Physiology and Pharmacology

The Department of Physiology and Pharmacology engages in basic scientific research and is the only pre-clinical department encompassing two significant biomedical areas. Much of our research addresses problems related to the function, malfunction and therapy of angiogenesis-dependent diseases in general and cancer in particular, as well as disorders of the nervous and cardiovascular system. Clinically-oriented research projects involve pharmacological targeting of specific ion-transport systems, receptors, regulatory proteins and enzymes that are linked to cancer, depression, neurodegenerative diseases, heart failure, and hypertension. Special efforts are dedicated to the development of novel nanomedicines including polymer therapeutics that deliver chemotherapeutics, angiogenesis inhibitors, siRNA and microRNA to tumor and endothelial cells. 

The department offers academic courses in physiology, pharmacology and neuroscience to medical, undergraduate and graduate students.Our graduate students form the research core of the department and are skilled in numerous advanced cutting-edge research techniques. Furthermore, the department boasts its academic cooperation between research groups, thus allowing the students to share ideas and gain a broader scientific training. Faculty members in the department are committed to “one on one” mentorship in support of successful and timely education.  Our graduate students are able to pursue postdoctoral training in leading universities in Israel and abroad and likewise work in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.