A festive kick-off meeting in Carmel marks the opening of a new era of joint research, combining medicine, engineering and artificial intelligence, for the benefit of groundbreaking medical developments..
Carmel Hospital continues to establish its position as a leading medical center in clinical research and academic collaborations. This week, a festive kick-off meeting was held at the hospital, designed to deepen the research collaboration between Carmel doctors and researchers from the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion. The meeting is another strategic step towards creating a joint research ecosystem, which aims to accelerate innovative medical developments and bring tomorrow's medicine to the patient's bedside.
Summit meeting between medical and academic research leaders
The event, held at Carmel Hospital, brought together senior officials from both institutions. Among the participants: Prof. Noam Adir, Vice President for Research at the Technion; Prof. Ami Aharonheim, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine; Director of Carmel Hospital, Prof. Avi Goldberg; Deputy Director of the Hospital, Dr. Sharon Kama; Chairman of the Carmel Research Authority, Prof. Walid Salibaand Chairman of the Education and Academia Committee, Prof. Debbie Zisman.
Prof. Saliba He emphasized that research is "the hospital's growth engine," and that the collaboration with the Technion allows doctors to turn daily clinical challenges into scientific breakthroughs.
Prof. Adir from the Technion, he added that the connection between Carmel's clinical knowledge and the Technion's technological capabilities is a "true force multiplier" that will lead to significant medical developments.
Six groundbreaking studies are underway
At the center of the meeting, six joint research axes were presented, combining medicine, engineering, technology and artificial intelligence:
- Minimally invasive throat surgeries: Dr. Ariel Roitman (Carmel) and Dr. Assaf Marom (Technion) will examine an innovative endoscopic technique to improve the results of vocal cord surgeries.
- Hope for pulmonary fibrosis patients: Dr. Juhad Khoury (Carmel) and Prof. Zaid Abbasi (Technion) will study a new receptor that may be a therapeutic target for this serious disease.
- Artificial intelligence for early diagnosis of lung diseases: Prof. Michal Steinberg (Carmel) and Prof. Yoni Savir (Technion) are developing an AI system that will detect bronchiectasis from chest x-rays and medical records.
- Brain and auditory space research: Dr. Ohad Rechnitz (Carmel) and Prof. Dori Derdikman (Technion) will perform advanced mapping of the hippocampus and auditory cortex.
- Smart rehabilitation after knee replacement: Dr. Yaron Berkovich (Carmel) and Dr. Ariel Fisher (Technion) will develop a wearable sensor system for gait analysis and personalized rehabilitation.
- Detecting heart arrhythmias using a smartwatch: Dr. Jorge Shalmiaser (Carmel) and Prof. Yael Yaniv (Technion) are developing a Deep Learning algorithm that will detect atrial fibrillation with a short and simple measurement.
The future is here: Research leading to life-saving treatment
Carmel Hospital emphasizes that the kick-off meeting is just the beginning of a long shared journey. The hospital management has pledged to continue investing resources, support, and infrastructure in the advancement of medical research.
According to them, "Today's research is tomorrow's life-saving treatment," and the connection between Carmel and the Technion proves that when medicine and technology meet, the result is innovation that promotes the health of the entire public.