Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran Rehabilitation Village will establish an interdisciplinary institute focusing on translating neuroscience research into advanced rehabilitation. BGU President Prof. Rivka Carmi, Chairman of ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran Rehabilitation Village Major General. (Res.) Doron Almog, Prof. Dan Blumberg, Vice President for Research and Development, BGU, Dr. Itzhak Ziv-Ner, Medical Director of ALEH Negev's rehabilitation hospital, Prof. John Krakauer from Johns Hopkins University and Dr. Mandy Aisen from Rancho Los Amigos Hospital, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the institute.
Above from left to right: BGU VP and Director General Mr. David Bareket, Director of ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran Rehabilitation Village Avi Wotzman, BGU President Prof. Rivka Carmi, Director of the Rehabilitation Hospital at ALEH Negev Dr. Itzhak Ziv-Ner, Chairman of ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran Rehabilitation Village Major General. (Res.) Doron Almog,Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Amos Katz
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Dr. Simona Bar-Haim, from the Department of Physical Therapy in the Faculty of Health Sciences, and one of the project's initiators said: "We see great opportunities in establishing a joint institute with the aim to reduce the gap between cutting-edge research in neuroscience and rehabilitation treatment for people with brain injuries, by turning innovative research into practical tools for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of motor and cognitive disabilities. Our common goal is to make the Negev an Israeli and international Center of Excellence in Rehabilitative Therapy."
The institute which will be established at ALEH Negev will combine different research fields: neuroscience, physical therapy, medicine and engineering, with the aim of building an integrated community of researchers and clinicians. The team includes, in addition to Dr. Simona Bar Haim, Dr. Itzhak Ziv-Ner Medical Director of the rehabilitation hospital at ALEH Negev and the head of rehabilitation in the Ministry of Health and Dr. Lior Shmuelof of BGU's Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.
The MOU was signed within the framework of the existing agreement of ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran's affiliation with BGU's Faculty of Health Sciences.
