Neufeld Cardiac Research Institute

The Neufeld Cardiac Research Institute was established to manage and advance new and future research in the field of cardiovascular disease.

The Institute, affiliated to the Tel-Aviv University and located in the Heart Institute at Sheba provides an ideal location for collaborative work with physicians and scientists in the field of basic research and the development of methods, devices and treatments for cardiovascular disease.

Prof Leor laboratory’s research focuses on myocardial infarction and the heart’s lack of intrinsic regenerative ability. The staff constitutes a multidisciplinary group, working on basic research in molecular biology and regulation of gene expression, cell biology, and tissue engineering in mouse, rat and pig models of disease. Research focuses on the biology of myocardial infarction, both in defining the molecular mechanisms that underlie the normal wound healing processes of the heart and in developing molecular and cell-based approaches to improve infarct repair. More specifically, Prof. Leor's laboratory research involves the following:

1) Stem cell studies that entail tissue stem cells, with an aim to developing cellular approaches to regenerate the heart;

2) Reprogramming of cells ex vivo, by genetic manipulation or growth factors to improve cell engraftment and survival in the infarcted heart;

3) Regulation of the heart's intrinsic repair response using bioactive materials and molecules.

The Institute contains a fully-equipped laboratory set up to conduct cardiovascular and physiological experiments in small (mice, rat) and large animals (swine, sheep, calf), including facilities and instrumentation for cardiac catheterization and surgery (including heart transplantation), coronary angiography and heart function studies, with a special echocardiography system designed for small animals (Vevo660 ultrasound bio-microscope system equipped with a 37.5 MHz scan head RMV 710; VisualSonics), molecular and imaging, pressure-volume loop machine Aria/PowerLab data-acquisition hardware (Millar/PowerLab) and MRI for small and large animals. Our team has acquired a vast amount of experience in animal models of myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure. We have on-site histopathology, immunohistochemistry laboratory that will carry out the histology and pathology work.

Staff and Students - 2007

         For more detailed information please refer to the institute's Tel Aviv University site

Director: Prof Jonathan Leor [C.V]

eMail: leorj@post.tau.ac.il

Tel: +9723 5342278

Fax: +972 3 5351139

Email: ncri@sheba.health.gov.il