Moriah Omer-Attali

Moriah Omer-Attali is a PhD candidate in the field of education. She is interested in students’ rights and how students can design their educational experiences. Her research explores students’ participation in decision-making processes as part of a formative evaluation initiative in which educational processes are designed and developed based on digital-led school assessment. This research aims to help develop more inclusive and democratic schools that value the voices and agency of all students.

Moriah’s research aims to help develop more inclusive and democratic schools that value the voices and agency of all students.

Moriah completed her joint law and MBA honours program at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She later earned an MA in education policy at Tel Aviv University and completed her MA thesis at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Moriah lives in Ness Ziona with her husband and three children. Her professional background spans various fields, including commercial litigation, economic development, and journalism. Moriah has tutored at-risk youth, mentored high school students, and led social justice workshops. In her free time, she enjoys catchball, hiking, and the arts.

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Ophir Netzer

Ophir Netzer is a PhD candidate in the field of psychology, researching the psychological, physiological, and neural mechanisms of trauma experienced while under psychedelics, substances that can alter conscious states through changes to perception, mood, and various cognitive functions. Her work focuses on the impact of psychedelics on trauma processing, particularly in the context of the Nova festival attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, where many attendees faced severe, life-threatening trauma under psychedelics. This interdisciplinary research aims to enhance early detection of trauma-related psychopathologies and provide evidence-based therapy.

Ophir’s research aims to enhance early detection of trauma-related psychopathologies and provide evidence-based therapy.

Ophir received her BA in cognitive science and economics and her MA in cognitive sciences from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Born in Netanya, she now lives in Tel Aviv. She has volunteered at an orphanage in Kathmandu, Nepal, and organized fundraising events. In her free time, she enjoys reading science fiction, travelling, attending live music concerts, and sharing these experiences with friends and family.

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Chen Mechel

Chen Mechel is a physicist and PhD candidate specializing in light–matter interaction at the quantum level. He explores how light and matter exchange information, aiming to enhance this interaction to improve measurement devices such as quantum microscopes. Chen’s goal is to advance quantum technologies and uncover new insights into electron–photon quantum phenomena in complex chemical and biological systems, particularly photosynthesis.

Chen’s goal is to advance quantum technologies and uncover new insights into electron–photon quantum phenomena in complex chemical and biological systems, particularly photosynthesis.

Chen earned his BSc in physics and computer science and MSc in physics from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and has lived in Haifa since birth. Chen served as an officer in the intelligence corps of the IDF and volunteers at the Israeli Physics Olympiad for high school students. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, playing the piano, hiking, and reading.

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Yael Leokumovich

Yael Leokumovich is an Assyriologist and PhD candidate specializing in cuneiform literature, one of the oldest forms of writing, from ancient Mesopotamia. Her research focuses on the Mesopotamian wetlands and their representation across various cuneiform genres, aiming to explore the Mesopotamian understanding of ecology and nature as well as how this culture represents landscapes in literature. By connecting these ancient perspectives to contemporary discussions of the Anthropocene epoch (the period in geological time when humans began to have a significant impact on the planet), she seeks to uncover how one of the earliest urban civilizations understood and interacted with its environment.

Yael seeks to uncover how one of the earliest urban civilizations understood and interacted with its environment.

Yael holds a BA in linguistics and an MA in Assyriology from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She currently resides in Jaffa. In addition to her academic pursuits, she studies languages and has been volunteering teaching Hebrew to Palestinian women in East Jerusalem. Yael is a writer and has published prose and essays. She enjoys reading and gardening in her free time.

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Tali Lemcoff

Tali Lemcoff is a PhD candidate in the field of chemistry, investigating how animals use biologically formed organic crystalline materials to interact with light to enhance their vision and create coloration. She studies the materials chemistry and optics of unexplored optical systems in animals, using techniques like X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and mass spectroscopy. Her research aims to explore biological phenomena to inspire sustainable new optical materials.

Tali’s research aims to explore biological phenomena to inspire sustainable new optical materials.

Tali grew up in Kibbutz Yakum and currently lives in Beersheba with her husband. She earned her BSc in chemistry with a minor in biology from the George Washington University in Washington, DC, where she was a student athlete on the swimming team. She completed an MSc in chemistry at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. As a swimmer, she achieved national titles, broke national records, and competed internationally. She currently volunteers at the Jusidman Centre for Science-Oriented Youth and enjoys handicrafts and yoga.

