration between the U.S. and Israel to address Alzheimer's, the event will explore various aspects of the disease, from early diagnosis to global treatment strategies. Prof. Hermona Soreq of Hebrew University emphasizes the strong scientific ties between the two countries, and co-organizer Prof. Mark Gluck sees the fight against Alzheimer's as a shared international goal. The conference seeks to strengthen bonds among researchers, promote young scientists, and provide travel fellowships for students. Notable speakers include experts from Israeli and U.S. institutions, with plans for future educational exchanges, such as the "Brainright, Israel" program for Rutgers students interning in Israeli brain research labs.
The first U.S.-Israel Alzheimer's Disease Conference will bring together top researchers from both countries in Tel Aviv on September 22, 2024.
The conference is being presented by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, and Rutgers University (New Jersey) to expand collaboration and cooperation between the U.S. and Israel to seek a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Association estimates that 50 million people are currently living with Alzheimer's disease or dementia globally.
A co-organizer of the conference is Hebrew University’s Prof. Emeritus Hermona Soreq, who holds the Charlotte Slesinger Chair in Cancer Studies and is a founder of the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences in Jerusalem.
"This conference will highlight the extensive U.S.-Israel cooperation in science and biomedical research, with a focus on many areas of Alzheimer’s disease studies including early diagnosis and effective treatment globally," says Prof. Soreq. "The conference highlights the strong links between U.S. and Israeli universities through research ties, student exchange, and collaboration on innovation that enhances humanity."
The conference is the brainchild of Prof. Mark Gluck, of Rutgers University-Newark, and Michal Schnaider Beeri, professor of neurology at Rutgers. "The fight to cure Alzheimer's disease cuts across national and political divisions providing us with common goals and targets on which we can all work together."
Prof. Illana Gozes, a molecular neuroendocrinologist at Tel Aviv University and a conference-co-organizer says, “We aim to strengthen the ties of Alzheimer’s researchers in Israel and the U.S., promoting young scientists and collaborative efforts toward a brighter future of excellent research, disease management, and preventive measures.”
The group hopes to provide travel fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students to attend this meeting to present scientific posters on their own research studies relating to aging, brain health, and Alzheimer's disease.
U.S. and Israel participants—including students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty— are invited to present posters at the meeting. The poster session will also serve as a de facto job fair for Israeli graduate students seeking postdoctoral fellowships at U.S. universities and medical schools, and for U.S. students seeking research internships or other further training in Israeli labs.
In addition to the four co-organizers, additional conference speakers include neuroimmunologist and Israel Prize winner Michal Schwartz from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot; neurologist Amos Korczyn of Tel Aviv University, chairman of the scientific medical board of the Israeli Alzheimer’s Disease Association; behavioral neurologist Gil Rabinovici of the Memory & Aging Center at the University of California, San Francisco; David Bennet, director of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago; Mary Sano, neuropsychologist, a world leader in clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine; and Sudha Seshadri, founding director of the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s & Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Texas. Click here for the full conference program. Additional details will be added in late spring.
Future plans call for a new international educational exchange program for Rutgers students, called "Brainright, Israel," which will send Rutgers students to Hebrew University and other Israeli brain research labs for summer internships to gain valuable research skills and learn more about the global fight to cure Alzheimer’s disease.