Any research, regardless of the field, needs a place to be conducted and funds. Lots of funds.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

It is not difficult to find philanthropists to donate funds for a building. Structures and name plaques are easy to see after all, and ribbons are easy to cut. But the actual research is much more elusive. It is very professional and difficult to explain.

It also takes years to complete, and most of the time does not bear significant results. And even when it does, it is not necessarily applicable knowledge, leaving the public wondering why its taxes were invested in the project in the first place.

And even when the achievement is practical – for example, if a drug has been developed – the process will take many more years and require additional funding. After all, even the speedy development of the coronavirus vaccine is based on the scientific knowledge that has been accumulated since the 1950s.

All these factors make funding research uncommon on the agenda of politicians, and even philanthropists. However, the late Sheldon Adelson, whose one-year anniversary of death we recently commemorated, and his wife Miriam were (and she continues to be) philanthropists of a different kind.

Miriam, who is a medical professional and drug addiction expert, "dragged" Sheldon into the world of medical research, on which the two have had a special impact. The two invested in research facilities and established a fund that supports medical research worldwide, a fund that is unmatched in its uniqueness and success.

It, first and foremost, focuses on a limited number of hand-picked diseases and such focus is undoubtedly one of the reasons for success in science.

Sheldon and Miriam understood that one scientist or one institution cannot possess all the wisdom and therefore brought together the world's best scientists and doctors to brainstorm and find optimal solutions.

They understood that the actual production of the drug is the last step, and focused on the entire process, starting from basic research to its implementation, and made sure a wide range of doctors were examining the same problem from different angles.

The Adelsons also understood that modern research requires extremely expensive equipment, which they made sure was available. Another unique decision was to entrust the overview of proposals to members of the research group so that each researcher would appreciate the work of the other. Such trust highlighted the responsibility of the researchers to ensure the quality of the foundation and the leadership.

The fund delivered and its founders and members promote crucial research into cancer and degenerative brain diseases. It will continue to illuminate the medical field for years to come in the memory of the man who understood the depth of scientific research perhaps even more than we, the scientists, do.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Sheldon Adelson understood the essence of research appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

To Miri and the entire Adelson family, the For Out of Zion Shall Go Forth the Law group shares your deep pain.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

What is this mysterious group? Under the banner of the famous saying from the Ethics of our Fathers, "If there is no flour, there is no Torah," I met as an academic with Sheldon and Dr. Miriam Adelson, the latter of whom I have known for years, first when she was a university student and later when she interned with my wife, and I asked for their help in funding the research of a small group of Israeli scientists on a particular subject.

Their immediate response was a small "no" and a big "yes." We will not fund the research of a small group, they said, but rather establish a large international fund for medical research that aligned with their views. With lightning speed, the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation, unique and successful by any standard, was established.

Unique because it acts according to two principles: Its focus is disease (certain cancers and diseases of the brain), and most importantly, it is based on close collaboration between researchers, which Sheldon, with his sharp senses, understood before the researchers was a necessary condition for the success of such a complicated venture. I won't go into the details of the collaboration, but I will note the jewel in the crown: The researchers meet twice a year at the Adelson's hotel in Las Vegas to report on their successes and failures, with the Adelsons personally hosting all conference attendees and lecturers. The dates are coordinated in advance with the Adelsons' schedule, and they never, ever missed a single meeting.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories! 

 Successful because foundation members are the best scientists in America and tiny Israel, and Dr. Miriam Adelson likes to call the Israeli group she has nurtured "For Out of Zion Shall Go Forth the Law." The scientists have gained prestigious international recognition and more importantly, innovative therapies have been developed and are in the pipeline. The scientists have access to enviable joint research platforms, and just recently, an advanced platform was established for the identification of the tiniest of tiny amounts of protein, the importance of which is invaluable for advanced research.

The foundation's singularity – it is unmatched throughout the world – and its success are the fruits of Sheldon's vision and deep understanding, with Miri, the best adviser he could choose, by his side. We pray that the foundation and its continued operation will constitute a living candle whose flame will pave new paths for the good of mankind and serve as a living and breathing eternal memory of this incredibly special man.

Aaron Ciechanover is an Israeli biologist and a Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry.

The post A force in supporting Israeli science appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.