Head, Pediatric Stem Cell Research Institute
Director, Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Edmond & Lili Safra Children's Hospital,
Sheba Medical Center , Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University
Binyamin.Dekel@sheba.health.gov.il

Benjamin.dekel@gmail.com

Dr. Dekel is the Head of the Pediatric Stem cell Research Institute and the Director of the Division of Pediatric Nephrology at the Edmond and Lili Children's Hospital, Chaim Sheba Medical Center (largest in Israel).  He is a tenured Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University. He graduated with highest honors in Life Sciences and then Medicine from the Technion, Haifa.
He is known internationally as one of the most innovative and highly recognized investigators in the field of renal stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.  Dr. Dekel initiated his work in this field as a graduate student and postdoctoral fellow at the Weizmann Institute of Science, which resulted in seminal studies demonstrating that kidney precursor tissues from humans or pigs could develop into fully functional nephrons when transplanted into adult mice, paving the way for the "growing kidneys" concept.  Subsequently, as an independent investigator, he established his own laboratory for Regenerative and Developmental Nephrology at the Sheba Medical Center and the Sackler School of Medicine.  His laboratory takes a multi-disciplinary approach including genetics, genomics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and the development of preclinical murine models to cast light on fundamental problems of developmental biology, tissue regeneration, and cancer; while, at the same time, holding promise for novel disease therapies.  In the field of pediatric renal cancer and kidney development, Dr. Dekel has pioneered the identification of human stem/progenitor cells and their use in tissue repair and regeneration.  Dr. Dekel is a visiting Professor at Stanford University, Pal Alto, CA, and an elected member of the Society of Pediatric Research.  His publications number over 80.  He has served on multiple review panels for journals and grant agencies including the ERC, MRC, and Kidney Research, UK.  Dr. Dekel serves as an inaugural Editorial Member of Stem Cells Translational Medicine and he is on the editorial board of other Stem cell/Tissue engineering journals.  His research has been supported by numerous sources including the Israel Scientific Foundation, Israel Cancer Research Fund, Israel Ministry of Health, Israel Ministry and Industry and Infrastructure, the European Research Committee (FP7), and collaborative grants with academic institutes including MD Anderson Cancer Center and Cedars-Sinai Hospital.  As a PI, he has already trained a myriad of clinical and research physicians, investigators, and clinician-scientists.  Dr. Dekel is a sought-after speaker receiving numerous and ongoing invitations to speak and chair sessions at leading national/international conferences in stem cell research, development and nephrology including keynote plenary lectures.  He and his students have been awarded several first place prizes for scientific presentations including the Society of Pediatric Research Award.  Dr. Dekel has received the Chaim Boichis Award for Pediatric Research, the APF Kass Fund Award for medical research, the Bat Sheva de Rothschild Physician-Scientist Award, and the Daniel Moran Award for excellent pediatric research.