Director, Stroke Service and
The Cerebrovascular Disease Research Laboratory
Department of Neurology
Hadassah University Hospital
Ein Kerem, P.O. Box 12000
Jersusalem, 91120 Israel
Tel: 972-2-6776950
Fax: 972-2-6437782
Email: leker@hadassah.org.il
Prof. Leker is the head of the Cerebrovascular Service and The Peritz and Chantel Scheinberg Cerebrovascular Disease Research Laboratory at the Hebrew University – Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.
Prof. Leker is an expert on treatment and prevention of cerebrovascular disease including ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage.
Prof. Leker is actively involved in clinical and basic stroke research for over fifteen years both at Hadassah and at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke – National Institutes of Health (NINDS-NIH) in Bethesda MD where he served as a staff scientist at the Lab of Molecular Biology and worked on the use of neural stem cells as a novel therapy for stroke.
Prof. Leker has published over 45 research papers in leading medical and scientific journals including Nature, Annals of Neurology, Neurology and Stroke and has also authored 3 chapters in textbooks.
Prof. Leker participated in numerous clinical trials and wrote clinical protocols for pharmaceutical companies and has also consulted pharmaceutical companies including MSD, Pfizer, TEVA and BMS.
Prof. Leker is a member of many national and international medical societies including the American Academy of Neurology, the American Heart Association, the American Stroke Association, the Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism and the Israeli Neurological Society.
Prof. Leker has been awarded a number of prizes and research grants from the Hebrew University, the Israeli Ministry of Health, the Israeli Defense Forces and the Philip Morris Foundation among others.
List of Publications
Original Research Papers
1. R. R. Leker, I. Felsenstein, D. Raveh et al.: Ornithodoros Tholozani Bites: A Unique Clinical Picture. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol;1992;27(6),1025-1026.
2. R. R. Leker, A. Karni, O. Abramsky :Exacerbation of Myasthenia Gravis During the Menstrual Period. J. Neurol. Sci. 1998;156:107-111.
3. R. R. Leker, O. Abramsky: Early Anticoagulation in Patients with Prosthetic Heart Valves and Intracranial Hematoma. Neurology. 1998;50(4);1489-1491.
4. R. R. Leker, I. Steiner.: Anticardiolipin Antibodies are Frequently Associated with Intracranial Hypertension. Arch. Neurol. 1998;55(6):817-820.
5. D. Karussis, R. R. Leker, A. Ashkenazi, O. Abramsky: A Subgroup of Multiple Sclerosis.Patients With Anticardiolipin Antibodies and Unusual Clinical Manifestations: Do they Represent a New Nosological Entity? Ann. Neurol.1998:44(4);629-634.
6. R. R. Leker, E. Shohami, O. Abramsky, H. Ovadia: Dexanabinol is a Novel Multipotent Neuroprotective Agent in Focal Cerebral Ischemia. J. Neurol. Sci. 1999:162;114-119.
7. R. R. Leker, T. Ben-Hur, A. Polak, O. Abramsky. Abundance of Left Hemispheric Embolic Strokes Complicating Coronary Angiography. J. Neurol. Neurosur. Psych. 1999:66(1);116-117.
8. I. Steiner, O. Cohen, R. R. Leker, B. Rubinovitch, R. Handsher, S. Hassin-Baer, D. H. Gilden, M. Sadeh. Subacute Painful Lumbosacral Polyradiculoneuropathy in non-AIDS, Immunocompromised Patients. J. Neurol Sci. 1999;162(1):91-93.
9. R. R. Leker, I. Steiner: Features of dural sinus thrombosis simulating pseudotumor cerebri. Europ. J. Neurology. 1999:6(5);601-604.
10. R. R. Leker, A.karni, T. Brenner, Y. Weidenfeld, O. Abramsky: Effects of sex hormones on experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis. Eur. J. Neurology. 2000:7(2);203-206.
11. D. Karussis, R. R. Leker, O. Abramsky: Cognitive Dysfunction Following Thalamic Stroke. J. Neurol. Sci. 2000:172(1);25-29.
12. F. G. DeKeizer, R. R. Leker, Y. Weidenfeld: Activation of the Adrenocortical Axis by Surgical Stress: Involvement of Central Norepinephrine and Interleukin-1. Neuroimmunomodulation. 2000:7;182-187.
