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The History of Thermal Physiology in Israel

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Thermal Physiology

Part of the book series: Perspectives in Physiology ((PHYSIOL))

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Abstract

This chapter will cover the historical development of thermoregulatory studies in Israel since the establishment of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1925, and will attempt to dissect the influences that led to the development of the various research disciplines. Annotations to earlier studies in our area are briefly provided. In parallel with the Jerusalem founders, the climatic unit in Tel-Hashomer Hospital together with the Israeli Defence Force medical corps established the Heller Institute for Medical Research Heller Institute for Medical Research where studies on human survival in harsh climatic conditions were performed, aimed at understanding the mechanisms of heat intolerance and at develo** discomfort and strain indices. Likewise, in the southern part of Israel, the Negev Institute for Arid Zone Research was founded and formed the nucleus of the future Ben Gurion University.

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Acknowledgements

I am indebted to all my colleagues who provided me with scientific material, photographs, and stories and new insights into our common experiences; my mentors Arieh Borut, Avraham Haim (passed away after this chapter was written (1943–2019) with whom I used to trap mice in the desert, Yoram Epstein-the “historian” who helped me with the history of Heller Institute, Amiel (Mimi) Berman, (passed away after this chapter was written) and David Wolfenson from the Faculty of Agriculture and Yair Cassuto (passed away after this chapter was written) from the Negev Institute for Arid Zone Research which is now Ben Gurion University.

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  1. The Laboratory of Environmental Physiology, The Faculty of Dentistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Michal Horowitz

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  1. Michal Horowitz
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Correspondence to Michal Horowitz .

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  1. Formerly at: Department of Physiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Memphis, TN, USA

    Clark M. Blatteis

  2. Dharawal Country (Dapto), NSW, Australia

    Nigel Taylor

  3. Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Witwatersrand, South Africa

    Duncan Mitchell

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Horowitz, M. (2022). The History of Thermal Physiology in Israel. In: Blatteis, C.M., Taylor, N., Mitchell, D. (eds) Thermal Physiology. Perspectives in Physiology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2362-6_11

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