Managment Team
Prof. Michel Revel, MD, PhD - Chief Scientist
Prof. Revel is Professor Emeritus of Molecular Genetics at the Weizmann Institute of Science. His research on Interferon, its mechanisms of action and the isolation of the human Interferon-beta gene, have led to the biotechnological development of Interferon-beta therapy for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The drug, Rebif®, is now a $US 1.7 billion drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is presently marketed worldwide. Revel also discovered the human gene for the cytokine Interleukin-6 which was developed at his laboratory and at InterPharm (now Merck-Serono) based on its activity for protecting nerve cells and the nerve myelin coating in neuropathies. In recent years, Revel's laboratory focused on hESC and succeeded to produce nerve myelinating cells that reconstitute the myelin coating after transplantation into myelin-deficient animals. These studies contributed to the development of the suspension culture technology for hESC which can then be used to produce differentiated human cells such as insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells and nerve myelinating cells.
Alongside his research and development activity, Prof. Revel is deeply involved in the ethics of science and biotechnology, and serves as chairman of the Israel National Bioethics Council and was a member of the International Bioethics Committee of UNESCO. He integrates his work in science with traditional Judaism and Jewish philosophy in addressing bioethical issues such as use of hESC, genetic intervention in man and cloning. Prof. Revel was the recipient of the Israel Prize for medical research, the EMET Prize for biotechnology and is a member of the Israel Academy of Science and Humanities. He has been a member of Israel's National Committee for Biotechnology, serving for three years as its chairman.
Mr. Yossi Ben-Yossef – Acting CEO, Founder and Chairman of the Board
Mr. Yossi Ben-Yossef, entrepreneur, lead investments with active involvement in successful Biotech/Life Sciences companies in the last 12 years. Mr. Ben-Yossef will be in charge of financing the Company and will contribute to the venture by providing the benefits of his extensive financial experience and know-how in Biotech/Life Sciences start-up operations and business development.
Dr. Arik Hasson, PhD – VP for R&D
Prior to joining Kadimastem, Dr. Hasson was the head of Stem Cell Projects in Gamida Cell, a stem cell therapeutic company that is in phase III clinical trials. Dr. Hasson headed the diabetic and neurological projects of Gamida Cell and was responsible for developing cell therapy products for Diabetes Mellitus and neuro-degenerating disease such as Multiple Screlerosis and Stroke. In addition as Head of Stem Cell project, he helped initiating and served as the R&D Director in the first four years of an Israeli Consortium for Stem Cells R&D (“Bereshith”) that was funded by the Chief Scientist in the Israeli Office of Industry, Trade & Labor.
Between 2001 and 2004, Dr. Hasson was the Head of Development in Gamida Cell. In that position he helped developing a research process into a stem cell product which is currently under clinical trial. Dr. Hasson holds a PhD in cellular neurobiology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and did a post-doctoral research in the Biotechnology Laboratory, University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, Canada. He is the author of tens of peered review papers in the fields of stem cell, cell therapy and neurobiology and is the author of 17 patents in the same fields.
Mr. Yehuda Feinberg, MBA – Finance Manager
Yehuda Feinberg has over 20 years of financial and operational managment experience in the biotech, high-tech and telecom sectors, both in startup companies and in large, established companies. Mr. Feinberg has worked with several startup companies in financial managment positions as well as in a consultancy capacity in business planning and financial modeling. Mr. Feinberg served as VP Finance for Rosetta Genomics Ltd., a biotech startup company and for Roqiya Networks, a hi-tech startup in the field of free-space optical communications. Between 2006 and 2010 Mr. Feinberg served as Corporate Director of Financial Planning and Analysis for NICE Systems Ltd., a leading global hi-tech company. Previously Mr. Feinberg served as Director of Economics and Budgets at Pelephone Communications, Israel's first cellular operator. Mr. Feinberg has a BA in Economics from Rutgers University and an MBA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.