The Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University is pleased to announce a transformative gift to establish The Pamela and Paul Austin Research Center on Aging at the Center for Computational Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This gift upholds a tradition of exceptional philanthropic support and collaboration between our Canadian donors, including the Austin Family, and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Located in our new state-of-the-art Center for Computational Medicine, The Pamela and Paul Austin Research Center on Aging will implement a transformative approach to combatting disease by integrating computational data analysis into medical research and practice, and by preparing the next generation of computation-science-trained doctors and researchers. The Pamela and Paul Austin Research Center on Aging will bring together leading researchers to leverage the power of data-driven analyses, applying computational methods to study and help combat a variety of age-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s; pain; psychiatric disorders; genetic disorders; congenital impairment; immune and inflammatory diseases; cardiovascular aging, and the effects of aging on cancer, osteoarthritis, pulmonary disease and metabolic disease.
The Center for Computational Medicine and its research programs are specifically designed to enable data information flow and collaborative interdisciplinary research efforts with the most advanced equipment and a disease modelling unit, all in proximity to a major medical center.
“Computational Medicine is at the cutting-edge of medical research and the promising future for personalized health care,” said Prof. Dina Ben-Yehuda, Dean of the Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Medicine. “This transformative new Center, an integral part of our new state-of-the-art Institute for Computational Medicine, will generate game-changing findings to tackle the diseases associated with aging.”
Globally, the number of people over the age of 60 is soon expected to outnumber children under the age of five. As life expectancy rises, so does the prevalence of age-associated diseases, posing a central challenge to healthcare systems worldwide, making this transformative approach to medicine of global importance and impact.
“The Pamela and Paul Austin Research Center on Aging will help bolster research, build a global network of scientists in the field, and help establish Israel as a world leader in the research and treatment into aging for generations to come,” said Prof. Asher Cohen, President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The gift will also have a far-reaching impact and go beyond the Center—establishing scholarship opportunities for students, and an annual lecture.