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Shuly Wasserstrom

Refael Shamir, right, to serve as Mayor's
presents his Letos social media specialist
physiological mon-
itoring technology Shuly Wasserstrom was recently hired as
at a conference in Communications and Social Media Spe-
Lisbon. Now Shamir cialist to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler.
is working with Shuly attended
Univerity of Oregon Portland Jewish
graduate students Academy through
and Ph.D. candi- 8th grade. She spent
dates to adapt his time in Israel during
technology for and after college,
U.S. markets. getting her start in
Israeli visiting scholar at UO journalism at the
Jerusalem Post as a
Breaking News Ed-
BY DEBORAH MOON and respiratory rates throughout the day. itor, Newscast Host
Israeli innovator Refael Shamir arrived in “The device can be attached to clothing and Features Writer. She spent over six
Eugene early this month as a visiting schol- and allows a robust measurement to allow years in the newsroom at KOIN 6 News,
ar at the University of Oregon, where he people to give to their family doctor an rising to Social Media Manager, before tak-
will work with graduate students and Ph.D. objective, rather than the usual subjective ing this new role. She was also a freelance
candidates to adapt his physiological moni- assessment, when they ask questions like writer for Oregon Jewish Life magazine.
toring technology for the U.S. market. ‘how do you feel’,” says Shamir. “It is an Her mother, Judy Margles, is the Execu-
Shamir, 31, is the founder of Letos, a com- aid for diagnostics for doctors.” tive Director of the Oregon Jewish Muse-
puter software start-up that specializes in be- Shamir has already spent a couple of um and Center for Holocaust Education,
havioral sciences, affective-neuroscience and months working with UO remotely and and her father, Steve, is a professor of Ju-
well-being technologies. In Oregon, he will will be in Eugene for two months. daic Studies at Reed College.
work on adapting the technology for which His project with UO is part of the NGI
he developed the hardware in Israel before Explorers program, which provides Eu-
moving the company to Germany in 2018 to rope’s top researchers and innovators an Volunteers sought for
continue the development of software. immersive experience in the United States. mobile vaccine unit
Unlike cardiac monitors used in hospitals “NGI connected me with UO and financed The Congregation Neveh Shalom
or head or wristband monitors, the Letos the process,” he says. “NGI is a consortium COVID-19 Outreach and Services
monitor does not require skin contact and of three organizations in Europe. Together, team is launching its own mobile vac-
can be worn comfortably on the outside of they use a pot of funding to connect European cine unit. Under the leadership of CNS
clothes to accurately monitor respiration researchers with U.S.-based universities.” board member Dr. Michelle Alberts,
rates and pulse. A recent study by the Uni- Born in Jerusalem, Shamir was just 17 CNSCOS will host its own COVID-19
versity of Potsdam showed the technology when he began his studies at the Jerusalem vaccine events and work with part-
provided data consistent with more intru- College of Engineering while still in high ners around the greater Portland area.
sive monitors. school. He was able to continue his stud- This program will give CNSCOS new
“We provide a remote, discrete solution ies during his military service. Following flexibility to reach as many people
… to monitor physiological parameters graduation, he worked in Israel in industry as possible. As booster shots become
(such as heart and respiratory rates) for and startups for five years, including work available and children become eligible

the purpose of objectively assessing user on medical devices supporting diagnosis, to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, it’s
comfort and well-being,” says Shamir. specifically cervical cancer. imperative that we have more avail-
“Together with UO, we wish to adapt the “When you work for start-up companies, able vaccinator teams.

solution for the U.S. market to provide large corporates come to the start-ups and We need a pool of volunteer medical
early signs of a developing infectious dis- offer them some of their next-generation professionals (currently working or re-
ease (such as COVID) from the comfort of developments to see if the start-ups can help tired) who are trained to administer vac-
our homes, while maintaining the highest find uses for such technologies,” says Shamir. cines. We’re looking for volunteers who
levels of security and privacy standards.” “During my last year working for that start- would be able to work one to two vac-
The original premise of the technology up, I came across a very specific technology cine events per month at various times of
was to offer the field of psychology an as- that was initially aimed at long-term moni- day. If you’re not a medical professional,
sessment of stress levels. But Shamir says toring of patients in clinics and hospitals to we also need volunteers to work at our
stress-related acceleration of heart and respi- replace the 12-lead electrocardiogram that vaccine events in other ways.
ration are also early indicators of infection. might be used for overnight observations.” If you’d like to be a vaccinator,
“An early reaction that manifests via the Shamir founded Letos to use the technol- or other volunteer role to help with
increase of resting heart rate over 24 hours ogy in a more consumer-oriented approach. events, fill out the interest form at
is an early prediction of infection, which This is his second time in the United tinyurl.com/CNSVaccineTeam. In the
manifests a few days before symptoms of States. In 2018, he was invited as a speak- next couple of weeks, you’ll receive
fever and cough for COVID or other dis- er to discuss wearable technology at a a more detailed form with questions
eases,” he says. NVIDIA GTC conference about your availability. For questions,
Letos offers a consumer-oriented ap- For more information on Letos, visit email covid19@nevehshalom.org.
proach with at-home monitoring of heart crunchbase.com/organization/letos.
2 Jewish Review Oct. 13, 2021