Ephrat Levy







Ephrat Levy-Lahad, MD is Director of the Medical Genetics Institute at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel and Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Medical Genetics at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School. She received her MD degree from Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School (1989; Jerusalem, Israel), and trained in Internal Medicine at Shaare Zedek Medical Center and in Medical Genetics at the University of Washington in Seattle. She is board certified in Internal Medicine (Israel) and in Clinical and Clinical Molecular Genetics (USA and Israel).

Prof. Levy-Lahad's clinical laboratory includes a large preimplantation diagnosis service, chromosomal array analysis and cancer genetics diagnostics.

During her fellowship Levy-Lahad discovered a gene for Alzheimer's disease gene (presenilin-2). In recent years and her laboratory is also involved in elucidating the genetic basis of rare diseases, including recent discoveries of novel genes for microcephaly, ovarian dysgenesis and polyarteritis nodosa.

Her research laboratory focuses on genetics of breast cancer, in particular the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, understanding the genetic and environmental factors that affect the risk associated with these mutations, and investigating strategies for population screening of mutations in these genes.  She is also co-Chair, of the Israeli Consortium on Hereditary Breast Cancer, supported by the Israeli Cancer Association.

Prof. Levy-Lahad is also active in bioethical aspects of genetic research, and is currently co-Chair of the Israel National Bioethics Council. She is currently a member of the Israeli National Council for Gynecology, Perinatology and Genetics, and of the National Council for Digital Innovation. Previous national roles include serving as a member of the Israeli Ministry of Health's committee on regulation of fertility treatments, and of the Ministry of Justice advisory committee on wrongful birth. Internationally, she was a member of UNESCO's IBC (International Bioethics Committee) (2006-2009), and the Clinical Trials Task Force of the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR).