The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is proud to announce the establishment of the Sally Einstein Brain Research Program, made possible by a ₪1,000,000 (USD $300,930) grant from the Sim Einstein Research Foundation, Inc.
The university extends its warmest congratulations to Dr. Or Shemesh and his team at the Hebrew University School of Pharmacy on receiving this prestigious award. Their two-year research project, titled “The Infectious Etiology of Brain Disease,” will pioneer a cross-disciplinary approach to understanding how pathogens contribute to some of the world's most challenging neurological conditions.
The Shemesh Lab will investigate the role of infectious agents in a broad spectrum of brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, PANDAS & PANS, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy. While these conditions are often studied in isolation, Dr. Shemesh’s team aims to identify shared pathways and pathogens that may drive brain pathology across all of them.
"We are thrilled to receive this support, which allows us to compare disease mechanisms across seemingly different conditions," said Dr. Or Shemesh. "By uncovering the ‘common denominator’ pathogens that trigger brain inflammation and degeneration, as well as identifying disease-specific pathogens that may define a unique cranio-biome for each neurological disorder, we are taking the first step toward developing innovative treatments that could halt disease progression."
The grant was provided by the Sim Einstein Research Foundation, Inc. and is part of the global Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) consortium, co-founded and led by Nikki Schultek of the Pathobiome Research Center at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Shemesh and his team have been members of AlzPI for many years to accelerate our understanding of infectious drivers of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases through global, multidisciplinary collaboration.