Prof. Arnon Afek
עברית

Prof. Arnon Afek

Dina Recanati School of Medicine M.D.

Founding Dean, Dina Recanati School of Medicine

  • • Founding Dean, The Dina Recanati School of Medicine, Reichman University
    • Director of Gertner Institute and chairman of the Transplant committee, Sheba Medical Center
    • Acting Chief Physician, the Israeli Medical Cannabis Agency, Israeli MOH
    • Chairman of the National Council of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, MOH
    • Acting Chairman, The Association of Hospitals' Directors
    • "Ot Yakir Hamedina" 2019 - Recipient of the highest Civil Servant award
    • Former Director General, Israeli Ministry of Health
    • Former member of the Bureau of Governors, the OECD Health Committee



    Prof. Arnon Afek is the Founding Dean of the Dina Recanati School of Medicine and the Prof. Cecil Taitz chair in the field of Anatomy, Reichman University. At the Sheba Medical Center, he is the Director of the Gertner Institute of Epidemiology and the chairman of the Transplant Programs Committee. He is the former Associate Director General (DG) of Sheba, the former Director of Sheba General Hospital as well as the former Chairman of the Department of Medical Management (2017-2025).

    He assumed these positions after completing his tenure as the Director General and the Associate Medical DG of the Israeli Ministry of Health (2014-17). In the MOH, Prof Afek led the reforms in Mental Care, the regulation of Cannabis for medical use and public transparency in the publishing the outcomes of hospital "Quality Indicators".
    For his outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the Israeli Healthcare system, he received in 2019, the "Ot Yakir Hamedina", the highest award given each year to two senior civil servants.

    In 2015, Prof. Afek was personally appointed as a member of the Bureau of Governors of the OECD Health Committee, taking a role in designing health policy in the OECD.
    Prof. Afek served for 12 years (2011-2024) as the Director of the NY State/American MD Program, Professor of Public Health and the Michlin Chair in the field of philosophy and history of medicine at the School of Medicine and the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University.
    He is a Visiting Professor at the Nicosia University Medical School, Cyprus.
    In 2018, Prof. Afek was nominated the Chairman of the Israeli Medical Association World Federation (IMA WF), and in 2019, he was elected the Associate Chairman of the Association of Hospitals' Directors, a position in which he currently serves as the Acting Chairman.
    Previously, Prof. Afek was the Director of Medical Affairs, Acting Head of the Emergency Services of the Israeli Ministry of Health (2012-2014) and the Deputy Director of Sheba General Hospital (2007-2012).

    Prof. Afek is a Colonel (Res) and a member of the IDF-MC Helsinki (IRB) Committee. He has previously served as the Head of Occupational Medicine and Medical Classification Branches as well as the Chairman of the Department of Medical Administration at the IDF Medical Corps (2004-2007). For his outstanding service he received the IDF Chief of Logistic award.
    Prof. Arnon Afek received his medical training at the Hebrew University and Hadassah School of Medicine (1981-1987), residency in Anatomical Pathology at the Sheba Medical Center and fellowship in Medical Administration (Board Certified Cum Laude) at the Sheba Medical Center and at the Ministry of Health. He completed master degree in Health Administration (MHA Cum Laude) at Ben-Gurion University (2000-2002).

    He is a graduate of the Wexner Senior Leadership Executive Program (WSLP 16), Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
    Prof. Afek has published more than 200 peer reviewed papers in medical journals such as NEJM, JAMA, Lancet and Circulation (H index 64) and has received numerous awards, including the Tel Aviv University Rector's Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Kellerman Award and the Goldberg Award, both for research in Cardiology; the Israel National Quality Award (twice). He is the coeditor of the first textbook on medical Cannabis - Principals of the Good Clinical Practice for Treatment with Medical Cannabis -"The Green Book" (2025).
    He chaired the Committee that recommended the establishment of the new Sheldon & Miriam Adelson Medical School in Ariel University.
    In 2016, he received the Israeli Civil Service Commission Award for reducing bureaucracy in physician licensing and Quality Improvement Award for advancing quality of care in Neonatal Units throughout Israel.