13. R. R. Leker, M. Gleizer, O. Abramsky: Trans Cranial Doppler Patterns in Patients with Stroke Secondary to Anticardiolipin Antibodies. Radiography. 2000;6(2): 83-87.
14. R. R. Leker, T. Ben-Hur: Prognostic factors in artificially ventilated stroke patients J. Neurol Sci. 2000:176(2);83-87.
15. E. Linetsky, R.R. Leker , T. Ben-Hur: Headache Characteristics in Patients after Migraineous Stroke. Neurology. 2001 Jul 10;57(1):130-2.
16. G. Lavie, A. Teichner, E. Shohami, H. Ovadia, R. R. Leker: Long Term Cerebroprotective Effects of Dexanabinol in a Model of Focal Cerebral Ischemia. Brain Res. 2001 May 18;901(1-2):195-201.
17. R. R. Leker, A. Teichner, H. Ovadia, E. Keshet, E. Reinherz, T. Ben-Hur: Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase is Induced and Expressed in Ischemic Neurons. Brain Res. 2001 Aug 3;909(1-2):1-7.
18. R. R. Leker, A. Teichner, N. Grigoriadis, H. Ovadia, D. E. Brenemann, M. Fridkin, E. Giladi, J. Romano, I. Gozes: NAP, a Femtomolar Acting Peptide, Protects the Brain Against Ischemic Injury. Stroke. 2002 Apr;33(4):1085-92.
19. R. R. Leker, A. Teichner, G. Lavie, E. Shohami, H. Ovadia: The Nitroxide Antioxidant Tempol is Cerebroprotective in a Model of Focal Cerebral Ischemia. Experimental Neurology, 2002 Aug 176;355-363.
20. R.R. Leker, B. Gross and A. Gur for the Cerebrovascular Group of the Israeli Neurological Society: Management of Primary Intracerebral hemorrhage. Harefuah, 2002 141(10):908-913.
21. A. Teichner, H. Ovadia, G. Lavie, R. R. Leker: Combination of Dexanabinol and Tempol in Focal Cerebral Ischemia: Is there a Ceiling Effect. Experimental Neurology, 2003 Aug 182:353-360.
22. R.R. Leker, N. Gai , R. Mechoulam, H. Ovadia: Drug Induced Hypothermia Reduces Ischemic Damage: Effects of the Cannabinoid HU-210. Stroke, 2003 34:2000-2006.
23. J. Cohen, R. R. Leker*, M. Gotkine, J.M. Gomori, T. Ben-Hur: Emergent Stenting to Treat Patients with Carotid Artery Dissection: Clinical- and Radiologic- directed Therapeutic Decision-Making. Stroke 2003 34(12):e254-7.
*Equal contributors
24. R. R. Leker, M. Aharonowiz, N. H. Greig, H. Ovadia: The Role of p53 Induced Apoptosis in Cerebral Ischemia: Effects of the p53 Inhibitor Pifithrin Alpha. Experimental Neurology, 2004 187:478-486.
25. Androutsellis-Theotokis A, Leker RR, Soldner F, Hoeppner DJ, Ravin R, Poser SW, Rueger MA, Bae SK, Kittappa R, McKay RD. Notch signaling regulates stem cell numbers in vitro and in vivo. Nature 2006 Aug 17;442(7104):823-6.
26. R. R. Leker, F. Soldner, I. Velasco, D. Gavin, A. Androutsellis-Theotokis, R. D. G. McKay: Long-lasting regeneration after ischemia in the cerebral cortex. Stroke. 2007 Jan;38(1):153-61.
27. Z.E Toth, T. Shahar, R.R Leker, I. Szalayova, A. Bratincsak, S. Key, A. Lonyai, K. Németh, E. Mezey: Sensitive detection of GFP utilizing tyramide signal amplification to overcome gene silencing. Experimental Cell Research, May 15;313(9):1943-50
28. A. Liberman, D. Karussis, T. Ben-Hur, O. Abramski, R. R. Leker: Natural Course and Pathogenesis of Transient Focal Neurological Symptoms in Pregnancy. Arch. Neurol 2007 (in press).
