Q : Prof. Melmed, could you please give us a short introduction to your biography ?

A: I was born in South Africa, grew up in Zimbabwe, studied medicine at the University of Cape Town School of Medicine, spent almost 8 years at the University of London (Royal Free and Middlesex Medical Schools) doing my specialization in General Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and have spent 35 years at the Hadassah University Hospital and Hebrew University Medical School as a faculty member.

Q : Can you please give us the highlights of your medical career so far ?

A: Having had my basic medical education at the University of Cape Town Medical School that prepared me so well for my professional career, and then the opportunity to work at Hadassah University Hospital for most of my career which allowed me to indulge my passions of clinical practice, research and the teaching of medicine on a daily basis, over 35 years.

Q : We know you have a very special expertise in the world of medicine – how did you get to this ?

A: I felt many years ago a considerable need in medical practice for a better understanding of the very many ways that stress and suffering express themselves in the arena of medical practice. This ignited in me a strong desire to study and understand as fully as possible psychophysiology and the interplay of mind and body. On the basis of this study over many years, I wrote my book, "Mind Body, and Medicine, an integrative text", (Oxford University Press, 2003).

Q : What does "Behavioral medicine" really mean –?

A: Essentially, anything to do with human responses, how the nervous system generates responses (behavior), how it is educated or trained to respond, and how to deal with those responses if they are the cause of suffering – especially in the field of medicine but not only.

Q : What are the major trends in this discipline ?

A: All advances in neuroscience advance ultimately our understanding of behavior and neuroscience knowledge is today increasing at a very rapid pace. With that there are also great strides in systematizing psychotherapy, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, that allows us to evaluate the impact of therapeutic interventions in an informed and scientific manner. 

Q : Where do you think medicine is going to ? how do you think your role will change in 10 years from now?

A: Medicine has become and is becoming even more highly mechanized and technical, essentially led by a large and influential group of people within the profession who believe that machines can always do it better than humans.

However, I suspect that in 10 years time approximately – the importance of simply spending time speaking to the patient as well as conducting a proper comprehensive physical examination will be rediscovered as an invaluable aid to good medical practice!

Q : Prof. Melmed, what are you hobbies

A:  I am fascinated by evolution as it relates to the evolution of the brain and behavior, and in addition I read voraciously on countless topics, especially politics, history, economics – essentially anything that deals with human behavior – and there is very little that doesn’t – and then I am always partial to a good bottle of wine (+good food), enjoyed with good friends!