Prof. Hagit Eldar-Finkelman

Prof. Eldar-Finkelman obtained her B.Sc. in Chemistry from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ph.D. in Life Sciences from the Weizmann Institute of Science. Her post-doctoral training was carried out with Nobel prize laureate Edwin G. Krebs. Eldar-Finkelman is well known for her pioneering work on developing unique protein kinase inhibitors that target the substrate binding site. She published over 75 original papers and ten patents in the field of protein kinase inhibitors. She was the recipient of several awards, including the British Council Award, the American Heart Association Award, the Joslin Diabetes Center Fellowship and the Linder Prize of the Israel Endocrine Society.

Our laboratory is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying human disease giving an emphasis to the development of new therapeutics addressing unmet needs in neurodegenerative disorders. Of particular interest is the protein kinase, GSK-3, that plays important roles in accelerating neuron deterioration and brain function. We showed that hyperactivity of GSK-3 is a causative factor in accumulation of toxic proteins such as beta amyloid and mutant Huntingtin in Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s, respectively, and in disturbing cognitive functions. Therefore, we develop GSK-3 inhibitors with unique inhibition modality as potential drugs. We combine expertise in medicinal chemistry, computational modeling, and the use of suitable in vivo models to ultimately produce beneficial therapeutics for clinical practice.