ד"ר אריאל יהודה ישראל

Director, Leumit Research Institute
Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology and Disease Prevention

• M.D., Ph.D.
  Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School
  Thesis: MicroRNA activity in human cancer and complex diseases (2012) 
  Focus: Bioinformatics and Human Genetics
   
• Board Certification in Family Medicine
  Hebrew University and Clalit Jerusalem (2019)
   
• Diplôme d’études approfondies (DEA)
  Post-graduate diploma in Databases Theory and Engineering
  Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, and Université Paris XI Orsay (1997)
  Mention Bien
   
• MIAGE: Master's Degree of Business Informatics
  Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne (1996)
  Mention Très Bien
   
• License es Sciences Economiques: Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration
  Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne (1994)

My research spans epidemiology, disease prevention, and genetics, focusing on understanding complex disease risk factors and translating this knowledge into practical early diagnosis and prevention strategies.

As the director of the Leumit Research Institute, a national health provider serving over 720,000 Israeli citizens, I spearhead the innovative utilization of two decades of electronic patient records. Using data mining, our institute works to unveil novel insights into disease risk factors and mechanisms, and to advance our understanding of health and disease management.

My background in software engineering, complemented by a master’s degree in database theory and engineering, inspires me to incorporate the latest advancements in AI and machine learning in order to improve medical care. This approach is crucial for developing early detection methods for cancer, aiming to lessen the health impact of cancer through early detection and focused intervention. I am also keen on merging clinical and genetic data to better understand specific mutations common in the Israeli population, such as Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, and their wider health implications.

At  Leumit Research Institute, we promote public health research, by collaborating with medical researchers from various fields like internal medicine, infectious diseases, and immunology, to name a few, and with researchers from fellow academic institutions and research institutes worldwide. We focus on understanding how environmental and genetic factors influence different diseases, utilizing electronic medical data.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our research was crucial in following vaccine effectiveness and studying how risk factors correlate with infection rates. Our group was among the first to report the reduction in vaccine effectiveness over time, guiding the decision-making for booster vaccination strategies.

Click here for a list of selected publications.