Tal Hadad-Erlich | Biotechnology (B.Sc.), 2008
From pioneering cancer research to leading his own laboratory, JMC alumnus Tal Hadad-Erlich has built a career dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and developing new approaches to treating disease.
Tal's path to academia was not a conventional one. After completing his military service, he learned about JMC's Biotechnology program through friends and enrolled despite initially viewing it as a stepping stone to a university degree. Instead, he found an academic environment that would shape the course of his career.
At JMC, Tal received a strong foundation in both scientific theory and hands-on laboratory work. After graduating in 2008, Tal continued directly to doctoral studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he conducted research on cancer and allergic diseases. He later completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Israel and collaborated with researchers at Harvard Medical School, spending time in Boston as part of an international research partnership that he considers one of the highlights of his career.
Today, Tal is a researcher and faculty member at Ariel University, where he leads a laboratory focused on cancer immunotherapy and melanoma research. His work explores how the immune system can be harnessed to fight cancer and includes the development of potential new treatments for Congenital Melanocytic Nevus (CMN), a rare condition affecting children for which surgery is currently the primary treatment option. He also investigates how immune-cell metabolism influences the body's ability to combat cancer, with the goal of developing more effective therapies.
In addition to his research, Tal mentors the next generation of scientists, supervising doctoral students and teaching university courses. Notably, he was the first graduate of JMC's Biotechnology program to earn a doctorate and establish his own research laboratory.
Tal believes the foundation he received at JMC played a crucial role in his success. "When I began my graduate studies, I already knew how to work in a laboratory," he says. "The college gave me a strong scientific base and taught me how to learn, research, and think like a scientist."
The close relationships he built during his years at JMC remain important to him today. He is still in regular contact with classmates from his cohort, and one of those connections became especially meaningful—he met his wife, a Medical Laboratory Sciences student, while studying at the college.
His advice to current students is to take full advantage of the faculty's accessibility and commitment to teaching. "The professors are deeply invested in their students' success," he says. "That personal attention can make a tremendous difference in your education."
We are proud to spotlight Tal Hadad-Erlich—a member of the JMC alumni community whose career reflects scientific excellence, academic leadership, and a commitment to improving lives through research.
