ד"ר נירית לב

Nirit Lev MD, PhD                          

Department of Neurology

Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus

EDUCATION

1990-1997             Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

                             Subject:  Medicine 

 

1998                      MD degree Suma Cum Laude

                             Title of Doctoral Dissertation: "Prognostic significance of chest CT findings at diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease"

                             Supervisors: Dr Apter, Prof. Ben BasatS 

                             MD License No. 030573

 

2004                      Specialty:  Neurology

 

                             Specialist License No. 2616

 

2004-2009             Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

                             Subject:  Doctorate in Philosophy – Neuroscience

                             PhD

                             Title of Doctoral Dissertation:  "The role of DJ-1 in neurodegenerative diseases."

                             Supervisors:   Prof. Eldad Melamed, Prof. Daniel Offen

 

 

 

ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS

 

Academic Experience:  

 

1992                      Tutor, Anatomy and Dissection Course, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

 

1999-2004             Tutor and lecturer, Clinical Neurology Clerkships+ Neurology part of Internal Medicine clearkships, Sackler School of Medicine and NY Program, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

 

2002-2010             Tutor to Nurses, Neurology Course, Dina Academic School of Nursing, Petach Tikva, Israel

 

2005-2011             Lecturer, The molecular basis of neurodegenerative diseases, The Adelson Graduate School of Medicine, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel

 

2008-2011             Lecturer, Clinical aspects of Biochemistry course – Four-years MD program, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

 

2010-present                   Tutor and lecturer, Clinical Neurology Clerkships and Internal Medicine Clerkships (neurology part), Sackler School of Medicine and NY Program, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

 

 

Professional Experience:  

 

1998                      Rotating Internship, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel

 

1998-2004             Resident, Department of Neurology, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel

 

2010-present          Senior Neurologist, Department of Neurology, The Movement Disorders Unit, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel

 

 

 

GRANTS (2008-present)

 

2006-2008             The Colton Foundation Scholarship for Outstanding Academic Merit, Tel Aviv University

                                      Total Amount:  $72,000.

 

2009-present         Morasha Clinical Research Israel Science Foundation. Research grant No. 1690/09:

                            “DJ-1’s role in dopamine vesicular sequestration and its neuroprotective potential.”

                            Total Amount:  $96,000.

 

2012                     Rabin Medical Center-Bar Ilan University Joint Research Grant.

                            "The role of SIRT6 in Parkinson's disease."

                            Total Amount:  $30,000.

Awards (2008-present)

 

 

2010                   Distinction in preclinical teaching. Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University.

 

2012                   Particularly noteworthy report highlighting a significant advance. The American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, New Orleans, USA.

 

2012                   Best Neurological Tutor Award, Sackler School of Medicine

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS (2008-present)

 

 

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

 

Articles Published

 

12.     N. Lev N, D. Ickowicz, E. Melamed, D. Offen.

          Oxidative insults induce DJ-1 upregulation and redistribution: Implications for neuroprotection.

          Neurotoxicology 29:397-405, 2008.

          (TOXICOLOGY 22/83, IF 3.096, Cited 44)

 

13.     N. Lev, D. Ickowicz, Y. Barhum, N. Blondheim, E. Melamed, D. Offen.

          DJ-1 changes in G93A-SOD1 transgenic mice: Implications for oxidative stress in ALS.

          J Mol Neurosci 38:94-102, 2009.

          (NEUROSCIENCES 138/244, IF 2.504, Cited 9)

 

14.     N. Lev, D. Ickowicz, Y. Barhum, S. Lev, E. Melamed, D. Offen. 

          DJ-1 protects against dopamine toxicity. 

          J Neural Transm 116:151-160, 2009.

          (CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 72/192, IF 2.730, Cited 28)

15.     N. Grünberg-Etkovitz, N. Lev, D. Ickowicz, A. Avital, D. Offen,

          Z. Malik.

          Accelerated proteasomal activity by Pb++, Ga+++ and Cu++ exposure does not induce aggregated α-synuclein degradation.

          J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol 28:5-24, 2009.

          (TOXICOLOGY 72/83, IF 1.000, Cited 3)

 

16.     R. Barzilay, T. Ben-Zur, O. Sadan, Z. Bren, M. Taler, N. Lev,

          I. Tarasenko, R. Uzan, I. Gil-Ad, E. Melamed, A. Weizman, D. Offen.

          Intracerebral adult stem cells transplantation increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and protects against phencyclidine-induced social deficit in mice.

          Translational Psychiatry 2011;1:e61.

          (No IF, Cited 0)

 

17.     E. Kozela*, N. Lev*, N. Kaushansky, R. Eilam, N. Rimmerman,

          R. Levy, A. Ben-Nun, A. Juknat, Z. Vogel.

          Cannabidiol inhibits pathogenic T-cells, decreases spinal microglial activation and ameliorates multiple sclerosis-like disease in mice.

          Br J Pharmacol 163:1507-1519, 2011.

