Dr Dorit Avni is the head of Biocompounds and Immune-Mediated Diseases (MIGAL). She received her bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees from the Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University (TAU) in 1997, 2000, and 2010, respectively. She studied the link between sphingolipids, inflammation, and cancer during her post-doctoral fellowship at Massey Cancer Research Centre/VCU, USA. Her laboratory focuses on sphingolipids, natural-based bioactive compounds, and immune system regulation using a multidisciplinary approach that includes in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models using metabolomics, immunology and biochemistry tools. Their studies aim to understand the path in which sphingolipids and natural-based bioactive compounds modulate the immune system in inflammation and the pro-malignancy process in order to elucidate novel therapeutic targets. She has recently established and is coordinating the EU-funded consortium, Algae4IBD, with 21 European organisations to explore the biodiverse algae-based compounds to prevent and treat inflammation, pain and inflammatory bowel diseases.
