Noam Pinsk is a PhD candidate specializing in materials science. She uses laser-based experiments to study materials’ dynamics at the atomic and molecular levels. Specifically, Noam is investigating the process of thermal relaxation—the way materials return to their stable state after exposure to sudden and strong bursts of heat. By examining thermal relaxation processes microscopically, she aims to uncover fundamental mechanisms that could enable innovative approaches to designing materials with tailored functional properties.

Noam aims to uncover fundamental mechanisms that could enable innovative approaches to designing materials with tailored functional properties.

Noam earned her dual BSc degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and her MSc from the Weizmann Institute of Science. Originally from Lehavim, in the south of Israel, Noam currently lives in Rehovot. After finishing her army service, she hiked the Israel National Trail in memory of a dear friend, fundraising to build a viewpoint in his memory. She also enjoys playing the saxophone and spending time with family and friends.

Guy Pelc is a physicist and PhD candidate exploring structure formation dynamics in multicellular biological systems using computational approaches. His current research focuses on modelling tumour growth dynamics based on novel spatial gene-expression data—measurements that reveal which genes are active at each location within the tissue—with the goal of paving the way for targeted drug treatments.

Guy’s goal is to pave the way for targeted drug treatments.

Guy earned his BSc in physics and computer science and MSc in physics from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He also studied classical voice training and conducting at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Originally from Even Yehuda, he now resides in Jerusalem with his wife and newborn daughter. He served in the IDF as an outstanding musician and has volunteered teaching math, physics, and computer science at the Hillel, Beliba Homa, and Magshimim programs. Guy enjoys hiking, practising yoga and meditation, and serving as the musical director of the award-winning Cecilia Ensemble, a professional vocal octet.

Noa Palmon is a PhD student in behavioural economics, the field that studies how people make decisions in everyday life. Her work examines how human learning and decision-making patterns can lead to overestimating the value of punishment, generating support for populist policies. Using decision-making experiments and computational modelling, Noa studies how the informational features of environments—the way information is presented, structured, or made available—can distort perceptions of punishment and give rise to populist preferences. Her work aims to contribute to both decision-making theory and evidence-based policy design.

Noa aims to contribute to both decision-making theory and evidence-based policy design.

Noa graduated from the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Program for Outstanding Students at Tel Aviv University and earned her MSc in computational neuroscience at Tel Aviv University. She grew up in Moshav Beit Nekofa and currently lives in Haifa with her husband. Noa is a teaching assistant at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, interned with the Promising Economists for Israel’s Public Sector program, and volunteered as a programming instructor at QueenB, promoting female representation in technology. Away from her desk, she enjoys playing the violin and exploring wildlife, nature, and different cultures while travelling.

Shiyu Hong is a PhD candidate in the field of Hebrew language and linguistics. Her research examines how people made requests in Hebrew during the early British Mandate Period in the 1920s through the 1930s. By analyzing an extensive collection of formal and informal letters, she explores the linguistic strategies employed to seek assistance while maintaining harmonious relationships. By investigating how writers from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds adapted these strategies across different social circumstances, she aims to reveal the communication styles and cultural norms of this transformative period in Modern Hebrew’s development.

Shiyu aims to reveal the communication styles and cultural norms of the early British Mandate Period in the development of Modern Hebrew.

Shiyu earned her BA in Hebrew language and Jewish culture from Peking University, and her MA in Hebrew language from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Originally from China, Shiyu has been living in Jerusalem since 2019. She volunteers to teach basic Hebrew to foreign construction workers in Israel. In her free time, Shiyu enjoys playing tennis, listening to true crime podcasts, and travelling.

Rotem Ovadia is a theoretical particle physicist and PhD candidate, specializing in dark matter detection. Dark matter refers to particles that scarcely interact with light or ordinary matter. Dark matter’s gravitational effects, observed almost everywhere we point our telescopes, reveal a total mass about five times that of visible matter—yet its microscopic nature has evaded discovery for over half a century. Rotem is spearheading an interdisciplinary effort to incorporate mature quantum sensing technologies—devices that can detect faint signals—and insights from materials science into the fabrication of the next-generation dark matter detectors, vastly improving the prospects for a first detection.

Rotem is spearheading an interdisciplinary effort to incorporate mature quantum sensing technologies and insights from materials science into the fabrication of the next generation dark matter detectors.

Rotem received his BSc and MSc in physics from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has taught gifted children physics and mathematics at Merhavim school. Rotem also enjoys weightlifting, cooking, and going on long walks with his dog, Mel.