    In 2017, Prof Afek was awarded the Society for Patients' Rights in Israel Certificate of Recognition for his contribution to patient's healthcare in reforming Mental Healthcare in Israel.
    Prof. Afek chaired the committees on Disabled Veterans Medical Services and Classification, as part of the National Reform "One Soul".
    He lecturers at numerous medical conferences and delivered The John M. Eisenberg, M.D. International Lecture at The Commonwealth Fund's 18th Annual International Symposium on Health Care Policy.
    He is married to a Pediatric Dentist, Dr. Limor Afek, they have two children Shahar and Oren and a granddaughter – Roni.

  • Tirosh A, Shai I, Afek A, Dubnov-Raz G, Ayalon N, Gordon B, Derazne E, Tzur D, Shamis A, Vinker S, Rudich A. Adolescent BMI trajectory and risk of diabetes versus coronary disease. N Engl J Med. 2011 Apr 7;364(14):1315-25. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1006992. PMID: 21470009; PMCID: PMC4939259.


    Vivante A, Afek A, Frenkel-Nir Y, Tzur D, Farfel A, Golan E, Chaiter Y, Shohat T, Skorecki K, Calderon-Margalit R. Persistent asymptomatic isolated microscopic hematuria in Israeli adolescents and young adults and risk for end- stage renal disease. JAMA. 2011 Aug 17;306(7):729-36. doi: 10.1001/jama.2011.1141. PMID: 21846854.


    Eidelman L, Afek A. Israel-Gaza conflict. Lancet. 2014 Aug 23;384(9944):e32-3. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61313-1. Epub 2014 Aug 14. PMID: 25132505.

     


    Twig G, Yaniv G, Levine H, Leiba A, Goldberger N, Derazne E, Ben-Ami Shor D, Tzur D, Afek A, Shamiss A, Haklai Z, Kark JD. Body-Mass Index in 2.3 Million Adolescents and Cardiovascular Death in Adulthood. N Engl J Med. 2016 Jun 23;374(25):2430-40. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1503840. Epub 2016 Apr 13. PMID: 27074389.


    Balicer RD, Afek A. Digital health nation: Israel's global big data innovation hub. Lancet. 2017 Jun 24;389(10088):2451-2453. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30876-0. Epub 2017 May 8. PMID: 28495105.


    Clarfield AM, Manor O, Nun GB, Shvarts S, Azzam ZS, Afek A, Basis F, Israeli A. Health and health care in Israel: an introduction. Lancet. 2017 Jun 24;389(10088):2503-2513. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30636-0. Epub 2017 May 8. PMID: 28495109.


    Calderon-Margalit R, Golan E, Twig G, Leiba A, Tzur D, Afek A, Skorecki K, Vivante A. History of Childhood Kidney Disease and Risk of Adult End-Stage Renal Disease. N Engl J Med. 2018 Feb 1;378(5):428-438. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1700993. PMID: 29385364.


    Amit S, Regev-Yochay G, Afek A, Kreiss Y, Leshem E. Early rate reductions of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 in BNT162b2 vaccine recipients. Lancet. 2021 Mar 6;397(10277):875-877. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00448-7. Epub 2021 Feb 18. PMID: 33610193; PMCID: PMC7906709.


    Amit S, Regev-Yochay G, Afek A, Kreiss Y, Leshem E. COVID-19 vaccine efficacy data: solid enough to delay second dose? - Authors' reply. Lancet. 2021 Jun 12;397(10291):2249-2250. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01059-X. PMID: 34119061; PMCID: PMC8192094.


    Regev-Yochay G, Amit S, Bergwerk M, Lipsitch M, Leshem E, Kahn R, Lustig Y, Cohen C, Doolman R, Ziv A, Novikov I, Rubin C, Gimpelevich I, Huppert A, Rahav G, Afek A, Kreiss Y. Decreased infectivity following BNT162b2 vaccination: A prospective cohort study in Israel. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2021 Aug;7:100150. doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100150. Epub 2021 Jul 7. PMID: 34250518; PMCID: PMC8261633.


    Shavit R, Maoz-Segal R, Iancovici-Kidon M, Offengenden I, Haj Yahia S, Machnes Maayan D, Lifshitz-Tunitsky Y, Niznik S, Frizinsky S, Deutch M, Elbaz E, Genaim H, Rahav G, Levy I, Belkin A, Regev-Yochay G, Afek A, Agmon-Levin N. Prevalence of Allergic Reactions After Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccination Among Adults With High Allergy Risk. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Aug 2;4(8):e2122255. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.22255. PMID: 34463744; PMCID: PMC8408666.