Judith Hocherman-Frommer always envisioned an academic career at the Technion. After all, she spent 10 years there. She received three degrees in electrical engineering and control systems. After a postdoc at Princeton University, she taught as an adjunct lecturer for three years, while working full time at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
“I thought I would get some real-world experience before immersing myself in academia,” she said. She intended to stay for one year, but 27 years later, Hocherman-Frommer is the executive vice president for research and development (R&D) at Rafael.
She is responsible for setting the R&D strategy, finding trends, and determining where to put the research dollars for investment. She also oversees systems engineering and is responsible for collaborations with academia and businesses.
There are several collaborative programs with the Technion from teaching and student employment to collaboration in research. They send employees to the University to do research and the Technion sends students to do their degrees at Rafael. In some cases, employees are getting degrees from the Technion while doing their research at Rafael’s facilities.
“The Technion makes a great contribution to the qualitative competitive edge of Israel, which is extremely important for the country,” she said. “Many of our employees are Technion alumni and other leading industries employ Technion graduates.”
When Hocherman-Frommer began her studies at the Technion in 1984, she was one of only about 10 women in a class of hundreds in electrical engineering. But it was never a concern to her, nor did she face any obstacles or discrimination.
Today, there are times when she is the only woman at the table, particularly in meetings with high-ranking military officers, but she has never felt out of place or disrespected. “I am appreciated for the contributions I make.”
Hocherman-Frommer is very proud of the role Rafael plays in keeping Israel safe. At the end of 2019, Forbes magazine rated two of Rafael’s innovations among the 12 most significant defense systems of the decade: Iron Dome and Trophy, both of which are playing major roles in the current Hamas-Israel war.
Iron Dome has saved thousands upon thousands of lives. Its ability to destroy rockets in mid-air with more than 90% accuracy allows Israelis to live life in war with some degree of normalcy. Trophy has saved the lives of countless soldiers. It protects tanks from anti-tank guided missiles and high-explosive artillery.
“After the Forbes article, I thought, what do I have to invest in now for the next decade?” She’s sure Iron Beam will be the next super innovation. It uses a high-energy laser interceptor, and not a missile, to destroy targets, and is expected to be ready by 2025.
Of her alma mater, Hocherman-Frommer said, “The Technion makes a great contribution to the qualitative competitive edge of Israel, which is extremely important for the country.
“The Technion is a place of excellence. Working hard and striving to excel are the keys to success. I got this from the Technion.”
In a pivotal scene in the blockbuster film “Barbie,” the CEO of Mattel fumes: “No one rests until this doll is back in the box,” referring to Barbie’s escape from his toy universe into the real world (where, for instance, she swaps her pink high heels for some no-nonsense Birkenstocks.)
Like the film’s “Barbie,” Technion alumna Neta Blum B.Sc., M.Sc. has long railed against the stereotypes and double standards that often keep women in a box. Today, the aerospace engineer heads a technological division in Israel’s Ministry of Defense’s R&D body, has earned a place in Forbes Israel’s “30 Under 30,” was named one of 50 most influential Jews in The Jerusalem Post, and has become an inspiration to young girls everywhere.
“I always wanted to study new fields and to get out of my comfort zone,” she said. “I was always looking for the next step in my career.”
Blum grew up in Maryland and moved to Israel at age 17 to attend the Brakim excellence program, a joint Technion-Israel Defense Forces initiative that combines academic studies with military training. She was the only woman in a class of 20, and one of 10 students left standing at the completion of the rigorous four-year course. After graduation she served in the Israeli Air Force investigating airplane crashes, before joining the defense ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D).
At the DDR&D, which is responsible for developing and overseeing research and defense technology, managing short-and-long-term projects, and training the next generation of defense tech professionals, she became the first woman and youngest person ever to head the Aviation Sciences Section. There, she led and developed Israel’s first 3D-printed UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), SkysPrinter. She then became the first woman head of the Cyber Section and the first woman to head her current division. While her work is classified, she is still developing cutting-edge technology that protects Israel. “Our work is vital for staying ahead of evolving threats, and ensuring the nation’s defense capabilities remain robust,” she said. “I love making a meaningful impact on Israel’s security. And the tools I received at the Technion gave me the ability to lead such technological game changers.
