Saskia Demulder

Dr. Saskia Demulder is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in the Physics Department at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev under the supervision of Dr. Shira Chapman.

Saskia’s current research combines her knowledge of mathematics and physics to investigate string theory and one of its key properties: T-duality.

String theory aims to unite the patchwork of different theories, such as Einstein’s theory of gravity, and the strange world of quantum mechanics within a single framework to describe our world. Using the remarkable property of T-duality in string theory, Saskia explores the potential geometries in which strings can propagate. She also aims to comprehend the late-time evolution of black holes, utilizing a concept derived from computer science called quantum computational complexity.

Saskia was born and raised in Brussels. She obtained a BSc in physics and mathematics and an MSc in physics at the Free University of Brussels (VUB). She completed her PhD in a joint program between VUB and Swansea University under the guidance of Prof. Alexander Sevrin (VUB) and Prof. Daniel Thompson (Swansea University). She studied a class of systems that are exactly solvable, tackling a wide range of topics including non-perturbative phenomena and the interplay between T-duality and integrability. Saskia then pursued postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Physics in Munich, where she focused on examining problems ranging from defects or impurities in string theory to a fundamental issue in black hole physics known as the information paradox. In recent years, she has organized multiple workshops and conferences while actively participating in outreach events to promote science among the general public. In her free time, Saskia enjoys reading, running, and swimming.

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Pengfei Wang

Dr. Pengfei Wang is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Electrical Engineering at Tel Aviv University under the supervision of Prof. Emilia Fridman.

Pengfei’s primary research interest lies in robust and optimal control of systems described by partial differential equations (PDEs), such as traffic flows, robots with flexible components, and large-scale drones.

Pengfei is working on developing a constructive method with easily implementable and efficient inequality conditions for the control design of these PDE systems. He hopes that his research will contribute valuable tools to industrial production.

Pengfei was born and raised in a rural village in North Jiangsu, China. He completed his BSc, MSc, and PhD in applied mathematics at Harbin Institute of Technology. His doctoral research, under the supervision of Prof. Wenxue Li and Prof. Huan Su, focused on the robust control of stochastic hybrid systems. He was a visiting scholar at Tel Aviv University, supported by the China Scholarship Council, where he worked under the supervision of Prof. Emilia Fridman and explored the constructive finite-dimensional control of 1-D stochastic parabolic partial differential equations. When not engaged in research, Pengfei enjoys running, fishing, and cooking Chinese food.

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Pascale Zwicky

Dr. Pascale Zwicky is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Systems Immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science under the supervision of Prof. Ido Amit.

Pascale’s research focuses on the investigation of intercellular communication networks in cancer.

Pascale uses cutting-edge genomic tools to investigate how certain small signalling proteins (cytokines) can be used to activate the immune system to fight cancer. This therapeutic strategy has immense potential for the treatment of cancer but is frequently associated with side effects and lacks efficacy. By including time and space as characterized parameters, Pascale hopes to gain novel insights which enable the development of the next generation of signalling protein-based cancer therapeutics.

Pascale was born and raised in Switzerland. She obtained her BSc in biology and MSc in immunology at the University of Bern. She completed her PhD at the University of Zurich under the supervision of Prof. Burkhard Becher, studying the regulation of the immune system in inflammatory skin disorders and cancer. When not engaged in research, Pascale enjoys sporting activities, such as swimming and water polo, discovering nature through hiking, and cooking with friends.

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Pablo Herrero Gómez

Dr. Pablo Herrero Gómez is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in the Racah Institute of Physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the supervision of Dr. Itay Shomroni.

Pablo is spearheading the development of a sensor that relies on fluorescent organic molecules to detect an individual barium ion in a xenon-filled gas chamber.

This is significant in its application to “neutrinoless double beta decay” experiments. Detecting barium, produced from the decay of 136Xe, could move these experiments into a background-free regime, greatly enhancing their precision and reliability and, in turn, validating the Majorana nature of neutrinos. This theoretical aspect has profound implications for extending the Standard Model in physics and solving the baryon asymmetry problem in cosmology. Pablo employs a combination of surface science techniques for molecule immobilization and characterization as well as optical microscopy for single-molecule fluorescence detection.