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Yael Lebel

Yael Lebel is a physicist and PhD candidate who uses mathematics to understand the complexities of the immune system. Her research focuses on understanding immune responses to pathogens, autoimmune diseases, and cancer by modelling immune system interactions. Yael developed a mathematical model to gain insights into the unpredictable flare-ups of multiple sclerosis and now focuses on understanding how the immune system responds to pathogens while minimizing harm to the individual. She aims to merge physics and biology to better understand the immune system’s behaviour and identify potential therapeutic strategies.

Yael aims to merge physics and biology to better understand the immune system’s behaviour and identify potential therapeutic strategies.

Yael received her BSc in physics from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and her MSc in physics from the Weizmann Institute of Science. Originally from Kiryat Ono, Yael now lives in Rehovot with her husband and two children. In addition to her research, Yael leads the Women Students in Physics forum at her institute and enjoys learning new languages and engaging in sports.

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Sewar Khatib

Sewar Khatib is a PhD candidate in the field of occupational therapy. Her research investigates the role of executive functions, which are high cognitive skills like planning and problem-solving, in managing disease burdens, coping, and daily life for women with endometriosis. By merging occupational therapy with gynecology, her work seeks to develop personalized interventions that boost the quality of daily life and improve psychological well-being. This research is vital for crafting effective, multidisciplinary treatments for endometriosis, substantially impacting global women’s health.

Sewar’s research is vital for crafting effective, multidisciplinary treatments for endometriosis, substantially impacting global women’s health.

Sewar lives in a Druze village in the Upper Galilee. She earned a BOT from the University of Haifa and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and an MHA from the University of Haifa. She received the Dean’s Prize and the Faculty Honour Award in welfare and health sciences. Sewar volunteers in various programs that support community and health initiatives. In her leisure time, she enjoys reading, surfing, and travelling, which enriches her appreciation for diverse cultures.

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Majed Khalaf

Majed Khalaf is a theoretical physicist and PhD candidate, researching the modelling of body motion around black holes, and the nature of dark matter, which is matter that does not interact with light. He is unravelling a fundamental connection between quantum and classical observables, which he uses to describe motion around black holes more precisely, overcoming the limitations of current simulations. Majed also explores dark matter models to illuminate its mysterious nature.

Majed is exploring dark matter models to illuminate its mysterious nature while also improving simulations of black hole inward-spirals.

Majed earned his BSc in electrical engineering and physics and his MSc in electrical engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Born and raised in Jatt, a small town in the Triangle area in Israel, Majed now lives in Jerusalem. His volunteer work includes giving free lessons to high school and undergraduate students. In his leisure time, Majed enjoys working out in the gym, listening to podcasts or videos, and occasionally watching intriguing movies.

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Mayada Karjawally

Mayada Karjawally is a pharmacist and a PhD candidate who studies perceptions of child medical neglect, which refers to the inadequate fulfillment of basic healthcare needs that can lead to potential or actual harm. Mayada’s research prioritizes youth voices, seeking to understand their healthcare needs through their lived experiences. She aims to develop a child-centred framework to address medical neglect and to identify gaps among healthcare professionals that can be addressed.

Mayada aims to develop a child-centred framework to address medical neglect and to identify gaps among healthcare professionals that can be addressed.

Mayada holds a BSc in pharmacy from Petra University in Jordan and an MPH from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She was born in East Jerusalem and continues to live there. She has volunteered with Cross-Cultural Solutions in the Ritsona refugee camp in Greece, and participated in various programs to promote cardiovascular health for Arab and Jewish women in Jerusalem. In her free time, Mayada values family time and enjoys working out, reading novels, and exploring nature.

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Yifat Hillel

Yifat Hillel is a PhD candidate in the field of education, focusing on the political imagination in Jewish–Arab relationships, particularly within the Hagar Association’s initiatives. This association promotes shared life between Jews and Arabs in Beersheba through bilingual education and community life. Her research uses member experiences and educational materials of these collectives to understand their perceived political reality. The study explores the possibilities, limitations, and potential futures in their political imagination and implications for Israeli democracy.

Yifat explores the possibilities, limitations, and potential futures in Jewish–Arab relationships and the implications for Israeli democracy.

Yifat holds a BA in behavioural sciences and an MA in sociology from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She was born and raised in Beersheba and now resides in Omer. She has been actively involved in social and educational activism over the past quarter century and continues to be engaged in these efforts. Her well-being is supported by her three children, her partner, yoga, and hope for a better future.

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