Professor Hadassah Degani, an ICA-funded researcher, developed a non-invasive method to differentiate between cancerous tumors (of the breast) and benign lumps. This method is based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
This technique will help reduce the need for invasive biopsy examinations while allowing doctors a better understanding of the efficacy of a specific drug treatment.
Education:
B.Sc. Hebrew University, Jerusalem (Chemistry), 1963-1966. M.Sc. Feinberg Graduate School, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot (Physical Chemistry), 1967-1969. Ph.D. State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, N.Y.(Chemistry), 1970-1974. Postgraduate work:
Biochemistry Department, SUNY at Stony Brook, N.Y, 1974.Chemistry Department, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 1975
Faculty Appointments:
Scientist, Isotope Department, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 1976 - 1979.
Senior Scientist, Isotope Department, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 1979 - 1983.Associate Professor, Chemical Physics Department, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 1983 - 1994.
Professor, Department of Biological Regulation, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 1994 - 2010.
Adjunct Professor of Radiologic Science, School of Medicine of The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, 1995- 2010.
Administrative Appointments:
Head, Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, 2000- 2005.
Advisor of the Weizmann Institute president for advancing Women in Science, 2002- 2007.
Professional Experience Outside of the Weizmann Institute:
Visiting Scientist, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, England, July - August 1979.
Visiting Professor, Department of Pathology, Evanston Hospital, Evanston, USA, July - August 1983.Visiting Professor, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA, 1983 - 1984. Visiting Professor, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Medical Spectroscopy, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PN, USA, July - August 1987.Visiting Professor, Unite de Biologie des Interactions Cellulaires, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France, 1996 - 1997.Visiting professor, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA, 2007 - 2008.
Honors:
J.F. Kennedy Award, Feinberg Graduate School, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 1969.Yaroslavsky Award for Biophysics, 1978.Incumbent of the Wormser Career Development Chair, 1980 - 1982. The Fred and Andrea Fallek Professorial Chair in Breast Cancer Research, 1997 - present.Woman of Distinction Award ; Hadassah International Jewish Women's Organization, 1989-present.The Noel Foundation and UNIFEM Life Award for Commitment to Breast cancer Research, USA, 1999. "Teva Founders Prize" for Imaging of Diseases Research, 2010.European Society of Breast Cancer- Honorary Lecturer in recognition of her exceptional achievements in the field of breast Imaging, 2011.
Memberships in Professional and Scientific Societies:
The International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.American Association of Cancer Research.American Physiological Society.The International Society of Molecular Imaging.American Chemical Society.
Special activities:
Secretary of the Cancer Study Group of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), 1994 - 1996.
Member of the International Working Group for Breast MRI formed by the Public Health Services on Women's Health, NIH, 1997 - 1999.
Member of the International Working Group for dynamic contrast enhanced MRI formed by NCI, NIH, 1999.
Member of the Editorial Board of NMR in Biomedicine 1998 - 2004.
Member of the academic committee and of the board of governors of Afeka, The Academic College of Engineering -Tel Aviv, 2002 - 2012.
Deputy Chairman of the scientific advisory Board for the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Singapore, 2005 - 2010.