Blum followed her father’s path to the Technion, where she is now finishing her Ph.D. Her research explores the applicability of a principle from structural mechanics to soft biological tissues, specifically for potential advancements in cancer diagnosis. Post October 7, she was invited to present her Ph.D. research at an international conference in Rome. “Despite not being able to attend physically, due to my position in the Ministry of Defense, it was crucial for me to participate via Zoom,” she said. “As the only presenter from Israel, I wanted to emphasize our nation’s commitment to scientific contributions, even in challenging times.”
Blum credits the Technion for equipping her with the technical skills essential for success, “and for instilling in me the importance of breaking barriers.” In addition to her many career “firsts,” Blum founded the “AT” program (Hebrew for “you” feminine) to encourage high school female students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. “From a young age, I’ve always been working mostly with men, and I wanted to change that,” she said. “Our message is clear: ‘You can do it.’”
Despite advances in technology, providing amputees with prosthetics that mimic real limbs is an ongoing challenge. They may be more aesthetically pleasing than they used to be but are not necessarily practical. For example, a prosthetic hand may help wearers hold a cup and drink from it, but making the coffee, using a computer, or playing the piano involves much more complexity.
“Many people who have lost a hand give up on the prosthesis after a short period because it is heavy, cumbersome, and its effectiveness is very limited,” said Dean Zadok, a Ph.D. student in the Henry and Marilyn Taub Faculty of Computer Science. “We are trying to develop lightweight, comfortable, and efficient solutions” that enable precise and sensitive hand actions and finger movements.
Zadok developed a robotic hand that allows the wearer to play the piano and type on a keyboard. His system uses ultrasound that reads muscle movements. It was developed with three Technion faculty members: Professor Alon Wolf, a robotics and biomechanics expert from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Professor Alex Bronstein (computational learning), and Dr. Oren Salzman (robotics), both from the Faculty of Computer Science.
The device attaches to the forearm and interprets the user’s intentions based on muscle movements, including complicated and fine gestures. Most smart prosthetics currently rely on sensor stickers attached to the skin to interpret muscle signals.
According to Zadok, “This technology is very limiting, and what we are proposing is a new approach based on ultrasound, providing real-time dynamic information about relevant muscle movements for hand and finger motions.”
The researchers are currently working on enhancing the hand’s capabilities. They believe this significant leap will substantially advance the field of prosthetics, providing many users with an improved quality of life.
Dean Zadok received both his bachelor’s (’19) and master’s (’22) degrees in computer science from the Technion. He began his work on the ultrasound solution during his graduate studies, where he volunteered in Prof. Wolf’s lab and at Haifa 3D, a nonprofit that provides free 3D-printed prosthetic hands to Israeli children. He also spent the summer of 2023 at the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute as a visiting scholar.
“I always wanted to apply my knowledge for the benefit of human health. Algorithms find their application in a variety of fields, and I am glad I could harness it for the important topic of improving prosthetics for those who have suffered.”
This research is supported by the European Research Council, Israel’s Ministry of Science and Technology, the Israel-U.S. Binational Science Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Wein Family Foundation.
American non-profit health insurer Highmark has added an Israeli migraine treatment band to the items covered by its insurance policies.
The Nerivio Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) migraine band, developed by Netanya-based Theranica, is placed on the upper arm as soon as a migraine starts (or even used as a preventative measure), and vibrates at an intensity just below the patient’s pain threshold.
It causes nerve fibers in the body to deliver a message to the brain, where it decides that the sensation is harmless and releases neurotransmitters to prevent the sufferer from feeling pain – including in their head. The band can be used on people 12 and older.
The addition by Highmark, which covers around 7 million people in the Pennsylvania area, came after the completion of its own November 2022 study of the band’s clinical benefits, involving more than 384 chronic migraine sufferers.
The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology — established a quarter of a century before Israel became an independent nation — has been inexorably linked to the State’s security since its inception.
For 100 years, the Technion has been the technological backbone of Israel. Nearly all aspects of the nation’s industrial, agricultural, scientific, and defense capabilities have been driven by Technion students, graduates, or faculty members.
Technion aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science graduates are sought out by Israel’s leading defense companies to solve challenges unique to Israel’s defense needs. Alumni are leading teams that develop missile defense systems, underground tunnel detection devices, and drone technology that allows ground troops to survey potentially dangerous urban areas from a safe distance. They are deterring cyberattacks, aiding Homefront Command in planning civilian shelters, and safeguarding strategic facilities.
The Technion imbues its students with an existential obligation to break barriers and make the impossible possible.
Iron Dome
Iron Dome, one of Israel’s most remarkable defense systems, has saved thousands upon thousands of lives. During the current war with Hamas, its protection allows Israelis to live life with some degree of normalcy. But if not for Technion-instilled drive, it may never have come to fruition.
