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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Boglarka Nyul

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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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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