Arti Joshi

Dr. Arti Joshi is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Chemistry at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev under the supervision of Prof. Ira Weinstock.

Arti’s central research interest is polyoxometalates (POMs) chemistry.

She is currently working on designing and developing POM-complexed nanoparticles and exploring them as potential photocatalysts, namely, materials that can initiate reaction in the presence of light. Many areas of catalysis that use sunlight as a clean source of renewable energy – for example, the solar light-driven conversion of carbon dioxide into fuels – are held back from implementation by challenging problems, such as low efficiency, high cost, and poor catalyst stability. Arti’s goal is to overcome these obstacles by developing POM-complexed nanoparticles as stable and efficient catalysts.

Arti was born and raised in Uttarakhand, India. She obtained a BSc and an MSc in chemistry at Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna (HNB) Garhwal University. She then completed her PhD at the Institute of Nanoscience and Technology in Mohali (Punjab) under the supervision of Dr. Monika Singh. Arti is passionate about promoting research as a career option among underprivileged youth. When not engaged in research, she loves to travel and meet new people, read, and practice yoga.

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Anand Chopra

Dr. Anand Chopra is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Anand is working to elucidate the biological roles of enzymes that regulate lysine methylation: a covalent modification occurring on lysine residues of proteins.

Lysine methylation is dynamic as there are distinct enzyme families which “write” and “erase” the modification. Anand is researching a “writer” known as SETD6 which is involved in cellular processes, such as inflammation and several cancerous phenotypes. SETD6 is known to methylate several proteins; however, unlike other “writers” of lysine methylation, there is no known “eraser” to oppose its activity. Using cutting-edge biochemical and cellular tools, Anand is looking to identify a lysine demethylase which antagonizes the activity of SETD6. Through his research, Anand hopes to contribute to understanding how lysine methylation regulates fundamental biological processes.

Anand was born in Ottawa, Canada. He obtained a BSc in biochemistry and biotechnology at Carleton University. During summer research internships and his fourth-year honours thesis project, he worked in Prof. William Willmore’s lab and conducted research focused on the regulation of proteins in response to cellular stressors, such as hypoxia. He went on to conduct his PhD research in the field of lysine methylation under the co-supervision of Prof. Willmore and Prof. Kyle Biggar at Carleton University. Anand focused on creating new biochemical methodologies to study the functions and inherent characteristics of lysine demethylases. In his free time, Anand enjoys tasting different cuisines, cooking, travelling, going to the gym, kayaking, hiking, and relaxing by the water.

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Adam Briner

Dr. Adam Briner is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in the Faculty of Biochemistry at the Weizmann Institute of Science where he works under the supervision of Prof. Michael Fainzilber.

Adam is investigating the molecular processes that allow peripheral nerve cells to regulate their size and growth.

Neurons emanating from the spinal cord are the longest cells in our bodies; some of their longest axons are over a metre in length. As peripheral neurons develop, their axons must elongate to innervate their targets and subsequently continue their growth in parallel with the growing organism. Similarly, peripheral nerve injury stimulates axonal (re)growth as part of the healing process. How neurons regulate such prodigious growth and sense their own lengths in both physiological and pathological settings remains enigmatic and is of fundamental importance in understanding neural function. Adam is studying the contribution of non-coding RNAs and epigenetic RNA modifications in these axonal signalling pathways with an aim to both expand our understanding of neuronal physiology and identify pro-growth therapeutic targets to aid recovery from spinal injury.

Born in Brisbane, Australia, Adam received a BSc and PhD from the University of Queensland. He completed his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Jürgen Götz, focusing on discovering novel therapeutic opportunities for Alzheimer’s disease using mouse models. After being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, Adam spent 2021 at Stanford University, where he studied pathological mis-splicing of RNA in motor neurone disease with Prof. Aaron Gitler. Adam seeks to meld his innate curiosity with his passion for research but also enjoys ceramics, photography, bushwalking, and any sport (with varying success). He is always excited to share his research with the broader community and loves hearing the new and unexpected perspectives of people from diverse backgrounds.

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Yotam Strifler

Yotam Strifler is a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev under the supervision of Prof. Gary Diamond.

Yotam’s research focuses on psychotherapy, specifically examining the ability to mentalize, which involves understanding and interpreting the mental states of others, including their thoughts, emotions, and intentions.

