President Peretz Lavie joined the Technion Faculty of in 1975, where he founded the Sleep Research Laboratory and the Center for Sleep Medicine. He was the Dean of Medicine from 1993-1999 and Vice President for Resource Development and External Relations from 2001-2008. In 2009 he was elected as the President of the Technion and was confirmed for a second four-year term in 2013.
During his tenure as Technion President, Professor Lavie has helped transform the university into a global powerhouse. Major achievements include the establishment of the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute in New York City and the Technion Guangdong Institute of Technology in China.
Prof. Lavie is considered one of the founders of sleep medicine worldwide. He received his formal training in Sleep research and Sleep medicine at the University of Florida and at the University of California San Diego, and was a visiting professor at Harvard University. He has published more than 400 scientific articles and eight books in the field of sleep research and sleep disorders. His book “The Enchanted World of Sleep" has been translated into 15 languages. His research has won many prizes, including the Alkales Prize from the Keren Kayemet LeIsrael for the best medical scientist (2001), the University of Pisa Sleep Award to Best Sleep Researcher in Europe (2004), the American Society of Sleep Research William Gruen Prize for innovative research (2006), and the EMET prize in medicine (2006), the most prestigious prize for academic achievements in Israel.
Professor Lavie was the founder and co-founder of five companies that develop and produce medical devices for sleep medicine and cardiology and provide diagnostic services.
A fifth generation Israeli, he is married to Dr. Lena Lavie. They have three children and four grandchildren.
