Prof. Avi Ohry is Landau Prize Laureate for Lifetime Accomplishments in field of Rehabilitation Medicine

Prof. Avi Ohry from the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine was declared as the Landau Prize Laureate for Lifetime Accomplishments in the field of Rehabilitation Medicine. The prestigious prize is awarded by Israel’s National Lottery (Mif’al HaPais).

Prof. Ohry finished his medical training at the Faculty of Medicine 50 years ago. One year later, shortly after completing his internship, he was injured in the Yom Kippur War during the fight at the chain of fortifications and was taken captive by the Egyptians. The war events led him to perform an internship in the field of rehabilitation medicine, where he became a world expert ever since.

After the passing of Prof. Rafi Rozin in 1985, Prof. Ohry was appointed as the head of the Department of Neurological Rehabilitation at the Sheba Medical Center, where he served for 14 years. In 1999 he founded the rehabilitation wing of Reut Hospital in Tel Aviv, affiliated to the Faculty of Medicine and headed it until his retirement. Today he is the head of academic instruction in the rehabilitation division, and serves as the chairman of the Helsinki and internship committees.

Throughout the years, Prof. Ohry was a visiting researcher at several leading institutes in the U.S. and Europe. He also focuses on the history of medicine, the interface points between medicine, literature and poetry, bioethics, medicine and the holocaust, and the history of the Jewish Polish medicine during the interwar period. Since 1991, he has been working with Prof. Zehava Solomon from the School of Social Work on longitudinal research that deals with the mental, physical and occupational states of ex-prisoners.

From the prize committee:

“Prof. Ohry is a unique example of a combination of a talented researcher, a remarkable rehabilitation expert and a man with vast fields of interest, who works with loyalty towards the promotion of rehabilitation medicine and the community. For his charismatic personality, his management abilities and his long-standing contributions to the world of rehabilitation. Thus, we find Prof. Avi Ohry as an outstanding awardee of the Landau Prize for Lifetime Accomplishments in the field of research and rehabilitation.”

Prof. Ohry said with enthusiasm: “Above all, the respect and the personal accolade with which I was awarded together with this prize is an honor for all the rehabilitation personnel in Israel – medical doctors, nurses, para-medical workers, auxiliary teams and administrative teams – all are working with deep feelings of mission. Of course, I will mention the true heroes, our patients, whose world was torn apart all at once, and we often serve as their sole lifeline. I am grateful to the prize committee for awarding me with this prize, and to my family for their support and loyalty.”