FINAL_AFHU_News_11.4.20

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PAGE 14 Bel Air Affaire 2020 Bel Air Affaire Scholarship Campaign COVID-19 upended many things in 2020, but it could not stop the Bel Air Affaire. While the pandemic prevented the celebration from occurring in-person, the Bel Air Affaire continued as a virtual event, raising money to support COVID-19 research scholarships. Hebrew University President Professor Asher Cohen opened the program with an overview of HU’s evolution from its early days as a pioneering project of 20th century Zionists into a globally revered 21st century university equipped to meet modern-day challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic. Professor Isaiah T. (Shy) Arkin, the Arthur Lejwa Professor of Structural Biochemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the former Vice- President for Research and Development at the University, followed President Cohen with comments focused on the university’s work in detecting viral infection. The Hebrew University has mobilized its expertise and resources in the global fight against COVID-19. HU students from multiple disciplines are playing an important role in the university’s commitment to defeat the coronavirus. These students need your help to continue their efforts to defeat the coronavirus and forestall future pandemics. Thanks to Bel Air Affaire Co-Chairs Joyce Brandman, Renae Jacobs-Anson, and Helen Jacobs-Lepor for this successful virtual event, and thanks to AFHU Western Region officers: President Mark R. Genender; Chairman Richard S. Ziman; and Vice-Chairs Patricia L. Glaser and Mark S. Vidergauz, for their work in helping to make the event a success. Professor Dina Ben-Yehuda — the first woman to head the Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine — discussed the multi-pronged attack HU researchers have taken against the virus and shared information on the vital role HU medical students played in visiting kidney dialysis patients during lockdown, helping with medication deliveries to housebound seniors, and working with the IDF to gather statistics on the effects of the pandemic in Israel. Finally, medical graduate students Roni Ben-Ami and Josh Moss shared their experiences during the pandemic and spoke of the importance of scholarships in their continuing education. A full video of the event is available here.
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY AFHU NEWS VOL. 25 PAGE 15 Coronavirus Research Fund Anonymous Donor Pledges $6.9M to the Coronavirus Research Fund A $6.9 million pledge to the Coronavirus Research Fund from an anonymous donor, provided through AFHU and secured by Los Angeles-based board member Patricia Glaser, will assist the massive, multidisciplinary response to COVID-19 at the Hebrew University. The generous gift will enable the purchase of essential equipment, including a high-resolution microscope, mass spectrometer, and a robotic drug screening system, funding a project aimed at investigating the full structure of the virus. The research project facilitated by Ms. Glaser focuses on identifying parts of the SARS-CoV-2 structure that can trigger an immune response that will stop the viral infection. “While most labs around the world are focusing on the ‘spike’ protein of the virus, our scientists are taking a broader, and more innovative approach,” said Asher Cohen, president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “They are investigating the full structure of the virus. To do that we need a stateof-the-art computational facility, advanced imaging systems, and robotic systems to handle many samples in parallel. We are grateful to our U.S. partners who are helping equip our researchers. This much-needed infrastructure will greatly advance computational medicine in the post-coronavirus era.” Deconstructing the virus employs researchers at the university’s Faculty of Medicine, the Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering, the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, the Faculty of Sciences, and Hebrew University’s affiliated medical centers. It is a part of HU’s broad program response to the pandemic, which also includes academics in microbiology, immunology, epidemiology, nanotechnology, computer science, chemistry, and physics in ongoing efforts to defeat the virus, along with academics in the social sciences, who are studying the impact of social isolation and addressing the economic effects of the crisis. “Hebrew University researchers — faculty and students alike — are working relentlessly in this fight and have already produced significant breakthroughs, such as a new testing model, new delivery methods for medicine, and diagnostic insights,” said Clive Kabatznik, AFHU’s Board President. “These magnanimous gifts, which we hope to increase via matching funds, present a promising start. However, much more support is needed to fully mobilize our scientific resources to control the virus and to meet the future challenges we will undoubtedly face.” To date, donors in the United States have pledged more than $10 million to support HU scientists in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 29 million people worldwide.
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