When the nation experienced a massive rocket bombardment by Hezbollah in 2006, the need for a short-range anti-missile defense system was identified. The idea for Iron Dome was developed by Technion alumnus Chanoch Levin who led a team at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems made up of 350 of Israel’s best engineers. His core team members were all Technion alumni.
Originally no one believed it could be done. “This is like hitting a butterfly with a stone,” said one critic.
“Imagine a Coke bottle flying several times faster than the speed of sound on an irregular course. Intercepting it seems far-fetched,” said Levin.
The Israeli air force, missile experts from the U.S., and the media all initially panned the idea, saying it could never be done. Rather than crushing their spirits, the criticism and doubt only spurred them to succeed.
“Maybe we should thank the media. Because when you read a cynical article, you say to yourself, ‘Let’s show them’ and you tackle the project, invigorated,” said a systems engineer (and Technion alumnus) for the interceptor and launcher.
Failure was also seen as a necessary ingredient to success. “We developed a work culture of risk-taking, based on the understanding that failures teach you a lot, too,” he said.
Iron Dome assesses and identifies rocket and artillery shell threats between 2.5 miles to 45 miles away, destroying them in 15 seconds. With a success rate of more than 90%, it was developed in only three years on a shoestring budget, winning full support and funding from the Israeli air force and the United States government.
Arrow Anti-Missile
Following the Gulf War in 1991, when Israel was hit by 39 missiles, Israel set to work designing a long-range mobile defense system. Developed at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) by Technion alumni, including team leader Dov Raviv, the Arrow technology demonstrator was developed. Following its successful construction and testing, production on Arrow 2 immediately began. Arrow 2 destroys ballistic missiles in the upper atmosphere.
In 2008, another team of Technion graduates at IAI, led by alumna Inbal Kreiss, developed Arrow 3, which is capable of intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles carrying nuclear, chemical, or biological warheads as far as 1,500 miles away, during the space-flight portion of their trajectory.
“We must be ready on time, and we must be ready before our enemies,” said Kreiss. She said her guiding principle to “Be first; be excellent” was learned at the Technion and that her staff was comprised of so many Technion alumni they would joke that they haven’t left the University.
She credits the Technion for creating an atmosphere of perseverance, refusing to settle for less than excellence and instilling the determination to overcome challenges.
As Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion once said of this spirit: “The difficult we do immediately. The impossible takes a little longer.”
Arrow 3 was used for the first time in November 2023 when Iran-backed Houthi terrorists fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel. The anti-missile system successfully intercepted them over the Red Sea. Arrow 2 has also been used during the Hamas-Israel war.
David’s Sling and Iron Beam
Israel’s newest defense systems, David’s Sling and Iron Beam – both developed at Rafael – also involved teams of Technion graduates. With coverage three times greater than Iron Dome, David’s Sling identifies and destroys airborne threats from 25 miles to 190 miles away. It became operational in 2017 and has been used in the Hamas-Israel war, intercepting rockets launched at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iron Beam, still under development, uses a high-energy laser interceptor, and not a missile, to destroy targets.
A data analytics company in Israel is offering its artificial intelligence tools to help predict where and when the country will suffer rocket attacks during the ongoing war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip – even suggesting the optimal time to take a shower without interruption.
Sisense which uses machine learning to analyze data for companies, has made its technology available to Israeli government bodies and other institutions during the conflict.
Israel has been under continuous rocket fire from Gaza since October 7, when terrorists breached the border fence into Israel, killing 1,400 people and abducting at least 240 more. More than 8,000 rockets have been launched at the country since then.
A launch by the Iron Dome missile defense system, which intercepts projectiles fired at Israel from Gaza (IDF Spokesperson’s Office)
While most of the projectiles are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, the system is not infallible and the threat of the rockets – as well as falling shrapnel from interceptions – means Israelis still must rush into bomb shelters when the air raid sirens sound.
“Our platform helps to tap into large, fragmented sets of complex data sources, immediately make sense of all of these data sources and model them into a single source,” Sisense Chief Product Officer Ayala Michelson tells NoCamels.
“We help [companies] query the data behind the scenes, and then visualize it however they want in their applications. And we have a suite of tools to help them do that,” she says.
The platform can be easily integrated into existing systems without having to rewrite code or make other changes to data management, Michelson explains.
“It’s just a drag and drop wizard,” she says. “We know how to access all of the different data sources, and we know how to bring them into the same structure.”
