Nathan Jeffay

Nathan Jeffay is The Times of Israel's health and science correspondent

In this image commissioned by researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science to illustrate new research, artists give a conceptual representation of fungi growing within cancerous tumors. (Ella Maru Studio)

October 2, 2022, 9:56 am

Fungus is telltale cancer sign, possibly screenable by blood test: Israel-US study

Many tumors are teeming with fungi that shed DNA into blood, and researchers say blood analysis could offer treasure trove of information to detect and to shape treatment

By Nathan Jeffay

Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (left to right) Yuval Harris, Dr. Hagit Sason-Bauer and Prof. Yosi Shamay (courtesy of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology)

September 30, 2022, 12:51 pm

Israeli nanotech may be able to reduce side-effects of chemotherapy, scientists say

Precision dosing invention gets drugs just to affected cells and not whole body; already tested on mice with inhibitor drugs; inventors also aiming at chemo and other treatments

By Nathan Jeffay

From left to right: Dr. Nurit Omer, head of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease care at the hospital and Dr. Yifat Alkalai, director of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center's Clinical Immunology Laboratory. (Courtesy: Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center)

September 24, 2022, 7:44 am

Cutting-edge test for fatal brain disorder now available in Israel

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, disproportionately found among Jews of Libyan and Tunisian origin, is notoriously hard to diagnose

By Nathan Jeffay

People in Jerusalem wear face masks on January 21, 2021 (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

September 23, 2022, 10:26 am

After more than 2 years of COVID, we still can’t recognize the face behind the mask

‘Zero improvement’ in human ability to identify masked faces, researchers from Israel and Canada say in peer-reviewed study

By Nathan Jeffay

A child receives a COVID-19 vaccine in Jerusalem, December 16, 2021. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

September 21, 2022, 10:01 pm

Half of Israeli parents who planned to vaccinate kids for COVID didn’t bother: study

New research explains why only a fifth of 5-to-11-year-olds got vaccines, concluding that the moment parents glimpsed normality, ‘incentives disappeared’

By Nathan Jeffay

Illustrative: A human brain with a cancerous growth. (Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen; iStock by Getty Images)

September 20, 2022, 11:38 pm

Israeli discovery may help fight risk of skin cancer triggering brain tumors

No human testing yet, but scientists say they’ve identified, and figured out how to fight, proteins that prompt brain cells to go rogue and lead to secondary growths

By Nathan Jeffay

Illustrative image: a man receives his fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, at a Clallit vaccine center in Jerusalem on January 3, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

September 20, 2022, 11:24 am

Clinics to begin rollout of variant-tailored COVID shots this week

Elderly and at-risk to be given priority; unclear whether vaccines will immediately be available to all, with lethargic response expected from public

By Nathan Jeffay

Illustrative image: gum recession in a human mouth. (alex-mit via iStock by Getty Images)

September 17, 2022, 6:01 am

Israeli foam to reverse receding gums soon set for human use, after success on dogs

Peer-reviewed study shows biological foam made of proteins helped reverse condition in 9 dogs; innovators say human version may be approved within two years

By Nathan Jeffay

Illustrative image: a human brain (onimate via iStock by Getty Images)

September 16, 2022, 4:03 pm

Fixing weak electric current in part of brain may treat Parkinson’s — Israeli lab

University of Haifa scientist says her peer-reviewed study could open up a new approach to fighting the disease, enable detection when people are young

By Nathan Jeffay

Illustrative image: an Israeli woman receives a coronavirus vaccine at the Hadassah Medical Center, in Jerusalem, on January 6, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

September 15, 2022, 6:46 am

Israelis to start getting new variant-tailored shots by end of month — COVID czar

Second-generation vaccines being distributed to healthcare providers, as scientific community waits expectantly to see how much they help

By Nathan Jeffay

Illustrative image: Nanoparticles, like those used in research to develop nano medicine (peterschreiber.media via iStock by Getty Images)

September 15, 2022, 3:44 am

Nano drugs dosed via skin could become easier to develop, thanks to Israeli research

Bar Ilan University method for assessing effectiveness of drugs through dermal delivery ‘could really push forward development of nanomedicine,’ researcher says

By Nathan Jeffay

Illustrative: Neuroscience research, with electroencephalograph examination of a brain. (ogen; iStock by Getty Images)

September 13, 2022, 9:43 pm

Sheba to open new neuroscience center backed by Thomas Jefferson University

Joint research starting immediately on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, geriatric psychiatry, as well as neurological diseases that are unique to the Jewish population

By Nathan Jeffay

Illustrative image: a woman gets a blood test. (stefanamer vis iStock by Getty Images)

September 9, 2022, 10:38 am

In first, new Israeli blood test could detect pancreatic, colorectal cancers

Method, using special technology to image a single molecule, would be breakthrough for pancreatic cancer, which today cannot be identified by any single diagnostic test

By Nathan Jeffay

Illustrative image: a gynecologist showing a patient an ultrasound of her fetus. (megaflopp via iStock by Getty Images)

September 8, 2022, 12:24 pm

Adding acid to embryos boosts IVF outcomes by a third, Israeli study shows

Hyaluronic acid already considered beneficial, but new analysis crunches data from thousands of women to quantify effect; those facing most uphill struggle get best benefits

By Nathan Jeffay

An Israeli man receives a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, at Maccabi vaccination center in Modi'in, on January 6, 2022. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

September 8, 2022, 11:28 am

Israeli study: Vaccines slash long COVID cases, with 80% drop in shortness of breath

Peer-reviewed finding is ‘the cherry on top’ for vaccines, which have already been shown to reduce infection and lower seriousness of illness, says researcher

By Nathan Jeffay