He investigates the association between mentalization and emotional arousal in therapy sessions, utilizing high-resolution in-session segments from recorded and live therapeutic interactions. The research design employs both laboratory and ecological procedures to ensure reliable testing and generalization, employing observational coding and psychological measures. The goal of Yotam’s work is to advance comprehension of factors that facilitate or hinder our ability to understand others and to enhance therapeutic theory and techniques for families dealing with relational ruptures.

Originally from Nahariya, Yotam currently lives in Tel Aviv with his wife, who is a clinical psychology intern. He also serves as a clinical psychology intern at Ben-Gurion University’s community clinic in Beer Sheva and volunteers at the Movement for Public Psychology in Israel. His involvement in a research project during his undergraduate studies at Ben-Gurion University ignited his passion for studying live videotaped therapy sessions. During his master’s degree in clinical psychology, also at Ben-Gurion University, he took the lead on a research project involving videotaped therapeutic sessions, further deepening his enthusiasm for this research. Yotam values the integration of being a researching clinician and engaging in theory, practice, and research aspects of psychotherapy. He also takes part in a randomized controlled clinical trial comparing different treatments for LGBTQ+ young adults. In his free time, Yotam enjoys reading, rock climbing, spending time with family and friends, and hiking in the Israeli desert.

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Yoav Goldstein

Yoav Goldstein is a PhD student in the Eitan Berglas School of Economics at Tel Aviv University under the supervision of Dr. Analia Schlosser.

Yoav employs econometric methods to study questions related to the economics of education and health economics. His dissertation focuses on human capital formation and labour-market experiences in Israel.

Specifically, he aims to unravel the factors that underlie important educational choices made by young adults in Israel and the long- term consequences in terms of their careers and other outcomes. Through this research, Yoav plans to gain a deeper understanding of the role of education in expanding economic opportunities and provide valuable insights for policymakers and educators. Ultimately, his work aims to support the development and implementation of effective educational policies and programs that better serve the needs of young people.

Yoav grew up in the Upper Galilee, specifically in Kiryat Shemona and Kibbutz Sde Nehemia, and currently lives in Tel Aviv. He obtained a BA in philosophy, politics, and economics and an MA in economics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Prior to his academic studies, Yoav worked in agriculture in the Upper Galilee area and was an active participant in various educational and social activities in the community. During his childhood, Yoav played soccer for Kiryat Shemona’s youth team and, during his university years, was a member of the Hebrew University team in the national futsal league. In his free time, Yoav enjoys spending time in nature and practicing yoga.

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Yael Alush

Yael Alush is a PhD student in the Racah Institute of Physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the supervision of Dr. Nicholas Stone.

Her research focuses on black holes and approaches to testing Einstein’s general relativity theory.

Modern observations indicate that supermassive black holes surrounded by dense clusters of stars are located at the centre of almost all large galaxies. Understanding the dynamics of these star clusters and the transient phenomena caused by the central massive black hole is essential for testing general relativity in the future. However, dynamical processes affect the evolution of stellar orbits and influence the rate of detectable events. Yael’s research addresses certain astrophysical uncertainties in current theoretical models, aiming to contribute to a better understanding of fundamental physics in our universe.

Yael grew up in Rehovot and currently lives in Jerusalem with her spouse. She obtained a BSc in applied mathematics from Bar-Ilan University as part of the talented youth in mathematics program while in high school. Following five years of military service in the intelligence force, she obtained an MSc in physics from the Hebrew University. Aside from her research, Yael and her friends from the astrophysics department organize sidewalk stargazing sessions for the general public. She is also a dance instructor at Media Noche, a community of salsa dancers. In her free time, she enjoys 3D printing and painting miniatures for fantasy games, playing board games with her friends, and exploring new hiking trails.

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Tomer Amit

Tomer Amit is a PhD candidate in the Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science at the Weizmann Institute of Science under the supervision of Dr. Sivan Refaely-Abramson. Tomer uses theoretical computational approaches to study excitons, particles formed in semiconducting materials upon interaction with light.

By developing and solving quantum mechanical equations, he calculates the properties of solid materials which include structural complexities, such as defects in the periodic crystal lattice. Tomer predicts and explains properties and experimental measurements of the light–matter interactions in real materials, specifically in two-dimensional materials where the electric and optical properties are particularly intriguing.

His research focuses on tracking the real-time dynamics of the particles that build the material due to interactions with other particles. The materials under study can be used for applications in solar energy conversion and quantum information technologies and for quantum computing.

