adrian_d@clalit.org.il   aduek@intramed.net

I was recently accepted by Professor Radek Skoda to join his lab at the University of Bazel, Switzerland beginning next summer as fellow for two or three years.

Prof. Skoda is one of the most prestigious scientists in Experimental Hematology worldwide. In 2005, he published a landmark article describing a mutation on the Jak2 protein in almost 95% of patients suffering from Polycythemia Vera. The same mutation was also described in others PV-related entities as essential thrombocytemia and myelofibrosis. These diseases, characterized by an uncontrolled blood cells production by the bone marrow, have no curative treatment so far. Based on this discovery, several new drugs have been developed and are being tested today in various clinical trials in the U.S.

However, in Israel there is not any scientific group dealing with these diseases as a project. Therefore, this project represents an important opportunity for me, and for Israeli medicine, in joining this trend.

The challenge will not be easy. I am 39 years old, married with three children (9-year-old, 5-year-old and a 3-month-old baby) and my wife is a physician as well. I was born in Argentina, where I earned a medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires and completed the Internal Medicine and Hematology residencies by August 2000, moving to Israel with my wife in November 2000. Here, we passed the board certification exams, my wife finished the Ophthalmology residence and I completed the Hematology and Internal Medicine residencies again.

Naturally, I am very interested in doing basic research in order to improve my knowledge and to establish a foundation for future collaborations upon my return to my country. However, I will be earning a salary as post doc. This amount will not be enough to support my family.

It is extremely important for us to preserve the Jewish identity of our children and to provide them with a Jewish education. Therefore, I would be very grateful to receive any kind of support in order to move forward with my project.

I know that things are not so simple. I am at the beginning of my life in this country. But I am ready for the challenge, as I was in 2000 when I decided "to make aliyah."

I am taking this opportunity to write you asking for support for my program. I hope that you may have some contacts which could be useful to me in my endeavor.

I would be deeply grateful if you could provide me with any assistance.

Thank you very much,
My best regards,
Adrian Duek, MD
Hematology Institute
Kaplan Medical Center
Rehovot, Israel