People

Rany Abend, PhD

Director

I am an associate professor in the School of Psychology and the School of Medicine at Reichman University. I received M.A. degrees in psychobiology and in clinical psychology, and a PhD in psychology, from Tel Aviv University, and conducted my post-doctoral research at the National Institute of Mental Health (Bethesda, MD).

I am primarily interested in developing interdisciplinary frameworks, integrating clinical, developmental, and translational/evolutionary perspectives, to better understand the mechanisms underlying psychopathology.

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Shir Ben-Zvi

Post-doctoral Researcher - lab manager

I am a post-doctoral researcher in the Neuroscience of Psychopathology lab. I received Master degrees in neurobiology from the Hebrew University and in Rehabilitation psychology from Tel Aviv Yaffo Academic College, and completed my PhD in neurobiology atTel Aviv University.

I am interested in conducting translational research that combines insights from both clinical practice and neuroscience, in order to develop more effective methods for diagnosing and treating anxiety.

Ya'ira Somerville

Lab Manager, Clinical Research Coordinator

I graduated from the Psychology B.A. Hons. program at Reichman University where my thesis explored the impact of multi-sensory psycho-cognitive interventions on inflammatory markers and psychological health in aging populations. I am interested in understanding the neurobiological basis of risk and resilience for PTSD in order to develop more targeted and efficacious treatment modalities and better predict treatment outcomes.

I am especially passionate about improving the current understanding and treatment of military-related PTSD in individuals with concurrent Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Ayelet Levinkron

Doctoral Student

I am a doctorate student, working under joint supervision of Prof. Rany Abend and Prof. Ruth Feldman. I have a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Psychology from the Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University. My research uses functional MRI to study the influence of different types of early life adversities on brain development, focusing on the neural mechanisms underlying social interaction.

This research aims to better understand the relationship between chronic stress exposure and mental health outcomes in adulthood.

Omer Dayan

Research Assistant, Task Development and Neuroimaging Analysis Lead

I recently graduated from the computer science and cognitive sciences B.Sc. program at Reichman University. I am passionate about designing and developing novel lab-based tasks to examine the neurobiological, cognitive and affective mechanisms which underpin anxiety, PTSD, and other forms of psychopathology.

I am particularly interested in harnessing insights from physiological data and advanced neuroimaging techniques to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms which drive clinical conditions.

Tal Tsarfaty

Research Assistant, Physiology Analysis Lead

I am a M.Sc. student in Biomedical Engineering at Tel Aviv University, with a B.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering from Afeka College of Engineering. My research focuses on the technical analysis of physiological signals, integrating my background in engineering with my interest in neuroscience and psychology.

I believe in the power of multidisciplinary research to approach complex problems from multiple perspectives and advance our understanding of brain function and behavior.

Shahar Kretsch Bourvine

Research Assistant - M.A. Clinical Psychology Student

I am currently studying clinical psychology at The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo where I completed my B.A. in psychology. I am fascinated by the relationship between brain structure, function, and psychopathology, particularly in conditions that remain challenging to treat.

I am passionate about unraveling the neural mechanisms underlying treatment-resistant mental health conditions, with the goal of developing more targeted therapeutic approaches based on brain networks and connectivity patterns.

Shahar Mizrachi

Research Assistant - B.A. Psychology Student, Brain and Mind Program

I am a third year student in the B.A. Psychology program at Reichman University, and am deeply interested in exploring the neurological mechanisms underlying psychopathology as a way to develop advanced treatments suited for a dynamic and evolving society.

I believe that connecting neuroscience with psychology through interdisciplinary research is key to moving mental health care forward, and I am eager to contribute to this important work.

Zohar Zaken

Research Assistant - B.A. Psychology Student, Brain and Mind Program

I am interested in examining the neurobiological processes which underly PTSD, anxiety, and related conditions by combining physiological, behavioral, and psychological data collection and analysis. I am particularly fascinated in utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to understand how resilience is shaped by individual differences.

My goal is to contribute to research that bridges biological and psychological perspectives, in order to advance early detection, prevention, and more effective treatment strategies that promote recovery and resilience.

Itamar Naor

Research Assistant - B.A. Psychology Student, Brain and Mind Program

I am a third year student in the B.A. Psychology program at Reichman University and am focused on developing measures which can quantify and assess resilience. I am interested in identifying and capturing adaptive responses to stress and threat in order to reliably index risk and resilience.

I hope to contribute to deepening out understanding of resilience as a psychological and biological construct, and exploring how such insights may be applied to support individuals and organizations in high-pressure environments.

Sophia Kohn

Research Assistant - B.A. Psychology Student, Brain and Mind Program

I am a third year student in the B.A. Psychology program at Reichman University and am passionate about understanding the neural and physiological bases of PTSD and stress-related conditions. I am interested in understanding how exposure to threat shapes cognition, emotion, and behavior.

I am eager to contribute to the lab's innovative research and ultimately aim to help create more effective, personalized treatments for trauma and anxiety disorders.

Stav Sher

Research Assistant - B.A. Psychology Student, Research Seminar

I am a third-year psychology student in the B.A. Psychology program at Reichman University. I was drawn to the Neuroscience of Psychopathology lab due to its approach to understanding psychopathology through a psychobiological lens.

I'm passionate about exploring the the link between physiological and cognitive responses to threat in anxiety and PTSD and am eager to contribute to the lab's innovative research methods while gaining valuable experience in a crucially important field.