A New Center for Public and Environmental Health Launched at the Faculty of Medicine
The center brings together researchers, epidemiologists, and physicians with the goal of protecting the population from infectious diseases and environmental pollution
12 infants and young children have died from complications of measles in recent months. Cities including Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Tiberias, Safed, and Petah Tikva have been declared outbreak hotspots, particularly in areas with high population density and low vaccination rates.
How do we combat a measles outbreak? How can vaccination uptake be encouraged? And how can the public be protected from severe complications of the disease?
The measles outbreak was the focus of a lecture by Prof. Zohar Mor from Israel’s Ministry of Health, delivered as part of the launch event of the new Center for Public and Environmental Health, which was inaugurated last week at Bar-Ilan University’s Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee. “The lecture addressed the causes of the outbreak and demonstrated how data, experience, and coordinated professional action can protect the public and improve responses to infectious diseases. It is an excellent example of the connection between research and clinical practice and their direct impact on public health,” says Prof. Michael Edelstein, one of the leaders of the new center.
Two Fields, One Goal: A Healthier Population
The new center focuses on two complementary fields. The first, public health, addresses health issues at the population level rather than the individual level, including vaccination programs, initiatives to combat the obesity epidemic, outbreak and pandemic prevention, and health system management. The second, environmental health, examines environmental factors that affect population health, such as access to parks and green spaces, smoking bans in public areas, prevention of air and water pollution, and smart hospital design to reduce hospital-acquired infections. “These two fields complement one another, and the goal of our center is to advance research in both areas, ultimately improving public protection, health, and quality of life,” says Prof. Edelstein.
A World-Class Team of Experts
Prof. Edelstein is an internationally recognized expert in public health and the epidemiology of infectious diseases. He leads the center alongside Prof. Karen Agay-Shay, an expert in environmental epidemiology, and Dr. Yousef Aouni, an orthopedic surgeon, Director of the Consultant Medicine Center at Migdal HaEmek–Nazareth, and Deputy Director of Clalit Health Services’ Northern District. Additional faculty members involved in the center include Dr. Sivan Spitzer, who specializes in population health and health equity; Prof. Nadav Davidovitch, a physician specializing in epidemiology and public health as well as the history and sociology of health; and Dr. Yair Daon, an expert in computational epidemiology.
From the Lab to the Hospital Ward: Collaboration That Delivers Results
Bar-Ilan University’s Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee operates within an ecosystem of social medicine and has made improving public health in the north, at both the macro and micro levels, a central mission. The new center is designed to connect public and environmental health researchers with community physicians and doctors in hospitals affiliated with the faculty, creating research synergy that leads to innovative, high-impact solutions for the population. “Our goal is to establish a multidisciplinary center engaged in active research in public and environmental health, and to create a platform that integrates the work of researchers and clinicians,” says Prof. Edelstein.
Accordingly, the launch event included not only Prof. Mor’s lecture, but also networking sessions between researchers and physicians, research profile presentations highlighting participants’ fields of study, and professional “speed dating” sessions designed to foster future collaborations.
The new center joins a growing research network established by the Faculty of Medicine, which includes nine dedicated research centers aimed at strengthening research infrastructure in the Galilee and promoting multidisciplinary, relevant, and impactful research in public health. Existing centers in the network include the Women’s Health Center, the Center for Genetics and Malignant Diseases, and the Center for Regenerative and Developmental Medicine. “I invite professionals interested in public health and environmental health—both clinicians and researchers—to contact us, explore exciting opportunities, and develop meaningful research collaborations in these fields,” Prof. Edelstein concludes.