Congratulations to Drs. Ron Ben Yair (UM), Yifat Merbl (WIS), and their collaborative team on their recent publication in Nature Communications titled, “Golgi organization is regulated by proteasomal degradation.”

This important publication is the result of a binational collaboration between the laboratory of Yifat Merbl of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel and the laboratory of Yanzhuang Wang here at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Their paper identified a previously unknown mechanism of degradation occurring at the Golgi apparatus, a hub for intracellular as well as extracellular protein trafficking, that is important for the structural maintenance of this organelle.

Their research shows that targeting this mechanism in multiple myeloma models increases death of these cancerous cells both in cell culture and in-vivo, providing a potential therapeutic approach.

To read the entire paper, click here!

immuno-SEM image of purified Golgi immuno-gold labeled for a proteasomal subunit, PSMD6

Collaborative Leadership Team

David J. Pinsky, M.D.
J. Griswold & Marjory Hopkins Ruth Professor and Chief, Cardiovascular Medicine
Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology
Executive Scholar, A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute
Director, Samuel and Jean Frankel Cardiovascular Center
University of Michigan Health System

Ofer Binah, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, Head
Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion Institute of Technology

Avraham A. Levy, Ph.D.
Faculty of Biochemistry, Dean
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science

Core Event Faculty Chairs

Omer Berenfeld, Ph.D.
Professor of Internal Medicine and of Biomedical Engineering
Center for Arrhythmia Research

Alon Kahana, MD, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center
Member, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center

Program

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8

International Arrivals

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9

11:00am — Grab-and-Go Lunch provided

11:30am — Bus departs for Henry Ford Museum

12:30pm — Arrive at Henry Ford Museum

One hour tour
One hour museum browsing
Half hour bus loading

3:00pm — Departure from Henry Ford Museum

4:00pm — Arrival back to hotel (Hampton Inn)

6:00pm — Bus pick up for dinner

6:30pm — Dinner at private residence for international guests

8:30 – 10:00pm — Bus loop for guests to return to the hotel when ready

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10

7:45 and 8:15am — Bus departures from hotel to NCRC

8:00 – 9:00am — Registration & Strolling Breakfast

9:00 – 9:30am — Welcome Remarks & Introduction to keynote lecture

Location:
NCRC Dining Hall
2800 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

9:30 – 10:10am — Keynote Lecture

David Ginsburg, UM

10:10am – 12:00pm — Session 1

PRECISION HEALTH
Chairs:
Alon Kahana, UM
Yoram Reiter, Technion

Speakers:
Noam Kaplan, Technion
Jacqueline Jeruss, UM
Mary-Ann Mycek, UM
Assaf Schuster, Technion
Charles Burant, UM
Dale Frank, Technion

10:45 – 11:00am — Break

12:00 – 1:00pm — Lunch

1:00 – 2:50pm — Session 2

CANCER
Chairs:
Jacob Hanna, Weizmann
Yoram Reiter, Technion

Speakers: 
Rony Seger, Weizmann
Yoran Reiter, Technion
Indika Rajapakse, UM
Moran Benhar, Technion
Jacob Hanna, Weizmann
Alexey Nesvizskii

1:50 – 2:05pm — Coffee Break

2:50 – 3:10pm — Break

3:10 – 4:15pm — Session 3

NANOMEDICINE
Chairs:
Sascha Goonewardena, UM
Ilana Kolodkin-Gal, Weizmann

Speakers: 
James Baker, UM
Ilana Kolodkin-Gal, Weizmann
Jessica O’Konek, UM
Parag Patil, UM

4:30 – 6:00pm — Poster Session & Strolling Dinner (heavy appetizers)

5:30 and 6:15pm — Bus departures back to hotel

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11 (full day conference & Gala Dinner)

7:45 and 8:15am — Bus departures from hotel to NCRC

8:00 – 9:00am — Arrivals & Breakfast

9:00 – 9:10am — Opening Remarks

9:10 – 10:15am — Session 4

PROTEIN FOLDING AND DEGRADATION
Chairs:
Izhak Kehat, Technion
Yifat Merbl, Weizmann

