Director, Heart Failure and
Heart Muscle Disease Center
The Heart Institute
Hadassah University Hospital
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel home: (+) 972 2 6430 713
Tel work: (+) 972 2 6777 111
Fax (+) 972 2 6411 028
Email: andrek@cc.huji.ac.il
1947 Born in Romania, married + 3 children (29,23,23 years old)
1973 Immigration to Israel.; Citizenship: Israeli
MD Studies and Hospital Appointments
1965-1971 Faculty of Medicine, Tirgu-Mures Medical School, Romania
1973-1979 Specialization in Cardiology, Hadassah University Hospital and Shaare Zedek Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
1979-1980 Military Service.
1980-1982 Senior Physician, Bikur Cholim Hospital, Department of Cardiology
1982-1984 Post Doctoral Fellow, Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Stanford University Hospital, Stanford - California - USA.
1984-1991 Senior Physician, Director of Echocardiographic Service, Department of Cardiology, Bikur Cholim Hospital, Jerusalem
1991–1999 Associate Director, Department of Cardiology, Director Echocardiographic Service, Bikur Cholim Hospital, Jerusalem.
1993-1994 Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Stanford University Hospital, Stanford, California USA.
1999 - 2007 Director, Department of Cardiology, Bikur Cholim Hospital, Jerusalem, affiliated with the Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem.
2007 - Director, Heart Failure and Heart Muscle Disease Center, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
MD Licences
1971 MD License No. 89906, University of Tirgu-Mures, Romania
1973 MD License No. 10150 - Israel
1979 License of Specialist in Cardiology No. 6328 - Israel
1979 ECFMG License No. 297-730-4, USA; VQE same license no, 1980;
2006 GMC License No 6139811, Cardiology, United Kingdom, fully registered medical practitioner with specialist registration
Academic Appointments
1980 Lecturer in Medicine, Hebrew University, and Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem.
1982 Senior Lecturer in Medicine (Cardiology), Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
1989 Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem.
1993-1994 Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Stanford University Hospital, Stanford, California USA.
1997 Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem
2006 Visiting Professor Heart Hospital, University College of London Hospitals, London
Awards, Fellowships, National and International Societies
1977 A. Gorlick Award of the Scientific Committee of the Israel Medical Association for Work in Cardiology.
1979 Fellow of International Society of Cardiology.
1983 Fogarty International Fellowship, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
1985 Fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography.
1988-2007 Co-Chairman of Jerusalem Heart Society.
1989 On the list of "Distinguished Teachers" of the Hadassah Medical School.
1989-90 Member of the Executive Board of Israel Heart Society.
1989-1999 Member of the Admission Committee, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School
1990-1993 Member of the National Standardization Committee for Internal Medicine Examinations of Israeli Medical Schools
1990-present Chairman of the Israeli Medical Schools' Committee of "Stanford Fellowship for Israeli Physicians"
1991 Fellow of the American College of Cardiology.
1991 Faculty Award of the Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School as Tutor of Medical Thesis: "Natural History of Left Ventricular Thrombi in the Post Hospitalization Period of Acute Myocardial Infarction" (Student Shmuel Goldbe
1992-present Member of Editorial Board, "Non-Invasive Cardiology", Symebard, Bratislava, Slovakia.
1992-present Member of the Teaching Committee, Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem
1992 Member of the American Association for Advancement of Science.
1995-2000 Member of the Examinations Board of the Israel Heart Society
1996 Fellow, Scientific Council, American Heart Association
1996 Fellow, International Society of Cardiovascular Ultrasound
1996 On the list of "Distinguished Teachers" of Hadassah Medical School
1996 Faculty Award of the Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School as Tutor of Medical Thesis "The Effectiveness of Two Doses of Streptokinase in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction" (Student Eldad Einav).
1997-present Senate Member, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
1997-2001 Chairman of the Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases of the Israeli Society of Cardiology
1999-present Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology
2000 On the list of "Distinguished Teachers" of Hadassah Medical School
2001- 2004 Chairman of the National Board of Examinations in Cardiology
2001- 2004 Secretary of the European Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases of the European Heart Society
2004–2008 Chairman of the Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases of the Israeli Heart Society
2005 On the list of "Distinguished Teachers" of Hadassah Medical School
2004–2006 Associate Chairman and Chairman Elect of the Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases of the European Heart Society
2006–2008 Member of the Task Force of the European Heart Society for Guidelines of “Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure”.
2006-2008 Chairman of the Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases of the European Heart Society
Research Grants
1996 - 3 years Grant of the German-Israeli Binational Fund to Dr Z. Khoury, Prof W. Daniel (the University Hospital of Dresden, Germany) and Prof A. Keren: Correlation between the natural course of ultrasonographic aortic atherosclerotic burden and cardiovascular event rates in patients with proven coronary artery disease during a 3 years follow-up period. (DM 100,000/year, total DM 300,00).
1998 - Grant of the Chief Scientist, Ministry of Health, Israel to Dr A. Keren And Dr E. Leitersdorf: Israeli Shared Action for Advancement of Cardiomyopathies (ISAAC). (NIS 100,000).
1998 – Grant of the General Guardian’s Office of Israel to Dr A. Keren And Dr E. Leitersdorf: Israeli Shared Action for Advancement of Cardiomyopathies (ISAAC).(NIS 100,000).