Pablo was born in Teruel, Spain. He obtained his BSc in physics at the University of Valencia and his MSc at the University of Heidelberg. He then went on to complete his PhD at the University of the Basque Country under the supervision of Dr. Francesc Monrabal and Prof. Celia Rogero, participating in the experiments that lay the ground for developing a barium sensor for the NEXT experiment. His interest in scientific outreach has led him to produce and help producing 3D animations and videos about his research. In his free time, Pablo enjoys learning languages, producing music, and playing sports.

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Niccolo Negro

Dr. Niccolò Negro is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Psychological Sciences at Tel Aviv University under the supervision of Prof. Liad Mudrik.

Niccolo’s research focuses on extrapolative inferences in consciousness science.

He explores what current theories of human consciousness tell us about consciousness in systems considerably different from humans and evaluates the extent to which these theories can attribute consciousness to non-standard entities like animals, embryos, and artificial systems. Niccolò combines philosophical analysis with knowledge of the neuroscience of consciousness to question the applicability of theories of consciousness to non-standard cases. His research contributes to the question of what inferential practices should be adopted when ascertaining whether a system is conscious or not – a discussion which has significant ethical, legal, and clinical implications.

Niccolò was born in Treviso, Italy. He obtained his BA in philosophy at the University of Siena and his MA in philosophy of science at the University of Milan, where he researched the quality and quantity of consciousness under the supervision of Prof. Corrado Sinigaglia and Prof. Marcello Massimini. He then moved to Australia, where he completed his PhD in philosophy at Monash University working with Prof. Jakob Hohwy and Prof. Tim Bayne. His PhD thesis, which won the 2022 Vice Chancellor’s Commendation Award for Thesis Excellence, provides a comprehensive philosophical evaluation of the integrated information theory – one of the most influential theories of consciousness in the contemporary neuroscientific landscape. When not engaged in research, Niccolò loves to travel, play and watch football, cycle, and play pool.

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Maria Martignoni

Dr. Maria Martignoni is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the supervision of Dr. Oren Kolodny.

Maria is a mathematical biologist, interested in developing theoretical frameworks to improve our predictive understanding of the eco-evolutionary dynamics of host species and their associated microbes.

While much research has focused on characterizing the spread and evolution of harmful microbes (e.g., coronaviruses), little is known about the ecological and evolutionary dynamics occurring when microbes are beneficial to their hosts. For example, the acquisition of beneficial microbes may allow an introduced species to rapidly adapt to a new environment – a proposition which offers promising new venues for conservation biology for either facilitating species reintroduction in the wild or mitigating the impact of invasive species.

Maria was born and raised in Bellinzona, which is in the mountainous Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. She obtained a BSc in nanosciences and an MSc in physics at the University of Basel. After working some years as a teacher of mathematics and sciences in secondary schools in Tanzania, she moved to Canada, where she completed her PhD in mathematics at the University of British Columbia, focusing on host–microbe interactions. She continued her research as a postdoctoral fellow in mathematical epidemiology at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Maria enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family, particularly outdoors, and strongly believes that achieving a gratifying work–life balance is a key element in maintaining motivation and productivity in the academic world.

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Giacomo Loi

Dr. Giacomo Loi is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of Haifa under the supervision of Prof. Vered Lev Kenaan.

Giacomo’s central area of interest is the relationship between the Greco-Roman past and Jewish modernity, particularly regarding literature, archaeology, and the arts.

Giacomo has developed a new model for understanding the entanglement of the ancient encounter between the Greco-Roman world and the Jewish people with the modern encounter between classical culture and modern Hebrew culture in Europe and in Israel. He examines how these past and present encounters influenced, shaped, and continue to shape modern Jewish culture and its relationship with the “West” from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. Giacomo is currently investigating the academic and public discourse on archaeology in British Mandate Palestine and in the State of Israel and modern Hebrew literature’s reaction to this discourse.

