The immune system in the brain and its connections to psychological variables, trauma, stress, and treatment

Nafarashim Institute for Psychotherapy Research and Teaching

At the School of Behavioral Sciences, Tel Aviv-Yafo Academic College

Happy to invite you.

For a learning day to be held at the Tel Aviv-Yafo Academic College on the topic:

The immune system in the brain and its connections to psychological variables, trauma, stress, and treatment

Lecturer: Prof. Michal Schwartz

Supervisor: Prof. Ronit Avitsur-Chamiel

10.03.2023 at the Tel Aviv-Yafo Academic College

Friday between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM

Professionals: 150 NIS Interns and students - 90 NIS

The learning day will focus on new insights into the mind-body connection, with the immune system playing a central role in this dialogue. Since the 1960s, the brain has been considered an organ isolated from the immune system, and therefore any immune response within the brain has been considered a risk factor that must be eradicated. Professor Schwartz was the first to challenge this view. She has shown for over two decades that brain maintenance and healing depend on the immune system. Furthermore, her research has led to the insight that brain age is more influenced by immune system age than chronological age. Professor Schwartz's results have far-reaching implications for understanding coping with emotional stress, developmental brain diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's.

The learning day will focus on the following issues:

1. A change in understanding of the immune system-brain interaction

2. Understanding the mechanisms

3. The consequences for the various psychological states

Today's program:

Learning Day Presenter: Prof. Ronit Avitsur-Chamiel

9:00-9:30- Gathering

9:30-11:00 - The revolution of recent years in understanding the role of the immune system in brain maintenance and the implications for mental stress, mental trauma, and neurodevelopmental syndromes. A change in understanding the immune system-brain interaction and understanding the mechanisms

11:00-11:30- Break

11:30-13:00 - The consequences for various psychological conditions

Prof. Michal Schwartz - Professor of Neuroimmunology in the Department of Neuroscience at the Weizmann Institute of Science, a pioneer in understanding the interrelationships between the brain and the immune system. She has received numerous awards in Israel and internationally for her groundbreaking discoveries in understanding the connection between the immune system and the brain. Her discoveries have shown that healthy brain function depends on the immune system, and that immune system cells are necessary for healing the diseased brain. She has educated a generation of scientists who follow in her footsteps in Israel and around the world. In 2015, she founded the startup company, ImmunoBrain Checkpoint - which is developing its intellectual property for an Alzheimer's treatment based on recruiting the immune system to help the brain cope with the disease.

Prof. Ronit Avitsur-Chamiel - Lecturer and researcher in the field of biopsychology, psychoneuroimmunology and health psychology. Tel Aviv-Jaffa Academic College.