Head of Pediatric Department A, Safra Children’s Hospital, Head JMF Center Sheba Medical Center, Head National lab for validating SCID in newborn screening program, Sheba Medical Center, Full professor, Medical School, Tel Aviv University
LinkedIn
My Lab: https://www.razsomechlab.com
Education
2004-2007 Postgraduate Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
2001-2004 Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ph.D.
1988-1995 Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, IsraeI, M.D.
Affiliations
1996: MD (Tel-Aviv University), 2002: Expert in Pediatrics, 2006: PhD Molecular Biology, Tel-Aviv University, 2007: Expert in Immunology/Allergy, 2016 Licensed by the Israeli Ministry of Health to be the national Lab for confirming immunodeficiency through NBS for SCID, member, International Union of Immunological Societies Expert Committee for Inborn Errors of Immunity.
Professional Experience
2004-2006 Chief fellow, Immunology & Allergy Division, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
2006-2007 Assistant Clinical Professor, Immunology & Allergy Division, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
2008-Present Instructor, Medical Education Program, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University
2008-Present Senior Scientist, Cancer Research Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer
2010-Present Director, Pediatric Department B North, "Edmond and Lily Safra" Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer.
2010-2013 Senior Lecturer, Division of Pediatrics, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University
2011-2023 Head, Israeli Primary Immunodeficiency Society, part of the Israeli Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
2011-Present Head, Jeffrey Modell Foundation center for diagnostic and research in primary immunodeficiency
2013-2019 Associate Professor, Division of Pediatrics, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University
2016-Present Head, Lab for validating newborn screening for SCID, Ministry of Health (MOH), Israel
2019-Present Full Professor, Division of Pediatrics, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University
2019-Present International Union of Immunological Societies Expert Committee for Inborn Errors of Immunity
Research Interests
Dr. Somech and his team has pioneered many field in clinical immunology including the study of adaptive immunity maturation from its first development in-utero (published at Science Translational Medicine Journal) to diagnosing newborns with immunity disorders identified by newborn screening (NBS). Dr. Somech’s group showed that acquired (such as infections) or inherited (congenital), in utero or during early life, will result in reduced ability to form T and B cell receptor diversity, decreased thymic and bone marrow outputs, which eventually result in progressive immune deficiency. Dr. Somech uses next Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques and genomic methodologies to analyze immune repertoires as well as the diagnosis and characterization of novel IEI. In recent years, Dr. Somech has also been able to use advanced technologies to recapitulate T cell development ex vivo, and test new treatment modalities such as CRISPR correction of genetic mutations. Dr. Somech initiated and led the national NBS program for SCID in Israel and since 2016 the laboratory at the Sheba Medical Center is selected by the Israeli Ministry of Health to host the National NBS center for PID/IEI in Israel (selected studies were published at JACI and JACI: in Practice). From the early carrier stages, Dr Somech scientific work was concentrated on discovering and characterizing novel genetic diseases of the immune system. The scientific output led to the discovery of eight novel IEI by his group, in recent years. These discoveries were published in higher rate scientific and medical journals including New England Journal of Medicine (VPS45 deficiency), Journal of Experimental Medicine (SLP76 deficiency, STN1 deficiency, CD4 deficiency), Blood (CD137 deficiency), Nature Communication (FCHO1 deficiency), Journal of Immunology (ARPC1b deficiency) and Am J Hum Genet (PSMB10).
Dr. Somech has worked closely with health care providers and researchers from the Palestinian Authorities (PA) in order to diagnose and treat PA patients with IEI. During the years, he developed strong and friendly relationships with PA patients, families and doctors. Some of this work was documented in the movie “Precious life”. This movie won many national and international film festivals, had a significant impact in many aspects and even was nominated to the Oscar award in 2011.
Scientific and clinical interests of Dr. Somech Lab
Primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) – from bed to bench and back. Our research focuses on:
1. Primary immunodeficiencies- finding and characterizing novel diseases.
2. Newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID).
3. Investigating fetal immunity in health and diseases.
4. Next generation sequencing to illustrate and understand for T and B cell receptor repertoires.
5. Gene editing platforms to correct immunodeficiencies.
6. Consistent, long-standing, solid collaboration with Palestinian Doctors to diagnose and treat patients with PID.
Publications:
Here is a link to the list of publications of Prof. Raz Somech
Research Grants & Awards
2014 Travel grant, AAAAI -The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2014, San Diego, USA, Faculty member.
2014 Best Basic Science Project Award, Department of Pediatrics, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
2014 JMF travel grant, The Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies, Baltimore, USA.