Yahel Nudler is a PhD candidate in the field of psychology, exploring people’s self-knowledge of the factors that shape their attitudes and judgment, and the mechanisms underlying the formation of such knowledge. His work examines the introspective processes involved in self-knowledge formation: what happens when someone looks inside to understand why they like someone or something. His research aims to uncover how people come to know themselves, and how they can improve this important skill, ultimately enhancing our understanding of self-knowledge formation and of ourselves.

Yahel’s research aims to uncover how people come to know themselves, enhancing our understanding of self-knowledge formation.

Yahel received his BA in psychology from Reichman University and his MA in social psychology from Tel Aviv University. Originally from Ness Ziona, he now lives in Tel Aviv. He served in the IDF’s intelligence unit 8200 and volunteered with at-risk youth, including a pre-military year in Safed, and at ERAN’s emotional first-aid services. He is currently consulting for organizations in the mental health field.

Rotem Levy Heiman is a speech-language pathologist and PhD candidate in education. Her research focuses on how healthcare and education professionals make diagnostic decisions for young children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, such as autism and ADHD. Grounded in extensive clinical experience, her research explores how social, cultural, and institutional factors shape these processes. By examining how experts manage diagnostic uncertainty and navigate societal expectations, her work seeks to improve support for children and families and inform clinical, policy, and theoretical approaches.

Rotem seeks to improve support for children and families and inform clinical, policy, and theoretical approaches toward neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Rotem holds a BA in communication disorders from Hadassah Academic College and an MA in gender studies from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Originally from Be’er Sheva, she lives with her family in Moshav Faran in Israel’s Arava desert. Over the years, Rotem has volunteered with marginalized communities, focusing on child development and children with disabilities. She enjoys hiking, travelling, and spending time with her three children.

Rami Khoury is an MD/PhD candidate studying cancer biology and nanomedicine. His research bridges fundamental biology and therapeutic innovation by exploring how BRCA1-mutated breast cancer metastasizes to the brain. He investigates how tumour cells hijack and reprogram brain-resident cells to create a supportive environment for metastasis. To counter this, Rami is developing precisely engineered, nano-scale drug carriers designed to enhance drug delivery, enabling therapies to cross the blood–brain barrier and selectively treat brain tumours. By integrating biological insights with advanced drug delivery systems, he aims to uncover disease mechanisms and translate them into novel treatments for patients.

Rami aims to uncover disease mechanisms and translate them into novel treatments for patients.

Rami earned his BSc in medical sciences from the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. He was born and raised in Shefa-Amr and currently lives in Tel Aviv. Rami has volunteered with children in Tanzania and in his hometown. Alongside his research, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, listening to podcasts, and travelling.

Amit Kam is a physicist and PhD candidate, working at the intersection of nanophotonics and quantum optics, the field that studies how light interacts with matter at the level of individual photons. He investigates how photons—the fundamental particles of light—behave when confined in nanostructures far smaller than their wavelength. In such tiny spaces, different properties of light that normally act independently—such as its polarization and its wave-like shape—can start to influence each other. Amit’s work investigates how controlling this effect could open new possibilities for encoding and processing information on ultra-compact quantum photonic chips, enabling advances in secure communication, quantum computing, and precision sensing.

Amit’s work could open new possibilities for encoding and processing information on ultracompact quantum photonic chips.

Amit grew up in Kfar Bialik, where he still resides today. He holds a BSc in physics from the Technion– Israel Institute of Technology. During his military service, he served as both a soldier and a technical officer in the fields of radio frequency and electronic warfare, a role in which he continued to serve in the reserves. Amit enjoys spending time with friends and family, watching movies, hiking, and listening to music.

Michal Hod is an attorney and a PhD candidate. Her research focuses on the structure of financial regulation in Israel and other countries, particularly in the context of cryptocurrency (crypto). “Crypto” is a broad term that refers to digital assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, along with the technologies that support them, which challenge traditional financial sectors and regulators worldwide. As a global phenomenon, crypto offers a unique opportunity to examine regulatory structures, their adaptability to innovation, and their overall effectiveness.

Michal’s research on crypto offers a unique opportunity to examine regulatory structures, their adaptability to innovation, and their overall effectiveness.

Michal holds an LLB in law and political science from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an LLM from the University of Pennsylvania. Originally from Rishon LeZion, she now lives in Kibbutz Gesher with her husband and three children. She served as an infantry training officer in the IDF and currently chairs the executive board of her kibbutz. Michal enjoys reading, bicycling, and spending time with her family.