Tomer grew up in Ganey Hadar and currently lives in Tel Aviv. He obtained a BSc in chemistry at Tel Aviv University, after which he pursued an MSc in chemistry at the Weizmann Institute of Science and continued to a direct PhD track. He volunteers at 180 Degrees, a social organization which works to integrate people with different types of special needs in sports. In his free time, Tomer enjoys cooking, practicing Pilates, and trail running.

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Tamar Luster

Tamar Luster is a PhD candidate in the Zvi Meitar Center for Advanced Legal Studies of the Buchmann Faculty of Law at Tel Aviv University under the supervision of Prof. Eliav Lieblich.

Her research explores the systematic denial of basic needs from civilians in armed conflicts – a phenomenon she has termed “deprivation atrocities.”

Despite deprivation leading to huge numbers of civilian casualties, public international law has sidelined the issue, and relevant legal norms reveal significant shortcomings. Tamar’s research examines the doctrinal and theoretical reasons for this neglect, drawing normative insights from the efforts of civil society organizations. As the topic remains under- researched, Tamar hopes to fill this scholarly gap by conceptualizing deprivation more holistically and reigniting a pressing debate: do we need more, and perhaps different, laws to counter deprivation, or is the law part of the problem?

Tamar, a mother of two, grew up in Arad and currently lives in Tel Aviv. She completed her LLM at Columbia University in the City of New York, where she was awarded the James Kent Scholar honour and a Human Rights LLM Fellowship. She obtained an LLB (magna cum laude) at Tel Aviv University and an MA in international development (summa cum laude) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Tamar is a lawyer and has worked extensively on social and economic rights and humanitarian law in both governmental and non-governmental bodies. She is currently co- teaching a workshop on transitional justice in Tel Aviv University’s Buchmann Faculty of Law with Prof. Leora Bilsky. In her free time, Tamar plays the piano, hikes, and loves reading and writing. Her book of poetry, Executor, was published in 2017 by the Bialik Institute.

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Tal Yehezkely

Tal Yehezkely is a PhD student in the Program of Comparative Literature of the School of Cultural Studies at Tel Aviv University under the joint supervision of Prof. Galili Shahar (Tel Aviv University) and Dr. Chiara Caradonna (Hebrew University of Jerusalem).

Tal examines expressions of smell in Hebrew and Italian literature and explores the intersections between the sensory, the literary, and the political.

Her research focuses on Hebrew and Italian literary texts that react to social and political conflicts. Given the difficulty of expressing smell in words, Tal traces the diverse creative strategies through which writers have overcome this challenge. She also explores how smell is used to express various forms of otherness, be it ethnic, political, or gendered. Her research is interdisciplinary and combines comparative literature, critical theory, and critical phenomenology along with scientific findings. Tal hopes to articulate the potential of smell for both political and literary theory through the very challenges it presents.

Tal grew up in Jerusalem and moved to Tel Aviv for her studies. She worked as a journalist for GLZ radio, covering religious, immigration, and legal affairs. She obtained her MA in the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Program at Tel Aviv University, where she wrote her thesis in philosophy on the theory and poetics of smell. Tal co-coordinates the humanities program of the Polyphony Foundation for young Jewish and Arab musicians and the interdisciplinary research group, The Sense of Smell. She has taught courses in philosophy and literature in both academic institutions and high school programs and completed a year-long research fellowship at Yale University. Tal is a translator of Italian theory and poetry and a cat lover. She is devoted to the promotion of humanities as a tool for social change.

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Shada Kashkoush

Shada Kashkoush is a PhD student in the School of Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the joint supervision of Dr. Yuliya Lipshits-Braziler and Prof. Ruth Butler.

Shada researches adaptive and maladaptive facets of career decisional procrastination.

Procrastination in educational and career decision-making is a common behaviour that is widely considered undesirable. Shada aims to refine a novel theoretical framework for describing the causes of procrastination in career decision-making and to test this framework empirically using the Career Decisional Procrastination (CDP) questionnaire that she is developing. Her research also seeks to explore the adaptive nature of the causes of career decisional procrastination. Shada hopes that her research findings will help facilitate career decision-making among individuals who are contemplating their next career move.

Shada grew up in Kfar Yasif. She obtained a BA in psychology at the University of Haifa and an MA in educational and clinical child psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is currently finishing her specialization in educational psychology. She has been involved in several voluntary activities and received three awards from the Hebrew University in recognition of her volunteer work. Nowadays, she volunteers as a psychologist. In her free time, she enjoys travelling, watching movies, and spending time with her family and friends.

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