Groundbreaking innovation in the Carmel Medical Center genetics laboratory

Carmel Medical Center is introducing new and advanced services in the genetics laboratory, with the addition of a professional oncogenetic unit that enables personalized medicine at the highest level. Dr. Jumana Hadad Halon, Director of the Carmel Genetics Laboratory, reports: "In 2024, we identified and reported more than half a million mutations, with our professional and high-quality laboratory team working tirelessly for all patients in the north."

The Molecular Genetics Laboratory operates within the Medical Genetics Institute of Carmel Medical Center under the successful management of Dr. Amir Peled, and provides comprehensive services in the field of molecular genetic diagnosis. The service is provided to the hospital's genetic clinic as well as to other departments, including Clalit insured persons in the Haifa district and other hospitals.

The laboratory performs screening tests for the general healthy population to identify couples at risk of having children with serious hereditary diseases. Among the advanced tests is the Unified Screening Test, which tests for approximately 650 changes in 350 different genes. The test is performed using NGS (Next-Generation Sequencing) deep sequencing technology using the Target Enrichment method.

The laboratory also provides BRCA screening services for women of Ashkenazi origin, tests to diagnose hereditary diseases such as FMF, identification of family mutations, prenatal diagnostics and CMA tests (the genetic chip), along with other services. Over the past year, a professional oncogenetic unit that previously operated within the framework of community medicine and specialized in personalized medicine joined the laboratory. This unit performs pharmacogenetic tests, pre-chemotherapy tests, an ONCO51 mutation panel that includes common mutations that increase the risk of cancer, as well as an advanced sequencing panel that tests 113 cancer genes. The innovative service is provided to all hospitals across the country and to patients of the Carmel Genetic Clinic.

Dr. Haddad Halon adds: "Our laboratory operates thanks to a professional team of 20 employees, including 8 with PhD degrees. Thanks to the expertise and investment of the team, in 2024 we performed over 35 tests and reported over half a million mutations."

Prominent among the laboratory team are Dr. Flavio Leibkowitz, PhD, director of the oncogenetic unit in the laboratory, Dr. Rona Pell, PhD, head of the cytogenetic chip department, Dr. Harel Saltz, PhD, head of the bioinformatics team, Ms. Olga Krivoruk, MSC, head of the molecular department in the laboratory, and many others.

Dr. Paninit Shaked Mishan, Director of the Carmel Laboratory System, notes that "Our team is updated in real time with the most advanced scientific information and new trends in the field of human genome. Our laboratory leads in high quality thanks to its outstanding human capital, and provides services at the highest level in the country."

Carmel Medical Center continues to innovate and lead the field of genetic diagnosis, while constantly improving medical services for its patients and for the advancement of personalized medicine in Israel.