The Sisense platform uses data analytics to try to predict where and when rockets will be fired from Gaza at Israel (Courtesy)
Once the platform has been integrated, the Sisense system aggregates the often multifaceted data, providing forecasts of what will happen and why the data points to that prediction.
“We know how to take the data which is complex for many people and put it in simple words that we call it narratives,” Michelsen says.
She gives the example of a retail company that experiences a peak in sales on a certain day, which can look at different factors that correlate to that uptick.
And, according to Michelsen, the same principles are true when looking at trends in rocket fire.
“You can query the data in simple words and tell me: How many rockets were fired between Thursday to Sunday? What are the most probable areas that I should avoid going to on a Friday night?” she explains.
Once the war began, the Ramat Gan-based company quickly built an internal dashboard to monitor the air raid sirens, Michelsen says, and began to use it to predict trends such as the best time to take a shower and which locations were most likely to be attacked.
Rocket fire directed at Israel from the Gaza Strip, October 2023 (Screenshot)
As well as predicting rocket fire, Michelsen says, the platform can be used to help charitable organizations keep track of donations during the war – be it funding, food or equipment – and find the best place to distribute them.
“A lot of organizations are getting a lot of goods or money and it’s hard for them to keep track of who donated what,” she says.
“On the other hand, they also have a lot of people who need those goods and money and it’s hard for them to do that mix and match.”
The system can help to understand which donation centers are likely to be in short supply of which necessities and then draw on the data to find those goods from other locations.
Sisense itself is also providing wartime support on a more practical level, allowing employees to donate their time during working hours and raising funds to purchase essentials for soldiers and others affected by the conflict.
A kindergarten at Kibbutz Be’eri after the community was attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7 (Yoav Keren)
A member of the company’s team is from Kibbutz Be’eri, Michelsen says. While she was not there when the Hamas terrorists rampaged through the Gaza border community and killed more than 100 of its residents, they used her home in such a way that she can never return to it.
Some of the money raised by Sisense will go to the kibbutz, which was almost completely devastated in the October 7 attack and could take years to rebuild.
The company is currently providing free licenses for its software to the Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command, Israeli charities and foundations, and local councils.
“These are not examples of its day-to-day use,” Michelsen says of the technology. “But in these troubling times, this is a great way to utilize our platform.”
Israel was plunged into war on October 7, when Hamas terrorists from Gaza launched an unprecedented attack on the country’s southern border communities, killing 1,400 people, abducting hundreds and wounding thousands more.
And for the more than 1.5 million people in Israel living with disabilities, it has been a time of quiet suffering, frequently isolated and struggling to ask for the practical and emotional help they need.
Determined to aid this often overlooked community, an organization that supports autistic people has created a new online service to help them get that assistance.
The ESNA Initiative (short for Emergency Special Needs Assistance) acts as a universal portal for disabled people who have a specific need or request, but feel unable to search for it themselves.
A screenshot from the ESNA website. The text in yellow reads: “You are not alone”
The platform brings together specialist organisations, helplines, professionals and volunteers in one place, in order to ease the process of finding the best response to a disabled person’s specific need from a potentially overwhelming maze of resources.
Once the person has completed a simple online form, the volunteers staffing the ESNA platform reach out to help them make contact with the relevant body or professionals.
“Our volunteers make the match, contact an organization, ask them if they can help this specific person, make that connection and ensure that the problem has been solved,” Ilana Mushkin, one of the creators of the initiative, tells NoCamels.
The initiative was born out of Hackautism, an organisation encouraging startups that ease the daily lives of people with autism. Following the events of October 7, Hackautism co-founder Mushkin brought together women connected to that organization to find a way of supporting Israel’s disabled community.
These women included Hackautism spokesperson Karin Tamir and Moria Barak, the founder of StellarAI, a startup to train autistic people in the field of AI data classification.
Hackautism co-founder Rimon Tubin, left, with his son Yuval, who inspired him to create the organization (Courtesy)
There are many resources for people with disabilities, says Mushkin. The problem is that narrowing it down to which hotline or organization is best suited for the individual can be daunting, especially in times of war when people are under extraordinary stress.
“I would guess that there are hundreds if not thousands of organizations and hotlines out there,” she says. “There are so many of them right now, but you have to know how to reach them and make sure your request gets processed.”
The ESNA initiative began as a WhatsApp group, which was almost instantly flooded with requests for help.
“We realized that if we wanted to be able to really give help on a large scale, we needed a system that was much more sustainable,” says Mushkin.
