Moshe Shay Ben-Haim, PhD
Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine
The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine
About The Lab
The research in the lab focuses on how our actions sculpt the epigenome -- the "control panel" of our genes. Lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and various exposures (like smoking; or intake of supplements or pharmaceutical drugs), can have vast effects on our epigenome. Changes in the epigenome result in gene expression changes that could have meaningful effects on disease susceptibility. Such changes are particularly malleable during pregnancy, but also in adulthood by modulating our "epigenetic clock" (a predictor of how well we age). The lab uses powerful computational tools to analyse data and identify practices that in pregnancy promote long-term fetal health, and in adults could potentially even rewind this epigenetic aging clock. Additional avenues of research in the lab include the use of machine learning tools to predict positive medical and mental health outcomes. Students or research assistants who are interested in these topics and have a computational orientation are more than welcome to be in contact. Please email Shay.Ben-Haim@mail.huji.ac.il
Image: Daniel Goldfarb
Research Overview
Epigenetic changes regulate gene expression and can have important influence on disease susceptibility and aging.
Age is one of the most significant risk factors for chronic and often terminal diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders. The risk of disease and mortality increases exponentially with age, a pattern that cannot be explained by simple "wear and tear." The research in the lab thus addresses critical questions such as:
· Why does disease risk increase so dramatically with age?
· Is this process genetically programmed?
· Can it be prevented or mitigated?
To tackle these questions, we explore the epigenetic determinants of aging by examining DNA methylation alterations that occur over time. By understanding these biological mechanisms, we aim to identify gene regulators that impact age-related disease risk and potentially affect the biological aging clock.
​
Research Interests
· Epigenetic regulation of aging and obesity
· Machine learning applications in public health
· Epigenetic health during pregnancy
· Epigenetic clocks and disease susceptibility
​
My Background
I come with diverse background in cognitive neuroscience, medical sciences, and computational biology. I earned my first Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Tel Aviv University under the guidance of Prof. Daniel Algom, where I developed a strong foundation in statistical analysis and experimental design. I pursued a second Ph.D. in Medical Sciences, focusing on computational epigenetics and aging under the guidance of Prof. Gideon Rechavi and Prof. Haim Cohen. During my postdoctoral work at Yale University I worked with Prof. Laurie Santos, Prof. Steve Chang, and Prof. Ran Hassin, while further completing machine learning and data science training at MIT to expand my research skillset. This multidisciplinary training enables me to approach complex health-related questions with emphasis on Big-Data.
​
Opportunities in My Lab
I welcome students and research assistants with a computational orientation who are interested in epigenetics, aging, and data science. If you are excited about these topics and want to contribute to cutting-edge research, please feel free to contact me.
Epigenetics
Aging
Predicting Awareness using Machine Learning
Statistical Learning / Implicit Learning
FUNDING
