Dr. Dekel Rosenfeld

Dekel Rosenfeld earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. During a postdoc at MIT’s Research Laboratory of Electronics and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, she developed magnetic nanomaterials for neuroscience applications, to repair organ dysfunction and study the organ-brain connection in health and in neurological disorders.

Dr. Rosenfeld’s lab in the Biomedical Engineering Department at Tel Aviv University works at the intersection of materials science and neuroscience. She develops minimally invasive approaches using biocompatible tools to safely deliver signals to the cells of interest. One example is a method to remotely control adrenal hormone release and to study the adrenal-brain connection. Stress hormone release from the adrenal gland is associated with mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Dr. Rosenfeld hopes her research will expand the potential of minimally invasive stimulation techniques so eventually they can be used on other deep organs in the body.

A teacher who twice won the Excellence in Teaching Award, Dr. Rosenfeld participated in several programs at MIT where she mentored students with the goal of increasing the number of underrepresented minorities and underserved students in academic research. She hopes to actively improve diversity and equity in science in Israel as well, by identifying talented students from these backgrounds and creating an environment that allows them to succeed.