Using technology donated by monday.com, a NASDAQ-listed project management software company based in Tel Aviv, ESNA was able to create a bespoke platform that handles both incoming requests and its many points of contact for assistance.
ESNA began as a WhatsApp group, which was almost instantly flooded with requests for help (Courtesy Porapak Apichodilok/Pexels)
“The system lets us receive a large number of requests for help and deal with them very efficiently,” she explains.
Volunteers use a triage system, categorizing each request in order of urgency and dealing with the most time-sensitive issues first.
And for the people in need of assistance, says Mushkin, the site is as simple as it can be.
The webpage includes just five links. The first four links are: for individuals seeking help, which leads to the simple request form; for urgent cases, which leads to a WhatsApp chat with an ESNA volunteer; for would-be volunteers; and for organizations and operation centers wishing to participate in the initiative.
The final link leads to a Zoom meeting room, which is open every day from 8am to 10pm and is also staffed by ESNA volunteers.
“It’s for the people that need to talk to somebody,” says Mushkin of the Zoom feature.
“Maybe they can’t fill out a form, maybe they’re too frazzled to even wrap their heads around it.
“They can go into our Zoom room where someone will talk to them, help them fill out the form, and connect them to an expert in the field in real-time if need be.”
Illustrative: For individuals who feel to frazzled to fill out a form, there is an ESNA Zoom room that is open from 8am to 10pm (Courtesy Anna Shvets/Pexels)
The hundreds of people who have already used the platform have sought assistance with a wide range of issues.
One case, shares Mushkin, was of a mother with two children on the autism spectrum who came under fire from Hamas terrorists while evacuating their community in the south of the country. Israeli soldiers saved them at the very last minute, and the family managed to reach the safety of Even Yehuda, a town in central Israel.
ESNA was able to quickly find volunteers from the same city to bring them food and provide them with psychological support.
Another case was of a blind woman who was evacuated from Nahariya on the Lebanese border, and had been forced to leave her home without her cane. She found refuge at a hotel in Tel Aviv, but was unable to replace her cane unaided.
ESNA volunteers helped buy and deliver a replacement cane for a blind woman who was evacuated from northern Israel (Courtesy Eren Li/Pexels)
ESNA was able to contact a center for the blind to open their shop for one of the organization’s volunteers to buy a replacement cane and deliver it to her.
“No bot, no AI, nothing like that could have answered these kinds of cases,” says Mushkin.
ESNA is not the only initiative offering services to disabled people in need. Other initiatives include Shavvim (Hebrew for equals), an online media outlet for people with disabilities, which has collaborated with former member of Knesset and deaf activist Shirly Pinto to open a 24/7 situation room.
This project also aids individuals who need help with essential requests such as finding psychological assistance, refilling prescriptions and buying groceries.
ESNA’s partners include the National Israeli Society for Children and Adults with Autism (ALUT), which provides a range of services for people with autism of all ages nationwide; Access Israel, whose main mission is to promote accessibility and inclusion among all sectors; and Brothers in Arms, an organisation of IDF reservists who provide full-time aid and relief to those in need.
A Hackautism volunteer (Courtesy)
The platform also has 15 other initiatives created through Hackautism that are available to assist with specific requests. “We are proud to offer innovative solutions to the challenges we now face,” says Rimon Tubin, co-founder of Hackautism.
The entire ESNA platform is managed by a team of around two dozen volunteers and ESNA is actively seeking more help to address the growing number of daily requests.
“People can volunteer in an impactful way from their home or from their office,” says Mushkin.
“All it takes is to go into our system and connect these people with the organizations that could best help them,” she explains. “It’s very gratifying.”
Kfar Aza resident Neta Portal woke up to the sound of warning sirens in her apartment with her partner Santiago on the morning of October 7. Despite hiding out in their safe room, terrorists penetrated the door with bullets before throwing a grenade that forced Neta and Santiago to flee from the apartment through a window. While escaping, Neta retained seven gunshot wounds to her legs while Santiago suffered from a gunshot to his back. The couple was ultimately rescued and treated in the hospital, but both still have a long way to go to heal.
Now, Neta is back on her feet – literally – thanks to Assistant Professor Dana Solav of the Technion Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Dr. Amir Haim, director of the Biomechanical Rehabilitation Unit and senior physician at the Loewenstein Rehabilitation Center. The two created a unique orthotic device tailored specifically for Neta based on 3D scans of her leg to aid her in walking while her injured ankle is unable to bear weight. They developed the technology under the guidance of Professor Alon Wolf during their studies at the Technion and have maintained a rewarding professional relationship since.
