Name: Tal Schlaeffer Yosef

Israeli Institution: Soroka University Medical Center

North American Institution: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Fellowship Year: 2025-2026

Description:
Dr. Tal Schlaeffer Yosef is a specialist in infectious diseases at Soroka Medical Center, the primary tertiary hospital serving Israel’s Negev region. Her entire medical training and professional career have been rooted at Soroka, where she currently serves as a senior physician in the Infectious Diseases Unit while also practicing as a senior internal medicine physician. Her commitment to strengthening medical care in this geographically and socioeconomically underserved region is the driving force behind her pursuit of advanced fellowship training in the United States.
Dr. Schlaeffer Yosef is undertaking a research postdoctoral fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center—one of the world’s leading institutions in oncology and infectious disease management—to acquire expertise that is not currently available at the same depth or scale in Israel. During the fellowship, she will lead and initiate research projects, develop advanced clinical protocols, analyze complex datasets, and collaborate with internationally recognized experts in the field. Training under Dr. Roy Chemaly, a global authority on viral infections in immunocompromised patients, will provide unparalleled exposure to cutting-edge research methodologies and innovative patient care strategies.
This fellowship is especially critical in light of recent advancements at Soroka Medical Center. The Hematology-Oncology Unit has expanded significantly, introducing sophisticated therapies such as allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and CAR-T cell therapy. These lifesaving treatments have dramatically increased the number of highly immunocompromised patients, creating an urgent and growing need for specialized infectious disease expertise to prevent, diagnose, and manage complex infections.
Training at a world-leading cancer center will equip Dr. Schlaeffer Yosef with advanced diagnostic and therapeutic tools to care for this vulnerable population. Equally important, the fellowship will allow her to establish long-term international research collaborations and professional networks that will continue to benefit Soroka and Israeli medicine well beyond the fellowship period.
This fellowship represents a significant personal and professional commitment, undertaken with a clear intention to return and serve. Upon completion, Dr. Schlaeffer Yosef will bring advanced clinical protocols, strengthened research capacity, and innovative approaches back to Soroka Medical Center—directly enhancing infectious disease services in the Negev and improving outcomes for some of Israel’s most vulnerable patients.