The Israel Cancer Research Fund Awards its Top Grant to Sheba's Dr. Benjamin Dekel for Research in Pediatric Kidney Cancers
The Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF), a North American organization devoted to supporting cancer research in Israel, has awarded its Clinical Research Career Development Award (CRCDA) to Dr. Benjamin Dekel (MD/PhD) of the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer in Israel. The CRCDA is the organization's largest and most prestigious award for a physician-scientist, and has only been awarded twice before.
Dr. Benjamin Dekel's work focuses on the elimination of cancerous stem cells in pediatric kidney cancers. He is a global leader in adult and embryonic kidney stem cell manipulation, with which he seeks to cure renal disease and combat kidney organ shortage. His current research concentrates on isolation and characterization of cancer stem cells from renal tumors for possible targeted therapy of these cells and eradication of the tumors.
The Clinical Research Career Development Award, totaling $135,000 (the organization's largest competitive grant) was awarded to Dr. Dekel for a period of three years. The award will formally be bestowed by the ICRF at the Knesset on Sunday, October 26, 2008.
"We are thrilled that Dr. Dekel's world-leading research in cancerous stem cells and in pediatric nephrology is being recognized in this way. Six years ago, Sheba identified Dr. Dekel is one the brightest young clinicians and research scientists in the State of Israel, and we selected him for the first class of our "Talpiot" medical leadership advancement program," said Sheba Medical Center director Prof. Zeev Rotstein. "Clearly, the investment has paid off!"
Dr. Dekel is a senior physician in the Department of Pediatrics and the Pediatric Nephrology Unit, and founder of the Pediatric Stem Cell Research Institute, at Sheba's Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital. He is also an associate in the Sheba Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research. His research in kidneys and cancer over the past five years has been supported by Sheba's unique "Talpiot" Medical Leadership Program, which advances outstanding young physicians and scientists and provides them with early-stage funding for their post-doctoral education and research, and prepares them for leadership positions in healthcare.
While completing his doctoral studies at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Dr. Dekel was one of the first scientists in the world to succeed in isolating adult kidney stem cells. His studies on the growth and differentiation, immunogenicity and function of embryonic organ kidney precursors following transplantation (published in Nature Medicine, 2003), paved the way for the "growing kidneys" concept, where functional miniature human and pig kidneys were developed in situ, and these could hopefully lead to replacement therapy for patients with end-stage kidney disease. He also has published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Transplantation, Stem Cells, Kidney International, Cancer Research and other leading journals.
Dr. Dekel's work can be viewed at /PediatricStemCell
Learn more about the "Talpiot" Medical Leadership Program at /TalpiotSheba
