Eitan Okun

Eitan Okun (born in 1978) is an Israeli neuroimmunologist, a professor at Bar-Ilan University.

Biography

Eitan Okun hosts President Shimon Peres in his laboratory

Eitan Okon received his bachelor's degree in biology in 2003, his Master's in Immunology in 2004, and his Doctorate in Immunology in 2007, all from Bar-Ilan University. From 2007 to 2011, he was a post-doctoral fellow in neuroimmunology at the National Institutes of Health in Baltimore, United States.

In August 2011, he was appointed as a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar-Ilan University. In February 2017, he was promoted to associate professor. His research, at the Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, focuses on Alzheimer's disease and investigates how immune system cells communicate with the brain during aging, in people with Alzheimer's disease, and individuals with Down syndrome. Another research focus is the connection between pregnancy with a Down syndrome fetus and the increased risk of cognitive decline in the mother.

In December 2022, he was appointed as co-editor-in-chief of the journal Neuromolecular Medicine.

Personal life

Eitan Okon is married to Sarit, and they have four daughters and a son. They live in Kibbutz Alumim near the Gaza Strip, where Sarit's parents are founders.

On 7 October 2023, with the start of the Hamas-led attack on Israel at 6:30 AM, Sarit and the children took shelter in their home's safe room, while Eitan, as part of the kibbutz's emergency response team, went out to combat the dozens of militant who had infiltrated the area of the kibbutz and its surroundings. Only after five hours of fighting did a reinforcement team from the Masada unit arrive, followed by forces from Yahalom and the Paratroopers Brigade. Okon's combat in the battle of Alumim ended at 10:30 PM.