          *Both authors contributed equally to the manuscript.

          (PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY 35/261, IF 4.409, Cited 5)

 

18.     Y. Fisher-Shoval, Y. Barhum, O. Sadan, S. Yust-Katz, T. Ben-Zur,

          N. Lev, C. Benkler, M. Hod, E. Melamed, D. Offen.

          Transplantation of Placenta-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the EAE Mouse Model of MS.

          J Mol Neurosci 48:176-184, 2012.

          (NEUROSCIENCES 138/244, IF 2.504, Cited 2)

 

19.     S. Yust-Katz, Y. Fisher-Shoval, Y. Barhum, T. Ben-Zur, R. Barzilai,

          N. Lev, M. Hod, E. Melamed, D. Offen.

          Placental mesenchymal stromal cells induced into neurotrophic factor-producing cells protect neuronal cells from hypoxia and oxidative stress. Cytotherapy 14:45-55, 2012.

          (BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 33/158, IF 3.627, Cited 2)

 

20.     N. Lev, Y. Barhum, N.S. Pilosof, D. Ickowicz, H.Y. Cohen,

          E. Melamed, D. Offen.

          DJ-1 protects against dopamine toxicity: implications for Parkinson's disease and aging.

          J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 68:215-225, 2013.

          (GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY 5/45, IF 4.598, Cited )

 

21.     R. Barzilay, J. Ganz, O. Sadan, T. Ben-Zur, Z. Bren, N. Hinden,

          M. Taler, N. Lev, I. Gil-Ad, A. Weizman, D. Offen.

          Mesenchymal stem cells protect from sub-chronic phencyclidine insult in vivo and counteract changes in astrocyte gene expression in vitro.

          Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2012. [Epub ahead of print]

          (CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 28/192, IF 4.046, Cited )

 

 

Articles Accepted  

 

1.       N. Lev, Y. Barhum, T. Ben-Zur, E. Melamed, I. Steiner, D. Offen.

          Knocking out DJ-1 attenuates astrocytes neuroprotection against 6-hydroxydopamine toxicity.

          J Mol Neuroscience

         (NEUROSCIENCES 138/244, IF 2.504, Cited )

 

 

Articles Submitted

 

1.         A. Raz, N. Lev, S. Orbach-Zinger, R. Djaldetti.

          Perioperative treatment with intravenous amantadine in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

          Clin Neuropharmacol

 

 

Articles in Preparation

 

1.       N. Lev, Y. Barhum, I. Lotan, I. Steiner, E. Melamed, D. Offen.

          DJ-1 knockout augments disease severity and shortens survival of G93A SOD1 mice.

 

2.       N. Lev, Y. Barhum, T. Ben-Zur, E. Melamed, D. Offen.

          DJ-1 based peptide as a novel neuroprotective strategy for Parkinson's disease.

 

 

 

review articles

Review Articles Published

 

6.         R. Djaldetti, N. Lev, E. Melamed.

            Lesions outside the CNS in Parkinson's disease.

            Mov Disord 24:793-800, 2009.

            (CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 24/192, IF 4.505, Cited 12)

 

 

7.          J. Ganz, N. Lev, E. Melamed, D. Offen.

             Cell replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease: how close are we to   
   the clinic?

             Expert Rev Neurother 11:1325-1339, 2011.

             (No IF, Cited 1)

 

 

Chapters in books

 

1.         N. Lev, D. Offen, E. Melamed.

            Toxic causes of Parkinson’s disease.

            In: Handbook of Clinical Neurology: Parkinson's disease and related disorders.

            Editors:  W.C. Koller, E. Melamed

            Elsevier, 2007.

 

2.         N. Lev, Y. Gilgun-Sherki, D. Offen, E. Melamed.

            Oxidative stress in multiple sclerosis. The role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis: Current state.

            In: Oxidative stress and neurological disorders.

            Editor: G.A. Qureshi

            Elsevier, 2007.

 

3.         D. Offen, I. Kann, N. Lev.

            Parkinson’s disease: New horizons for an old disease.

            In: The molecular basis for neurodegenerative diseases.

            Editors:  D. Offen, N. Lev.

            Research Signpost, 2007.

 

 

4.         N. Lev, E. Melamed, D. Offen.

            Mechanisms in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

            In: The molecular basis for neurodegenerative diseases.

            Editors:  D. Offen, N. Lev.

            Research Signpost, 2007.

 

5.         N. Lev, E. Melamed, D. Offen.

            Multiple-system atrophy (MSA): A glial-mediated neurodegenerative disease.

            In: The molecular basis for neurodegenerative diseases.

            Editors:  D. Offen, N. Lev.

            Research Signpost, 2007.

 

6.         J. Ganz, N. Lev, D. Offen.

            Cell therapy in Parkinson's disease.

            In: Stem cells and neurological disorders.

            Editors:  L. Lescaudron, G.L. Dunbar, J. Rossignol.

            Science Publishers, Edenbridge Ltd, 2012.