Erez Levanon is an associate professor at the faculty of life sciences of Bar-Ilan University in Israel. He received his PhD from Tel-Aviv University after graduating the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Program for Outstanding Students and was a postdoctoral research follow at the genetics department of Harvard Medical School. Prior to that, he was a senior scientist in Compugen LTD. His research focuses on genomics with a special emphasis on A-to-I RNA editing. Erez serves as a principle Investigator of several on-going research projects of related scope (including an ERC grant) and a member in two Israeli Centres of Excellence (I-CORE) programs. He has published over 50 manuscripts in the last 10 years and won several awards and fellowships including the Clore, Fulbright, Rothschild, Alon and Krill.

Research Lab:

We study the dynamics of genetic information, and how it affects evolution, behavior, and disease. Specifically, we develop technology and algorithms to uncover the full extent of A-to-I RNA editing in human and animal models. Such modification frequently changes the expression level and function of the encoded protein, initiating global processes that are crucial for normal life. We aim to create affordable and accurate genome wide screens for editing detection and determine the global editing levels in various physiological and pathological conditions. We also have interest in retrotransposons, which have been recently recognized as important players in the formation of new genes and regulatory networks. We study some of the processes that shaped their evolution and function.