The Witz Laboratory

Prof. Isaac Witz is the principal investigator of the lab. He has an M.Sc in Microbiology and Biochemistry and a PhD in Cancer Biology from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He did his Postdoc at Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo, New York. Isaac leads the lab to study bi-directional interactions between cancer cells and their microenvironment, and the influence of such interactions on cancer progression and metastasis.   

Dr. Orit Sagi-Assif is the laboratory manager. She has a B.Sc in Biology, an M.Sc in Microbiology and a PhD in Cancer Research and Hematology, from Tel Aviv University. Orit studies the interactions between brain resident cells and brain-metastasizing melanoma cells.    

Mrs. Tsipi Meshel is a research assistant. She has a B.Sc in Biology and an M.Sc in Human Microbiology,  from Tel Aviv University. Tsipi utilizes advanced molecular biology techniques to examine determinants of cancer metastasis.

Dr. Sivan Izraely-Bino is a research fellow. She has a B.Sc in Biotechnology and a PhD in Cell Research and Immunology,  from Tel Aviv University. Sivan studies the molecular mechanisms of melanoma brain metastasis.

Dr. Shelly Maman is a research fellow. She has a B.Sc in Biology and an M.Sc in Cell Research and Immunology from Tel Aviv University and a PhD in Biochemistry and Cancer Research from the University of Maryland and Tel Aviv University. Shelly is developing novel anticancer therapies based on innate metastasis-inhibitory factors.

Maharrish Chelladurai received his B.Tech. in Biotechnology from Anna University, Trichy and M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Pondicherry University. His two months research internship at CSHL, NY in the field of tumor microenvironment kindled him to do further research in the same field. I became a member of Witz family in November 2019 to pursue my Ph.D.

​

Ms. Orit Adir has a B.sc in Nursing and an M.Sc in Medical sciences from Tel Aviv University. She studies the effect of extracellular vesicles and soluble factors in the cross-talk between melanoma and microglia.

Ms. Hadasa Malka has a B.sc in Biology and Chemistry from Ben Gurion University of the Negev. As a M.sc student she studies the relation between Microbiome and Brain Microenvironment

Ms. Sapir Malka is a research assistant. She has a B.sc in Life and Medical Sciences from Tel Aviv University. Sapir studies molecular mechanisms in melanoma brain metastasis. 

​

Mrs. Shlomit Ben-Menachem is a research assistant. She has a B.sc in Biology and an M.Sc in Immunology from Tel Aviv University. Shlomit studies molecular mechanisms in melanoma brain metastasis.