Giacomo was born and raised on the island of Sardinia, Italy. He obtained his BA and MA in classics at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, where he concentrated on the translation, teaching, and reception of Ancient Greek in Renaissance Italy. He also specialized in reception studies at the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation in Athens and at the Danish Institute in Rome. He completed his PhD in classics at the Johns Hopkins University, focusing on Greek, Latin, and modern Hebrew literature. He was a doctoral fellow at the Foundation for the Memory of the Holocaust in Paris, where he developed a project on the literary memory of the Shoah through classical myths. In his free time, Giacomo enjoys reading, going to concerts and opera, and hiking (especially if there is an archaeological site along the way).

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Danfei Hu

Dr. Danfei Hu is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in the Psychology Department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the supervision of Prof. Maya Tamir.

Danfei’s research aims to understand human motivation and emotion and how to pursue goals in ways that are effective, satisfying, and healthy.

Her postdoctoral research project examines whether psychologically healthy and unhealthy people differ in what they want to feel in daily life, how desired emotions influence the way they manage their emotions, and what their implications are for psychological functioning and mental health. By comparing the role of motivation in emotion regulation and its implications for emotional and psychological outcomes in healthy and clinically depressed individuals, Danfei hopes to uncover factors underlying unhealthy emotion regulation and psychological dysfunction.

Danfei was born and raised in Wuhan, China. She obtained her BA at Wuhan University. After graduating, she moved to New York to pursue both a master’s degree in cognitive science and a master’s degree in applied statistics at Columbia University. She then completed her PhD in psychology at Pennsylvania State University, investigating the individual and situational differences in what people want to feel in daily life. Danfei has a French bulldog. She is a foodie and loves to travel.

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Christina Riemenschneider

Dr. Christina Riemenschneider is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Immunology and Regenerative Biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science under the supervision of Dr. Efrat Shema.

Christina’s primary research interest lies in the development and application of advanced, high- throughput, and high-sensitive single-molecule and single-cell systems for mapping epigenetic states and heterogeneity within cancer cells.

Her work addresses critical questions at the intersection of epigenetic plasticity, transcriptional plasticity, and cell state transitions as well as extrinsic and spatial factors that may contribute to them. Understanding these aspects is vital to the field of cancer research as they determine crucial elements of tumour biology, including growth, metastasis, and treatment resistance. Through her research, Christina hopes to reveal mechanisms for limiting heterogeneity as a potential therapeutic strategy.

Born and raised in Ahrbergen, Germany, Christina moved to Berlin, where she obtained her Diplom degree in medical biotechnology at the Technical University Berlin. She then completed her PhD at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Genetics under the supervision of Prof. Alexander Meissner. Her doctoral studies focused on dissecting the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic barriers that control cellular identity. She specifically studied mammalian pluripotency, which is the ability to give rise to all somatic cells and germ cells that comprise an adult organism. In addition to her passion for research, Christina enjoys travelling, exploring new places, and gaining insights into different cultures.

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Boglárka Nyúl

Dr. Boglárka Nyúl is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Psychological Sciences at Tel Aviv University under the supervision of Prof. Nurit Shnabel.

Boglarka’s primary research interest lies in the social psychology of rape, focusing on understanding societal perceptions of rape to promote more supportive behaviour toward survivors.

Her research interests also extend to prejudice and intergroup conflicts, particularly in the context of anti-Roma attitudes and perceptions of brilliant women. Boglárka is currently investigating the role of hierarchy-maintaining beliefs on rape labelling across diverse cultural contexts and radical groups within the “manosphere,” namely, blogs and online forums promoting masculinity, misogyny, and opposition to feminism. By examining the causal relationship between these beliefs and rape labelling, she aims to develop interventions that increase the recognition of rape cases, ultimately holding perpetrators accountable, minimizing victim-blaming, and providing better support for survivors. Boglárka’s passion for achieving social change has fueled her dedication to research and outreach efforts which aim to contribute to a more just and equitable society.

Born in Sátorhely, a small village in southern Hungary, Boglárka obtained her BA and MA in psychology at Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Budapest, specializing in clinical and health psychology. She completed her PhD in social psychology at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), where she focused on the social psychology of rape under the supervision of Prof. Anna Kende and Dr. Mónika Szabó. She worked on various projects as a research assistant and on two EU- funded projects as a postdoctoral researcher at ELTE and then at the University of Trento. When not engaged in research, Boglárka enjoys travelling, reading, DIY projects, yoga, and good food.

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