

Prof. Chaim Pick
We, have long history in Traumatic Brain Injury research, not only in characterizing behavioral and biochemical sequelae of blunt head trauma, but also in developing preclinical models of mTBI of translational relevance to support the development of new treatment strategies and drugs. In order to look for answers regarding the blast induced traumatic brain injury, we have developed a blast injury model for mice that resembles, as much as possible, the conditions on the battlefield or at a terror-attack site. As such, the outcomes of the “real-life-like” exposure to the blast in our model may vary from severe to mild brain injury under controlled conditions for each mouse. Over the years, my research group had been involved in thorough studies of physical activity and its effects on brain- and medical conditions in special human populations, the beneficial effects of physical activity on recovery from brain damage, and in animal models. Most recently we are studying the effects of aerobic training on the brain following traumatic brain injury and the exact best timing to start the training. In addition, we are looking at the effects of various types of nutrition (including catogenic diet) alone or in combination with physical activity, on recovery from brain trauma.
Behavioral Neuroscience
Brain Disorders Research
Neurodevelopment and Neurogenetic Research
- Ketogenic Diet as a potential treatment for traumatic brain injury in mice. Har-Even M, Rubovitch V, Ratliff WA, Richmond-Hacham B, Citron BA, Pick CG.
Sci Rep. 2021 Dec 7;11(1):23559. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-02849-0. - Sex-specific cognitive effects of mild traumatic brain injury to the frontal and temporal lobes. Richmond-Hacham B, Izchak H, Elbaum T, Qubty D, Bader M, Rubovitch V, Pick CG. Exp Neurol. 2022 Jun;352:114022. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114022.
- Sexual dimorphism of the posterior cervical spine muscle attachments. Keidan L, Barash A, Lenzner Z, Pick CG, Been E. J Anat. 2021 Sep;239(3):589-601. doi: 10.1111/joa.13448. Epub 2021 Apr 19.
- Nano-PSO Administration Attenuates Cognitive and Neuronal Deficits Resulting from Traumatic Brain Injury.Qubty D, Frid K, Har-Even M, Rubovitch V, Gabizon R, Pick CG. Molecules. 2022 Apr 23;27(9):2725. doi: 10.3390/molecules27092725.
- Effect of mild blast-induced TBI on dendritic architecture of the cortex and hippocampus in the mouse. Ratliff WA, Mervis RF, Citron BA, Schwartz B, Rubovitch V, Schreiber S, Pick CG.Sci Rep. 2020 Feb 10;10(1):2206. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-59252-4.