To study the health benefits of nutraceuticals and nutrition in the treatment of age-related illnesses as well as explore their anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial properties.
Our researchers are focused on the impact of nutrition on human health issues, and also study the health benefits of medicinal cannabis for different types of human diseases.
Collaborate
with us
Dr. Andrea Szuchman-Sapir
Our research focuses on elucidation signal transduction mechanisms in the vessel wall, in particular in the endothelium, and on the generation of specific PUFA- derived metabolites that are potential endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factors (EDHFs).
Current projects aimed to elucidate the role of cytochrome P450-derived specific lipid mediators in vascular homeostasis and dilation that affects blood pressure. In addition, the role of paraoxonase 1 in the endothelium signaling cascades that affect endothelium-dependent relaxation is been investigated.
The department consists of collaboration between different laboratories within the institute including the labs of:
- Vascular Research Signaling
- Microbiome and Human Health
- Integrative Physiology
- Cancer Drug Discovery
- Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases
- Physiology and Cultivation of Mushrooms
- Oxidative Stress and Analytical Chemistry
- Molecular Biology of Chronic Diseases
- Zebrafish laboratory for pre-clinic assays.
The department consists of collaboration between different laboratories within the institute including the labs of:
- Vascular Research Signaling
- Microbiome and Human Health
- Integrative Physiology
- Cancer Drug Discovery
- Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases
- Physiology and Cultivation of Mushrooms
- Oxidative Stress and Analytical Chemistry
- Molecular Biology of Chronic Diseases
- Zebrafish laboratory for pre-clinic assays.
Department Research Groups
Vascular Signaling Research
Principal Researcher
Dr. Andrea Szuchman-Sapir
Our research focuses on elucidation signal transduction mechanisms in the vessel wall, in particular in the endothelium, and on the generation of specific PUFA- derived metabolites tha
Agricultural Biotechnology of Fungi
Principal Researcher
Prof. (Emeritus) Dan Levanon
The mushroom research group at MIGAL is the only unit in Israel, that deals with applied research and development of mushroom cultivation and mushroom products.
Applied Mycology
Principal Researcher
Prof. Segula Masaphy
Research Interests:
Ecology and Biotechnology of Mushroom
Bio-active compounds from mushrooms
Environmental Mycology
Fungal-bacterial interactions
Forest mycology
The aim of my research is to increase the applied knowledge on microbial interactions with their environment, mainly filamentous fungi (including edible mushrooms), either improving their valuable
Insects as Food and Feed
Principal Researcher
Dr. Itai Opatovsky
Research Interests:
The field of insect mass rearing as food and feed or as products of biological control is developing rapidly and can improve dramatically utilizing the innovative
Integrative Physiology
Principal Researcher
Dr. Roee Gutman
Research Interests:
My field of interest is Integrative Physiology, i.e. the broader aspects of physiology, involving and integrating mechanisms and regulatory functions at all biological levels spa
Medicinal Cannabis
Principal Researcher
Dr. Paula Adriana Pitashny
Research Interests:
Our research group is interested in the investigation of the potential medicinal activities of the different cannabis plant species in pre-clinical studies.
2004- Present. Senior Lecturer at Tel Hai College, Upper Galilee, Israel.
MicroRNAs and the Mechanisms of Diseases
Principal Researcher
Dr. Ari Meerson
Research Interests:
The Meerson group studies the molecular and genomic basis of chronic diseases, with a special focus on the function of microRNAs, short RNA molecules that regulate gene expression and are involved
Molecular biology and analytics of medicinal mushroom
Principal Researcher
Natural Products and Analytical Chemistry
Principal Researcher
Prof. Soliman Khatib
Research Interests:
1. Extraction, isolation, structure elucidation and synthesis of natural bioactive compounds from microalgae, plants and mushrooms for the prevention and treatment of human diseases.
Isolation, identification and synthesis of bioactive natural compounds for the prevention and treatment of human diseases, and advanced analytical methods such as, metabolomics for early diagnosis
Nutrition and Human Health
Principal Researcher
Prof. Snait Tamir
Research Interests:
The microbial communities that colonize different regions of the human gut influence many aspects of health.
Plant-based Cancer Drug Discovery
Principal Researcher
Prof. Jamal Mahajna
Research Interests:
Our research interste revolved around natural products who exihibit anti-cancer activity. Our main focus is in overcoming chemoresistance in cancer and in particular,
Our main interest in the cancer drug discovery program revolves around cancer drug resistance, and in particular, in Ph+ leukemia.
Sphingolipids, Natural-Bio Compounds and Immune Modulation Laboratory
Principal Researcher
Dr. Dorit Avni
Research Interests:
Bioactive sphingolipid metabolites, including ceramide, sphingosine and their respective 1-phosphates (C1P and S1P), have gained recognition over the last two decades as key regulators of cellular
We strive to understand the mechanisms of inflammation and cancer that underlie the involvement of sphingolipids and to translate these laboratory discoveries into new the
The Shahar Lab - Molecular Neurodynamics
Principal Researcher
Dr. Or Shahar
Research Interests:
Molecular dynamics in the brain, control of mRNA translation, molecular mechanisms of memory formation, brain development, newly synthesized proteins during aging, genomic stabili
Zebrafish as a Model for Bioactive Discoveries
Principal Researcher
Dr. Karen Jackson
The MIGAL Pre-Clinical Unit is an autonomous laboratory, offering diverse infrastructure for pre-clinical experiments.