Gilla Kaplan

Gilla Kaplan is a Venture Advisor at Israel Biotech Fund. Dr. Kaplan is an authority on various aspects of the host immune response to mycobacterial pathogens, including the causative agents of leprosy and tuberculosis (TB). Her work has encompassed developing a deep, holistic understanding of the cellular immune response and how this can be harnessed for host adjunctive therapies.

She spent her career as an academic research scientist leading her laboratory in investigations focusing on human disease, exploring novel experimental medicine approaches that harness the immune response for disease control. Gilla joined the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), first as a member of the Global Health Program Scientific Advisory Committee and subsequently progressing to the position of Director of the TB program for five years.

Building on three decades of research experience, at Rockefeller University in New York City (for 20 years) and then at the Public Health Research Institute Center at UMDNJ (for 10 years), she led the reshaping of the tuberculosis program at BMGF. Dr. Kaplan is the recipient of multiple grants from the NIH-NIAID and other funding organizations for her research.