More in PubMed
Case reports:
1. R. R. Leker , Y. River: Microsomatoagnosia: Whole Body Schema Illusion as Part of an Epileptic Aura. Acta Neurol. Scand. 1996;94:383-385.
2. R. R. Leker, Y. River: Atypical White Matter Changes in Rapidly Progressive Alzheimer’s Disease. Europ. Neurol. 1997;37:254-255.
3. R. R. Leker, T. Peretz, A. Hubert, A. Lossos: Vincristine-Induced Paralytic Ileus in Parkinson’s Disease. J. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders. 1997;3:109-110.
4. R. R. Leker, I. Biran: Unidirectional Dyslexia in a Polyglot. J. Neurol. Neurosur. Psych. 1999:66(4):517-519.
5. A Leiba, Y Bar-Dayan, R R Leker, S Apter, E Grossman: Seizures as a presenting symptom of phaeochromocytoma in a young soldier. J. Hum Hypertens 2003 Jan;17(1):73-5.
Peer reviewed reviews:
1. R. R. Leker, Y. River: White Matter Changes in Alzheimer’s Disease. Dementia Review. 1998:3:14-15.
2. R. R. Leker, E. Shohami: Cerebral Ischemia and Trauma – Different Etiologies Yet Similar Mechanisms: Neuroprotective Opportunities. Brain Research Reviews, 2002 June:39(1):55-73.
3. R. R. Leker, E. Shohami, S. Constantini: Experimental Models of Head Trauma. Acta Neurochirurgica, 2002, 83:49-54.
4. R. R. Leker, S. Constantini: Experimental Models in Focal Cerebral Ischemia: Are We There Yet? Acta Neurochirurgica 2002, 83:55-59.
5. R. R. Leker: Nicaraven. Current Opin. Invest. Drugs 2003 4(1):83-90.
6. R.R. Leker, M.Y. Neufeld: Anti-epileptic Drugs as Possible Neuroprotectants in Cerebral Ischemia. Brain Research Reviews. 2003 42:187-203.
7. R.R. Leker R.D.G. McKay: Enhancing Functional Outcome by Using Endogenous Neural Stem Cells Following Ischemic Brain Injury. Current Neurovascular Research. 2004 1(5):421-428.
8. R.R. Leker: Manipulation of endogenous neural stem cells following ischemic brain injury. Pathophysiol Haemost Thromb. 2006 35(1-2):58-62.
9. R. R. Leker, R. Eichel, G. Rafaeli, Tamir Ben-Hur: Novel therapies for acute ischemic stroke. Isr Med Assoc J. 2006 Nov;8(11):788-92.
Letters:
1. R. R. Leker, O. Abramsky: Early anticoagulation in patients with prosthetic heart valves and intracerebral hematoma – Reply. Neurology 1999:52 (3): 677-677.
2 R. R. Leker, I. Steiner: Anticardiolipin antibodies – Reply. Arch Neurol-Chicago 1999:56 (6): 760-760.
3. R. R. Leker, I. Steiner: Isolated Intracranial Hypertension as the Only Sign of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis. Neurology. 2000;54(10):2030..
4. R. R. Leker, I. Biran: Unidirectional dyslexia in a polyglot – Reply. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2000, 68: 537.
5. R.R. Leker, T. Ben-Hur: Cost and outcome of mechanical ventilation for life-threatening stroke. Stroke. 2001 Jun;32(6):1446-7.
6. T. Ben-Hur, R. R. Leker, E. Linetsky: Headache characteristics in patients after migrainous stroke - Reply from the authors. Neurology 2002:58 (4): 669-669.
7. R.R. Leker, H. Ovadia: Feasiblility and Safety of Moderate Hypothermia after Massive Hemispheric Infarction. Stroke. 2002 Mar;33(3):877-8.
Chapters in Books:
1. R.R. Leker: Neuronal Protection in Cerebral Ischemia – From Lessons of the Past to a Brighter Future. In Brain Disease Therapeutic Strategies and Repair, Editors, Abramski A, Compston DAS, Miller A, Said G; Martin Dunitz LondoN UK pages 201-211.
2. R. R. Leker, S. Constantini: Models of Traumatic Brain Injury. In Handbook of Experimental Neurology: Methods and Techniques in Animal Research. Editors T. Tatlisumak and M. Fisher; Cambridge University Press, UK. (In press). |