BGU Receives Generous Donation to Launch Radiobiology Laboratory
BGU Receives Generous Donation to Launch Radiobiology Laboratory
February 24, 2010
Medical Research, Press Releases
NEW YORK, February 24, 2010 – American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, is pleased to announce that it has received a significant donation of $500,000 from Jerry Cohen to establish the Jerry Cohen Radiobiology Laboratory at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva, Israel.
This Laboratory will perform cutting edge research on the biological effects of exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation and its application to improved cancer treatment.
The effects of ionizing radiation are highly dependent upon the exposure dose. High doses are associated with the development of cancer. However, there is also strong evidence that low dose exposure is associated with a reduced incidence of cancer and other health benefits.
“The establishment of this new Laboratory will advance our research efforts in identifying the immunological connection between the different levels of radiation exposure and their radiobiological effects,” says Professor Brenda Laster, director of the Jerry Cohen Radiobiology Laboratory in the Department of Nuclear Engineering.
“A significant aspect of the Laboratory’s work will be to train nuclear engineering students to utilize their skills to medical and biological applications.”
It will also further her ongoing brachytherapy research program that is directed toward a one-step treatment procedure for anatomically accessible tumors, such as found in breast, prostate, brain, and head and neck.
“Much of what is known about low-dose effects has been inferred primarily from studying high-dose exposure from nuclear fallout and human contact with radioactivity,” explains Jerry Cohen. Cohen is a well-known scientist, formerly with the University of California Radiation Laboratory.
“A major objective of the studies at the Jerry Cohen Radiobiology Laboratory will be to gain an understanding of the phenomenology behind the interaction of low-dose radiation with living tissues.”
Jerry Cohen is a resident of Walnut Creek, California. He is a former Detroit resident, and a graduate of the University of Michigan, as well as the Cass Technical High School.
The Jerry Cohen Radiobiology Laboratory will be dedicated at the 2010 BGU Board of Governors’ Meeting in May.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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