Shai Efrati, MD
Chair, Medical Advisory Board
Dr. Shai Efrati contributes a wealth of experience to the work we conduct at Aviv Clinics.
As founder and director of the world-leading Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Shamir Medical Center, Dr. Efrati also serves as Director of Research and Development and Head of Nephrology.
Dr. Efrati’s research focuses on novel approaches to hyperbaric medicine and brain rehabilitation. He is a professor at the Sackler School of Medicine and the Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University. Since 2008, he has served as Chairman of the Israeli Society for Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine.
If you are interested in reading Dr. Efrati’s book, Beyond Normal: The New Science of Enhanced Medicine, please visit his website to purchase a copy.
Dr. Efrati and his research team examine the effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) on neuroplasticity and cognitive rehabilitation. Their early clinical trials indicates that a specialized HBOT protocol can generate neuroplasticity and increases neurocognitive abilities in post-stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Moreover, these improvements were evident even when treatments were initiated long after the initial injury.
These positive findings led Dr. Efrati to form a group of multidisciplinary researchers, probing the regenerative effects of HBOT in additional conditions, including cellular aging, Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, long COVID, and post traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Efrati's HBOT clinical trials have also produced improvements in patients with fibromyalgia with a history of childhood sexual abuse.
The Effect of HBOT on Myocardial Function in Post-COVID-19 Syndrome Patients
Published in Scientific Reports, June 2023
This study was the first randomized, controlled clinical trial to produce significant improvements in post-COVID cardiac dysfunction. HBOT promotes left ventricular systolic function recovery in patients suffering from post COVID-19 condition.
Effects of HBOT on Mitochondrial Respiration and Physical Performance in Middle-Aged Athletes
Published in Sports Medicine, February 2022
The blinded, randomized controlled trial confirmed that HBOT enhances physical performance, including VO2max, power and VO2AT, in healthy middle-aged master athletes. The mechanisms may be related to significant improvements in mitochondrial respiration and increased mitochondrial mass.
HBOT Improves Neurocognitive Functions and Symptoms of Post-COVID Condition
Published in Scientific Reports, July 2022
This randomized, controlled trial confirmed that the COVID-19 virus can cause chronic brain injury affecting regions of the brain responsible for cognitive function, mental status, and pain interpretation. In the published study, patients treated with a unique hyperbaric oxygen protocol had significant improvement in their global cognitive function.
HBOT Alleviates Vascular Dysfunction and Amyloid Burden in an Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Model and in Elderly Patients
Published in Aging, September 2021
Study shows reversal in biological hallmarks responsible for the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Hyperbaric oxygen tTherapy (HBOT) holds promise for a new approach to Alzheimer’s by targeting the core pathology/biology responsible for the development of the disease.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Increases Telomere Length and Decreases Immunosenescence in Isolated Blood Cells
Published in Aging, October 2020
This clinical trial used HBOT protocols to demonstrate cellular-level improvements in healthy aging adults. The clinical study proved that the unique HBOT protocols can significantly increase telomere length and reduce the number of senescent cells. This is the first time a therapeutic intervention has been proven to reverse these two hallmarks of biological aging in humans.
Novel HBOT Protocol Can Improve Cognitive Function of Healthy Older Adults
Published in Aging, July 2020.
For the first time, this study has shown significant cognitive improvements in healthy older adults treated with HBOT. The study was based on a unique HBOT protocol developed at the Sagol Center during the past decade. The study indicated that cognitive functions, including attention, information processing speed, and executive function, were significantly enhanced in healthy aging adults. Those abilities commonly decline with age. Also seen for the first time is the correlation between cognitive gain and improved cerebral blood flow in specific brain locations.
