Dr. Kang-Kang Zhang is a postdoctoral researcher in electrical engineering. His primary research interests include control problems of time-delay systems and nonholonomic mechanical systems—systems whose motion is restricted by velocity constraints, such as rolling wheels or robotic vehicles. Kang-Kang is working on using time delays to address control problems in nonholonomic mechanical systems, aiming to achieve outcomes that are difficult or even impossible to realize with traditional delay-free feedback (such as high-precision control).

Kang-Kang addresses control problems in nonholonomic mechanical systems, aiming to achieve outcomes that are difficult or even impossible to realize with traditional delay-free feedback.

Kang-Kang grew up in Anhui, China. He received his BSc from Anhui University of Science and Technology, and his MSc and PhD from Harbin Institute of Technology. After obtaining his PhD, he worked as a research assistant at the University of Hong Kong, and later as a postdoctoral researcher at KU Leuven. In his spare time, he enjoys running and playing badminton.

Dr. Laurie Venters is a postdoctoral researcher in ancient history with a strong focus on the lived experiences of enslaved people in the early Roman Empire. His current work explores how the expansion of long-distance human trafficking—from around 100 BCE to 100 CE—shaped Roman ideas about racial difference. Specifically, he investigates how physical features such as skin colour, hair texture, facial structure, and height were used to construct a sense of Otherness around enslaved individuals brought to Italy during this period.

Laurie investigates how physical features were used to construct a sense of Otherness around enslaved individuals brought to Italy from around 100 BCE to 100 CE.

Laurie completed a BA in history at Royal Holloway, University of London, followed by an MA in ancient history at Leiden University and a PhD in ancient history at the University of Bonn. He previously held a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Fondazione 1563 per l’Arte e la Cultura. Before beginning his academic career, Laurie worked as an English teacher in Beijing, China.

Dr. Nicolas Perez is a physicist and postdoctoral researcher whose work focuses on the dynamics of Rhopilema nomadica jellyfish—or nomadic jellyfish—swarms in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. These swarms occur regularly, yet the interplay between marine currents and the swimming behaviour that drives their complex collective motion remains poorly understood. By combining physics, numerical simulations, and direct observations of how jellyfish respond to their environment, Nicolas aims to develop models to uncover the mechanisms behind swarming phenomena and better understand their formation and evolution.

Nicolas aims to better understand the formation and evolution of the swarming dynamics of nomadic jellyfish.

Originally from a village in eastern France, Nicolas earned an MSc in physics from the École Normale Supérieure d’Ulm and a PhD from the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon. He currently lives in Tel Aviv with his wife and their dog. Outside the lab, he is a language enthusiast and enjoys cinema, cooking (and eating afterwards), swimming, and spending time with his family and friends.

Dr. Paweł Matus is a postdoctoral researcher specializing in condensed matter physics. He develops theoretical models to explore unconventional ways electric currents flow in quantum materials—solids whose behaviour is governed by quantum mechanics in striking and unusual ways. For instance, in some newly engineered materials, electrons move hydrodynamically—like water or honey—while in others, the current scales with higher powers of voltage (such as its square or cube) rather than being directly proportional to it, violating Ohm’s law. By uncovering the mechanisms behind these behaviours, his work supports the design of materials that could enable more energy efficient solar cells and high-frequency electronic devices.

Paweł’s work supports the design of materials that could enable more energy efficient solar cells and high frequency electronic devices.

Paweł earned his BSc and MSc from Jagiellonian University and completed his PhD at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems. Originally from Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Poland, he now lives in Tel Aviv. Outside of work, he likes swimming, hiking, reading, and studying the history of different cultures and ideas.