Zimin Prizes Awarded to Outstanding Researchers

For the third consecutive year, the Zimin Institute at the Technion has awarded prizes to outstanding researchers. The Institute, headed by Prof. Shai Shen-Orr from the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, was established in 2022 and supports the development of ideas in the field of artificial intelligence in medicine.

Each year, the Institute grants four awards for groundbreaking and practical technological research. This year’s winners are:

Prof. Yael Yaniv, from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering. Prof. Yaniv developed an innovative method to detect early markers of atrial fibrillation (AF) – the most common heart rhythm disorder. This condition can lead to blood clots, which may cause a stroke or death. The method developed by her research team uses AI to analyze heart rhythm patterns collected from smartwatches and alerts users to changes that may indicate future AF.

Prof. Moti Freiman, from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering. Prof. Freiman developed a motion correction mechanism for cardiac MRI scans. These scans are an excellent way to detect heart problems, but to prevent errors and image blurring, patients are usually required to hold their breath – a significant challenge, especially for children, the elderly, and patients with lung conditions. The mechanism developed by his team corrects for errors caused by chest movement, allowing patients to breathe freely during the scan without compromising image quality. This new mechanism is expected to be integrated into existing MRI machines.

Prof. Yonatan Savir, from the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine. Prof. Savir developed a technology for rapid and accurate analysis of biopsies – tissue and cell samples taken from patients for medical diagnosis. Biopsy analysis in complex diseases such as cancer currently requires lengthy and expensive lab tests. The technology developed by his team speeds up and improves diagnostic processes, reduces costs, and is expected to assist in the development of personalized drugs and treatments. This is the second time that Prof. Savir has won the award, which aims to support the continued development and implementation of this innovation.

Prof. Ron Kimmel, from the Henry and Marilyn Taub Faculty of Computer Science, was awarded the prize together with Dr. Gil Shamai. This is their second time receiving the award, intended to help bring their original technology closer to application, a technology for accurate diagnosis and classification of cancerous tumors based on biopsies. Their system uses AI to analyze standard pathological scans. The accurate results not only improve diagnosis but also help predict the outcomes of different treatment options, enabling better therapeutic decisions, reducing costs, avoiding unnecessary treatments, and improving recovery chances.