1999 - Grant of MSD Co. USA for original research proposal and performance: “Regression of left ventricular mass in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy” to Dr Andre Keren ( $US 35,000).
1999 - Grant of the Chief Scientist, Ministry of Health, Israel to Dr A. Keren And Dr E. Leitersdorf: Israeli Shared Action for Advancement of Cardiomyopathies (ISAAC). (NIS 100,000).2000 - Grant of the Chief Scientist, Ministry of Health, Israel to Dr A. Keren And Dr E. Leitersdorf: Israeli Shared Action for Advancement of Cardiomyopathies (ISAAC) (NIS 100,000).
2003 - Grant of MSD Co to Andre Keren MD for Original Research on: "LVH regression in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy" ($30.000)
Sponsored Research
Local Coordinator of Sponsored National and International Multicenter Studies (1991-2006)
Since 1991, I coordinated at Bikur Cholim the following studies:
§ In patients with acute myocardial infarction and unstable coronary syndromes: GUSTO, GISSI-2; PARAGON B iv IIb/IIIa inhibitor in unstable coronary syndromes. SYMPHONY SIBRAFIBAN oral IIb/IIIa inhibitor in unstable coronary syndromes. SYMPHONY-2, long term oral therapy with sibrafiban in patients post-MI and unstable coronary syndromes. GUSTO 4 & GUSTO 4 AMI: in pts with unstable coronary syndromes (GUSTO 4) the effect of Reopro vs Heparin; in pts with acute MI the use of thrombolysis alone or with Reopro (GUSTO 4 AMI). CAPRICORN: the effect of Carvedilol, a third generation beta blocker in patients with decreased LV function early post acute myocardial infarction.
§ In patients with chronic ischemic heart disease: TEDISAMIL 1&2 (the use of the novel bradycardisant, K channel blocker agent); Nicotine patches (their effect on findings during ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring), DETFIANT -1&2: I was member of the Steering or Echo Committees of two International Multicenter Trials (Defiant 1&2), which evaluated the impact of the calcium antagonist Nisoldipine on diastolic function and on exercise capacity of patients with Ischemic Heart Disease. ACTION (long term follow-up of patients with proven coronary disease and absence of heart failure treated with Nifedipine GITS) and ACTION-IMT side arm study- (Multinational European Cooperative Study denominated ACTION: INTIMAL-MEDIAL THICKNESS) . This study evaluated the effect of Nifedipine and lipid-lowering therapy on peripheral vessel atherosclerosis and cardiovascular event rates during 5 years clinical and ultrasonographic follow-up. I coordinated the enrollment of the Israeli patients (their ultrasonographic studies to be performed at Bikur Cholim) from Bikur Cholim, Shaarei Zedek and Hadassah Hospitals, and will be part of the 5 member International Scientific Committee of the study. Started September 1997: Comparison between efficacy of DILTIAZEM AND AMLODIPINE evaluated by dobutamine echo, in chronic active angina. RANOLAZINE : in stable chronic AP, addition of Ranolazine (a new agent which improves oxidative phosphorilation) to conventional therapy does improve QOL and exercise capacity?
§ Effect of Statines: CERIVASTATIN ( reduction of cardiovascular event rates in patients with proven coronary disease treated with a lipid lowering statin); A-Z: in patients with unstable coronary syndrome, the effect of Agrastat vs Heparin (A phase) and effect of early vs late administration of Zocor (Simvastatin, Z phase); PRINCESS: in patients with acute MI (Q and non-Q), the effect of early vs late administration of Cerivastatin/
§ In patients with congestive heart failure: MACH-1 ( use of the new generation calcium antagonist Mibefradil), REPLACE (use of angiotensin receptor inhibitor Telmisartan in patients responsive to ACE inhibitors), CASCO ( the effect of a novel calcium sensitizing agent, MCI-154), ECADOTRIL (the use of endopeptidase inhibition in heart failure); the TOBORINONE study (the use of novel quinolinone derivative Toborinone, in patients with advanced congestive heart failure), .ALIVE AZIMILIDE (new class 3 antiarrhythmic) early post AMI in patients with CHF, at risk of sudden death. CAPRICORN- CARVEDILOL in severe LV dysfunction. SURVIVE: intravenous Levosimendan vs Dobutamine iv in severe CHF; MCC 135 (activator of sarcoplasmic calcium dependent ATP-ase in CHF). MADIT 2- Defibrillator implant in CHF; ACCLAIM - Anti-inflammatory Immunomodulation with Celacade technology in patients with chronic congestive heart failure (member of International Steering Committee and Natinal Coordinator of the study for Israel), BICC – use of Betapheron in chronic inflammatory cardiomyopathy with viral persistence-(member of the International Critical Events Committee).
§ Antiarrhythmic ALIVE AZIMILIDE (new class 3 antiarrhythmic) early post AMI in patients at risk of sudden death, ERAFT slow release PROPAFENONE effectiveness in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
§ In patients with arterial hypertension INSIGHT ( the effect of Nifedipine GITS vs diuretic therapy of hypertension). LEG EDEMA switch from NIFEDIPINE to MIBEFRADIL or other Ca antagonists in patients with drug induced leg edema.
For List of Publications see PubMed