Last week, LCSB Director Prof. Michael Heneka was awarded the Tovi Comet-Walerstein Science Award by Bar-Ilan University in Israel. The ceremony took place at the university’s Cancer, AIDS and Immunology Research (C.A.I.R.) Institute and honours his long-standing research on neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease.
Established nearly 30 years ago, the Comet-Walerstein Award commemorates Dr Tovi Comet-Walerstein, a physician and researcher who devoted her life to advancing medical science before succumbing to cancer at the age of 38. The award recognises outstanding contributions in biomedical research.
A neurologist and internationally recognised neuroscientist, Prof. Heneka has dedicated over 25 years to understanding the complex processes that drive brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s. His research focuses on neuroinflammation, the brain’s immune response, and how it contributes to disease onset and progression. With his team, he aims to identify novel biomarkers and immune-related disease mechanisms that could serve as new therapeutic targets to delay or even prevent cognitive decline.
Bar-Ilan University’s choice to honour Prof. Heneka this year underscores the global relevance of his work and its influence on how we understand and will treat dementia in the future.
‟ This award is a great honour. It reflects the growing recognition of neuroinflammation as a critical factor in Alzheimer’s disease.”
Director of the LCSB
From left to right: Prof. Michael Heneka and his wife, David Ballerstein with his wife and daughter, and Prof. Benjamin Sredni.