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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Michal Hanouka

Michal Hanouka is a PhD candidate in education, examining factors that improve resilience in adolescents in out-of-home care. Michal’s work focuses especially on the potential within the school framework to strengthen personal and educational resilience among these youth. Her research aims to expand theoretical knowledge and help develop educational intervention programs.

Michal’s research aims to expand theoretical knowledge and help develop educational intervention programs.

Michal is from Yavne and received a BA in behavioural sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and an MA in educational counselling at Tel Aviv University. She has been working in training educational teams who teach and care for youths in out-of-home facilities. She is also involved in educational programs among southern Israeli communities, dealing with ongoing trauma following the events of October 7, 2023. In her free time, Michal enjoys reading, creative writing, and spending quality time with her family.

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Sarit Feldman Gesler

Sarit Feldman Gesler is a computational biologist and PhD candidate, exploring the mechanisms of healthy aging and longevity. Drawing on evolutionary biology, particularly the development of long- living animals, her research aims to understand the differences in protein modifications between short- and long-living mammals. Sarit employs tools from data science, statistics, AI, and molecular biology to identify longevity-associated protein modifications and find new targets for interventions to enhance the quality of life for the elderly.

Sarit identifies longevity-associated protein modifications and finds new targets for interventions to enhance the quality of life for the elderly.

Sarit earned her BSc in computer science and neuroscience and an MSc in bioinformatics from Bar-Ilan University. Born in 1998 as a first-generation Israeli, she lives with her partner in Givatayim. Passionate about STEM education and empowering women in science, Sarit leads Nucleate Israel, a student-led global nonprofit organization aiming to empower the next generation of biotech leaders. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, reading fiction, and travelling.

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Aviva Eliyahu

Aviva Eliyahu is a pediatric medical geneticist, developmental biologist, and PhD candidate researching the genetics of sex determination in mammals. This process, in which an embryo develops as either male or female, is controlled by many genes. When these genes do not function correctly, it can cause a condition known as differences of sexual development (DSD). Aviva is studying how these genes are regulated and influence one another to identify the genetic causes of DSD in patients.

Aviva is studying how genes are regulated and influence one another in order to identify the causes of DSD in patients.

Aviva received her BSc in medical sciences and her MD from Tel Aviv University. Originally from Baltimore, she moved to Israel at the age of four and now resides in Rinatya with her husband and three children. She has been involved in volunteering with Holocaust survivors. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, engaging in sports, and writing.

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