Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the Adi Negev-Nahalat Eran Rehabilitation Village have recently established an interdisciplinary laboratory focusing on leveraging neuroscience and rehabilitation research propel rehabilitation services to a new level.
The aim of the lab is to foster multi-disciplinary research driven by both basic science and patients’ unmet needs, advancing neurorehabilitation and maximizing the physical and cognitive potential of people suffering from brain damage and motor disabilities. The laboratory will develop and provide outstanding research based care to patients and contribute to the growth of medical and technological professions in the Negev community. Dr. Simona Bar-Haim who is from the Department of Physical Therapy in the Faculty of Health Sciences and is the head of the clinic said, “We see great opportunities to establish a joint endeavor with the aim to reduce the gap between rehabilitation treatment for people with brain injuries and cutting-edge research in neuroscience; we plan to turn innovative research into practical tools for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of motor and cognitive disabilities. Our common goal is to make the Negev an Israeli and international center of excellence in rehabilitative therapy.” Dr. Lior Shmuelof, of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the head of science at the laboratory, emphasized the unique environment of Adi Negev: “The enriched environment of the village, together with the professional staff and volunteers, allows us to study the effects of environmental conditions and dosage of rehabilitation on patients’ recovery from brain damage, with a special focus on the early stages after the damage, when brain plasticity is greater.”
Adi Negev - Nahalat Eran
A village in every sense of the word, the facility is currently home to over 140 young people who are encouraged to develop a greater degree of independence in order to become productive members of Israeli society. ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran provides a continuum of residential care for children with complex disabilities as they grow from adolescents into young adults and empowers them to interact with the outside world, develop a greater degree of independence, and enjoy quality of life, while realizing their full potential.
To increase quality of life on the premises, the village features large parks and lounge areas for the residents to enjoy as well as plenty of grassy areas adjoining the living quarters.
At full capacity, the village will also provide much-needed outpatient services to the 12,000 children and young adults living in the surroundings areas who, until now, had to wait several months for therapy sessions in the existing local medical center or travel up to four hours to medical centers in the area of Tel Aviv. ADI Negev also provides jobs to hundreds of area residents in a variety of fields, including education, rehabilitation, maintenance, administration, medicine, supportive care, and more.
The Village includes onsite cutting-edge therapy frameworks, including a state-of-the-art Hydrotherapy Pool, Safari Petting Zoo, and Therapeutic Horseback Riding Track.
A $42-million-dollar project, Adi Negev-Nahalat Eran has connected Israeli government ministries, foundations, philanthropists, and individuals worldwide in a project creating hope and opportunities for integration, understanding, and acceptance of people with disabilities within society at large.
ADI Negev is the only facility of its kind in Israel and is being closely studied by experts from around the world as the paradigm of excellence in rehabilitative care.
The Harvey and Gloria Kaylie Rehabilitation Medical Center
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is one of Israel’s leading research universities and among the world leaders in many fields.
It has around 20,000 students and 4,000 faculty members in the Faculties of Engineering Sciences, Health Sciences, and Natural Sciences; the Pinchas Sapir Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; the Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management; the Joyce and Irving Goldman School of Medicine; the Kreitman School of Advanced Graduate Studies; and the Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies. More than 100,000 alumni play important roles in all areas of research and development, industry, health care, the economy, society, culture, and education in Israel.
The University has three main campuses—The Marcus Family Campus in Beer-Sheva, the research campus at Sde Boker, and the Eilat Campus—and is home to the following national and multi-disciplinary research institutes: The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, The National Institute of Solar Energy, The Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, The Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel & Zionism, and The Research Institute for Jewish and Israeli Literature and Culture (Heksherim).
The lab was able to open its doors thanks to a generous donation by the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Foundation for the benefit and advancement of research and students in Israel.