Arnon Afek

Arnon Afek (born 18 May 1963) is an Israeli physician, who serves as a professor of medicine and founding dean of the Dina Recanati School of Medicine at Reichman University. He serves as the head of the Cecil Teitz Chair of Anatomy at Reichman University and is currently the Director of the Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research at Sheba Medical Center. Afek is a specialist in pathology and medical administration and is considered a leading figure in Israeli health policy, hospital management, and medical education. He is the Founding Chairman of the National Advisory Committee to the Ministry of Health on pathology and forensic medicine. Afek received the "Yakir Sherut HaMedina" (Distinguished Public Servant) national award. He serves as Acting Chief Medical Advisor of the Israeli Medical Cannabis Unit at the Ministry of Health (Israel). Formerly, he was Chairman of The Association of Hospitals' Directors and was Chair of the Israel Medical Association World Fellowship. He was also a member of the Bureau of the OECD Health Committee. Afek previously served as the 23rd Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Health (2014–2015). He has held senior leadership positions at Sheba Medical Center, including Deputy Director-General and Director of Sheba General Hospital (2017–2025). He has chaired and served on numerous national councils and professional committees, including Chair of the National Council of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. From 2011 to 2022 he served for as the Director of the NY State/American MD Program, Professor of Public Health and the Michlin Chair in the field of philosophy and history of medicine at the School of Medicine and the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University. He is a Visiting Professor at the University of Nicosia Medical School, Cyprus.