Dr. Uri Rosenblum Belzer
Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences
My life before BGU:
I was born on Kibbutz Ashdot Yaakov (Meuhad), where I grew up and completed high school, having spent three years in the United States from the age of 13. I began my academic career at Ben-Gurion University as an undergraduate student in physiotherapy. I went on to earn my master’s and doctoral degrees at BGU, conducting my doctoral research at Sheba Medical Center.
I then went to London for postdoctoral research, first in physiotherapy at Brunel University London, and subsequently in the Departments of Brain Sciences and Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London. Throughout these years, my research focused on balance and walking, validating assessment tools, and predicting the severity of motor symptoms in healthy older adults, people with multiple sclerosis, and people with Parkinson’s disease.
Why BGU?
Ben-Gurion University was a natural choice. I wanted to return and give back to the place where I trained as a physiotherapist and researcher.
My research:
My current research focuses on identifying biomarkers that can predict the severity of Parkinson’s symptoms and how the disease will progress.
An insight from my field of research:
My research has taught me that some people face many significant challenges affecting their health and their ability to function in daily life. This awareness strengthens my sense of purpose as a researcher: to strive to make their lives easier wherever possible.
Something you won’t find on my CV:
I have a great love of sports and nature. I used to run long distances in the mountains and have climbed mountains as high as 6,500 meters. These days, I enjoy indoor climbing.
If I weren’t a researcher, I would work in...
Physiotherapy, though my dream would be to become a shepherd.
