Dr. Rivka Ofir

Dr. Rivka Ofir Profile

Senior Researcher B
PhD.,1988

Department : Faculty of Health Sciences
Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics
Room : 107
בניין המכון הלאומי לביוטכנולוגיה בנגב, ע"ש אדגר דה-פיצ'וטו - 41
Phone : 972-8-6477272
Email : rivir@bgu.ac.il
Office Hours :  
cancer, neuro degeneration, genetics, stem cells, protein

Education

  • Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel B.Sc 1968-72 Chemistry &Physics Hebrew University, Jerusalem,Israel M.Sc 1972-75 Cell Biology Ben Gurion Unversity, Beer Sheva, Israel Ph.D 1982-88 Cancer Biology Salk Institute San Diego, USA Postdoc. 1988-90 Molecular Biology WEHI Melbourne, Australia Postdoc. 1996-98 Apoptosis

Research Interests

  • Molecular genetics of signal transduction and signals for development Mapping mutations in human diseases Zebrafish as animal model for studying human diseases Genomic profile for drug responsiveness Leads for drugs and their mechanism of action

Research Topics

  • Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem as tools to study diseases and development
  • Desert plants as source for leads for drugs for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases
  • C. elegans as animal model for identifying compound inhibiting protein aggregation (potential leads for drugs against neurodegenerative diseases)

Major expertise and techniques in the lab

  • Culture and analysis of human and mice stem cells
  • Generating induced pluripotent stem cells from adult cells (fat, skin, cord, placenta etc.)
  • Tissue culture models for analysis of signals for apoptosis and brain cell inflammation

Publications and funding summary / representative publications and grants

  • 55 publications 2 grants (as part of my activity in my “mini-lab” in Hazeva )

Existing collaborations

  • Ron Apte – role of IL-1 family members in stem cell pluripotency /differentiation

Suggested multi-disciplinary research project / research focus topics

  • Stem cell as tools for studying gene function in organism development using knockout mice models, cells from human recessive diseases, etc.
  • I have a library of desert plants and like to screen it against disease models
  • I have a platform of 160 EBV-transformed human cell lines suitable for studying genomic/mitochondrial/more polymorphisms

Looking for expertise / project

  • In various areas that can use stem cells and reprogramming of adult cells into pluripotent stem cells as tools for studying biological processes.