Research Interest:                               My research falls within the broad field of Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), which looks at interactions among behavior, nervous, endocrine, and immune systems.  My research focuses on the interactions among opiates, pain, and the immune system, and involves several lines of research:  In recent years we have examined the hypothesis that proinflammatory cytokines (particularly interleukin-1; IL-1) are involved in pain sensitivity.  We have shown that IL-1 plays a pain-enhancing (hyperalgesic) role in a normal, non-inflamed state, as well as in several animal pain models, including neuropathic pain, and postoperative pain.  Furthermore, we have described interesting interactions between the analgesic effects of morphine and the anti-analgesic effects of IL-1, showing that elevated levels of IL-1 counter-regulate morphine analgesia and thus may be involved in the development of opiate tolerance.  Indeed, recent findings indicate that morphine produced elevation of IL-1 levels, which serves to limit the duration and extent of morphine analgesia and which underlies the development of tolerance.   Inflammatory condition modulates pain sensitivity via peripheral and central mechanisms, most of which are associated with hyperalgesia and fall under the term "peripheral and central sensitization". Accumulating evidence, however, suggests that inflammation, especially peripheral inflammation, can also induce hypo-algesia, via changes to peripheral opioids mechanisms. Using a mouse model of peripheral inflammation-induced chronic pain, we have shown that morphine plays an anti-inflammatory role in a state of chronic peripheral inflammation. Furthermore, the inflammatory state is associated with potentiated morphine analgesia.

Research Interest: Prof. Shohami’s research focuses on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and addresses the pathophisiology of TBI. She studies the mechanisms of injury (e.g. inflammation, oxidative stress, the glutamate NMDA receptors) as well as endogenous injury-induced neuroprotective brain mechanisms (e.g. erythropoietin, endocannabinoids, and heat-acclimation-induced preconditioning). She has published more than 220 articles, reviews and book chapters, and is a collaboraor at several patents. At her University Prof. Shohami teaches neuropharmacology to medical and pharmacy students and has supervised over 40 students forMSc,MDand PhD. She holds several duties at the administrative levels of the University, and also at National science committees.  Current Research Topics:  Pathophysiology of TBI: neurochemical changes and neurobehavioral impairments. Special emphasis on leaning and memory deficits after TBI and attempts to repair them via genetic manipulations, pharmacological intervention and/or training. The (endo)cannabinoid system: its role in the healthy and injured brain Activation, rather than inhibition of the glutamate NMDA receptor is protective after TBI and neuroinflammation: exploring the mechanism by which activation of down-regulated NMDAR may restore its function.    

Curriculum Vitae: Ron Ofri was a member of the charter class of the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Upon his graduation in 1989 he traveled to the University of Florida, where he spent the next 4 years undergoing clinical training in veterinary ophthalmology and obtaining his Ph.D. During this time Ron developed an interest in the physiology of vision, focusing on retinal electrophysiology and changes in visual function resulting from glaucoma. Upon his graduation Ron returned to Israel and joined the faculty of his alma mater, where he is currently an Associate Professor in veterinary ophthalmology and winner of numerous Teacher of the Year awards. At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ron expanded his research interests to include comparative visual physiology in wildlife species, and to date has published more than 60 refereed papers. Ron is also a very popular international speaker, having been invited to talk in more than 25 countries and 6 continenets, lecturing in continuing education seminars, national meetings and world congresses for general practitioners, including BSAVA, SEVC, WSAVA and NAVC. He also lectures frequently in advanced training courses for veterinary ophthalmologists, including lectureship at the Basic Science Course of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (where he has been speaking since 2002) and numerous other forums. Ron is a contributing author to the Gelatt's classic textbook Veterinary Ophthalmology (3rd, 4th and 5th editions) as well as a co-author of the popular textbook Slatter's Fundamentals of Veterinary Ophthalmology (4th and 5th editions). Ron is a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmology (ECVO), a former ECVO Executive Board member and in 2002-2005 he served as President of the European Society of Veterinary Ophthalmology.