Speakers:
Izhak Kehat, Technion
Matthew Chapman, UM
Yifat Merbl, Weizmann
Philip Andrews, UM

10:15 – 10:30am — Break

10:30 – 11:20am — Session 5

AGING
Chairs:
Omer Berenfeld, UM
Yael Yaniv, Technion

Speakers:
Daniel Goldstein, UM
David Lombard, UM
Yannis Paulus, UM

11:20am – 12:05pm — Lunch

12:05 – 1:10pm — Session 6a

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE 1
Chairs:
Ofer Binah, Technion
Tony Hayek, Technion

Speakers:
Tony Hayek, Technion
Shahar Ben-Shaul, Technion
Lennane Michele Espinoza Fonseca, UM
Peleg Hasson, Technion
Netanel Korin, Technion

1:10 – 1:40pm — Afternoon coffee break

1:40 – 2:30pm — Session 6b

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE II
Chairs:
Amir Landesberg, Technion
Michael Holinstat, UM

Speakers:
Yael Yaniv, Technion
Amir Landesberg, Technion
Alberto Figueroa Alvarez, UM

2:30 – 3:35pm — Session 7

NEUROSCIENCE
Chairs:
Orly Reiner, Weizmann
Eva Feldman, UM

Speakers:
Cynthia Chestek, UM
Simone Engelender, Technion
Orly Reiner, Weizmann
Naama Geva-Zotorsky, Technion

3:35 – 3:45pm — Poster Awards

3:45 – 3:55pm — Closing Remarks

4:00pm — Bus departure from NCRC to hotel

5:45 and 6:15pm — Bus departures from hotel to Gala Dinner

6:00 – 10:00pm — Gala Dinner

Location:
University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA)
525 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

8:00, 9:00 and 10:00pm — Bus trips back to hotel

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12

8:45am — Bus departure from hotel to NCRC

9:00am — Breakfast & arrivals

9:30 – 10:55am — Drug Discovery Working Group

Location:
NCRC Research Auditorium
2800 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Keynote Speaker:
David Sherman, UM

Speakers:
Ayelet Fishman, Technion
Elinor Breiner, Weizmann
Haim Barr, Weizmann

11:40am — Bus departure from NCRC to hotel (for guests needing to return not attending lab meetings)

11:25am – 5:00pm — Individual lab meetings

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13

Football Game

International departures begin

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14

International departures

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the D. Dan and Betty Kahn 6th Annual Scientific Symposium for the Michigan – Israel Partnership for Research and Education. This year’s scientific symposium promises to be a wonderful showcase for scientific advances which improve human health, led by faculty at The Technion Israel Institute of Technology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, and the University of Michigan.

Please join us, as we explore the convergence of biomedicine and bioengineering. We have an exceptional program planned this year with keynote speakers from three world class academic institutions who will present the latest research on topics ranging from engineering molecules, cells and tissues to biomedical and bioengineering impacts on patient lives. Additional topics include new insights into the biology of stem cells and technology advances leading to scientific discoveries.

Creating collaborations between institutions to enhance discovery is the main goal of the partnership. To that end, the Kahn symposium will also feature past partnerships during the “Tackling Biomedical Challenges Through International Research Partnership” session.

Don’t miss the gallery highlighting the past 5 years of the partnership. We’ve had some very energizing scientific symposium sessions as well as some fantastic social events to further solidify the collaborations and ideas developed at the Kahn symposium.

We look forward to a symposium filled with dynamic presentations, thoughtful discussions, new partnerships, and continued advancement of past partnerships toward new discoveries!

In collaboration,

Avraham A. Levy, Ph.D.
Faculty of Biochemistry, Dean
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
The Weizmann Institute of Science

Ofer Binah, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, Head
Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine,
Technion

David J. Pinsky, M.D.
Griswold Ruth M.D. & Margery Hopkins Ruth Professor of Internal Medicine
Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology
Founding Scholar – A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute
Chief, Cardiovascular Medicine
Director, Samuel and Jean Frankel Cardiovascular Center