Eran
Blacher

Dr. Eran Blacher is a new faculty member in the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Eran studies the gut–brain communication in aging and neurological disorders.

By integrating novel imaging methods, multi-omics techniques, advanced computational analyses, and clinical observations, he creates an interactive merging point between the realms of neuroscience, immunology, microbiome, and metabolism. As an Azrieli Fellow, Eran aims to achieve in- depth understanding of the intestinal processes affecting brain dysfunction that will support the development of better treatments, prolonged lifespan, and healthier aging.

Eran completed a BSc with distinction in life sciences and a PhD in neuroimmunology in the direct PhD track for outstanding students at Tel Aviv University under the supervision of Prof. Reuven Stein from the Department of Neurobiology. He studied the brain’s immune responses in cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and, in collaboration with Prof. Micha Fridman from the School of Chemistry, identified and tested a novel immune-metabolic modulator as a therapeutic approach to these conditions. His first postdoctoral position was in the laboratory of Prof. Eran Elinav in the Department of Systems Immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he was the first to study the role of the microbiome–gut–brain axis in the context of neurodegenerative diseases. For his findings in this field, Eran was awarded the Grand Prize in the inaugural NOSTER & Science Microbiome competition. He conducted a second postdoctoral training as a Marie Curie Fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Katrin Andreasson in the Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences at Stanford University, where he studied maladaptive metabolism in aged immune cells and the gut– brain axis in stroke and aging. Eran grew up in Holon and enjoys reading literature, writing, hiking, and spending time with his spouse, Maya, and their two sons, Eli and Jordan.