Weizmann Institute scientists, Clalit Health Services physicians and legal advisor, and information system experts from both organizations recently participated in the first meeting of its kind, intended to promote collaborative research that will enable the development of new models of medical intervention, as well as advance the field of personalized medicine.
The meeting was sponsored by the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, which was recently established on the Weizmann Institute campus at a cost of $120 million. Participants explored, among other things, ways in which medical data and research provided by Clalit Health Services can be used, with the aim of advancing both scientific research and medicine.
Prof. Zvi Livneh, Dean of the Weizmann Institute's Faculty of Biochemistry: "Clalit Health Services, Israel's largest health care organization, which manages the health of more than 4.2 million members, possesses invaluable medical information and documentation, which can significantly leverage biomedical research, as well as promote collaborations between scientists and doctors. Such collaboration will allow models to be developed in order to improve medical services. Scientists from research and medical institutions across Israel will have a rare opportunity to conduct long-term studies in advanced biomedical research."
The workshop, initiative of Dr. Leonid Beckman of the Israel Innovation Institute, which helped establish connections between the organizations, opened with greetings by Weizmann Institute President Prof. Daniel Zajfman, Clalit Health Services Chief Physician Prof. Haim Bitterman and Prof. Livneh. Participants then listened to several lectures in fields related to health information management. Weizmann Institute's Prof. Boaz Nadler spoke on high-dimensional statistics; Prof. Eytan Domany on ways of obtaining personal profiles of an individual's risk of cancer; Prof. Ran Balicer of Clalit Health Services on data analysis in the clinical setting; Prof. Gad Rennert, also of Clalit Health Services, spoke on oncology and personalized medicine; Yechiel Gepner on Clalit's databases; Dr. Sari Greenberg-Dotan on the use of medical information for long-term planning; and Itzhak Levy, Clalit's legal advisor, discussed legal aspects regarding the use of genetic information.
Livneh believes that this cooperation may lead to revolutionary advances in patient medical care, and can serve as a model for other health care systems worldwide. In addition, the collaboration may allow scientists and physicians from all medical and research institutions in Israel to use advanced tools for exploring complex diseases, including diabetes and cancer. Data processing may lead scientists in new research directions that will enable the continued development of medicines and new diagnostic and treatment methods.
Livneh also pins hope on the unique multidisciplinary nature of the Weizmann Institute: "The collaborations that exist at the Institute between scientists from fields as far-ranging as physics, computer science and the life sciences, allows us to simultaneously examine data from different angles. Meanwhile, a growing number of Institute scientists are also doctors who understand the world of both science and medicine. Everyone views Clalit's databases as a springboard that will help advance research intended to benefit humanity."