The device’s purpose is to enable the recovery of mobility while practicing natural and symmetrical walking under the requirement that the ankle is entirely or partially offloaded. It effectively transfers weight to the healthy part of the leg above the injury, allowing walking without causing pain. It features an adjustment mechanism that allows for a gradual and measured increase of weight-bearing of the affected part of the leg, according to the level permitted by the clinical condition.
According to Prof. Solav, the device allows the knee and hip joints to move and function normally, which helps prevent muscle atrophy and bone density reduction – especially in long-term rehabilitation processes. The 3D scanning technology eliminates the need for a traditional plaster cast, and the computational design process facilitates the fabrication process, which combines a lightweight aluminum frame and 3D-printed parts.
Along with her research team of students and engineers, Prof. Solav is continuing to develop and improve the device for other uses, such as assisting diabetic patients who cannot walk due to pressure ulcers on their feet. The team is also planning to conduct clinical trials in collaboration with Loewenstein Rehabilitation Center and hopes to see how the orthosis can aid in walking rehabilitation.
In an interview with Ynet, Neta shared her gratitude and optimism: “Before the operation, thanks to the Technion’s device, I already managed to take several steps and jump on my right leg. It’s important for me to say that the work carried out by the team is amazing, and it has become an integral part of my rehab. They were very attentive and responsive. I was in a wheelchair for almost three months, and thanks to them, I went back to walking on my feet, even if not completely. They don’t know yet whether I will fully recover, but I hope so.”
Professor Daniella Raveh became dean of the Technion’s Faculty of Aerospace Engineering on January 1, 2024. She is the first woman to have obtained this position at the University. An alumna of the Faculty, she graduated with honors and went on to earn both a master’s and Ph.D. degree at the Technion. She became a prominent researcher and a popular lecturer in the Faculty.
“I’m honored to become the dean of the Faculty where I once studied, and where I have spent many years conducting research and teaching,” said Prof. Raveh.
“Aerospace engineering is a field suitable for both men and women, and every skilled engineer who graduates from the Faculty is assured of engaging work in the field. As an aerospace engineer, I have been fortunate to work with captivating subjects daily,” she added.
Prof. Raveh’s field of expertise is aeroelasticity, which concerns the interaction of aerodynamic forces and flexible structures. Today, as lighter and more flexible aircraft are being designed globally, a thorough study of aeroelastic phenomena is essential to understanding their flight performance. Prof. Raveh’s team researches high-fidelity models for aeroelastic analysis and conducts wind tunnel and flight tests to explore all aspects of this field.
For decades, the Technion has made a concerted effort to recruit women into STEM fields. This year’s freshman class is nearly 50% female, and more women are pursuing graduate and postgraduate degrees. Additionally, Prof. Raveh’s appointment is a testament to the Technion’s commitment to nurturing and developing talent within its ranks. Her journey in the Faculty reflects the University’s continuous efforts to train outstanding alumni to contribute significantly to aerospace science.
“I’m very proud that this Faculty is now headed by a female dean who will inspire and serve as a role model for young women,” said Professor Uri Sivan, president of the Technion.
As dean, Prof. Raveh is responsible for implementing the Faculty’s academic program, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and research, upholding high standards of research and teaching, and advancing the Faculty’s world-renown reputation and accomplishments. Her perspective as an alumna is advantageous for the Faculty’s continuous endeavor to offer students and researchers an optimal environment for their studies and research.
Researchers at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa have developed a new tool to determine whether a cancer patient is predisposed to an advanced kind of treatment called immunotherapy.
The immune system contains “checkpoints” to prevent it from attacking cancer cells too strongly, as this would also potentially damage nearby healthy cells.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) suppress this action and allow the immune system to attack the cancer cells, but they are only effective in less than 40 percent of patients and tools currently being used to predict the drug’s efficacy are not completely accurate.
Now, according to Prof. Keren Yizhak and Ofir Shorer, how well a patient responds to ICI therapy can be predicted by the metabolic activity in their immune system cells, as they battle any cancer cells in their environment for nutrients and other resources.
The two are members of the Technion’s Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and the Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences.
To make sure of the accuracy of the tool, Yizhak and Shorer analyzed some 1,700 metabolic genes taken from over one million immune cells of cancer patients receiving ICI.
The study was recently published under the title “Metabolic predictors of response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy” by the US National Center for Biotechnology Information.
