Michal Schwartz

Michal Schwartz is Professor of Neuroimmunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Her theory broke the long-held dogma that immune cell entry to the brain should be completely blocked by a cellular wall, and shattered the understanding of the barrier that exists between the brain and the immune system, by attributing to the immune system a fundamental role throughout life in supporting brain plasticity - with far-reaching clinical implications for behaviour, cognition, stress, neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. As a result of her work, current research efforts are no longer directed at blocking immune interactions with the brain, but at investigating how to harness the immune response in the most effective manner to slow down brain aging, improve cognition, and fight disease. Professor Schwartz has received numerous prestigious awards for her research.