Prof. Yair Weiss is a faculty member at the School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem . He holds a PhD in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from MIT and an MSC in Applied Mathematics from Tel-Aviv University. Education: MSc in Applied Mathematics, Tel-Aviv University (1993) PhD in Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT (1998) His research focuses on Human and Machine Vision , Machine Learning , Bayesian Methods , and Neural Computation . Recent work explores adversarial examples, generative models, and robustness in neural networks. Recent publications highlight trends in: Understanding neural network representations Advancements in GANs and adversarial training Image restoration and translation techniques Perceptual distance modeling Bayesian approaches to computer vision Mathematical analysis of deep learning architectures
Idit Keidar is currently the Dean of the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, where she also holds the Lord Leonard Wolfson Academic Chair. She received her BSc, MSc, and PhD (all summa cum laude) from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1992, 1994, and 1998 respectively, with Danny Dolev as her PhD advisor. She completed her postdoctoral studies at MIT with Nancy Lynch. Her academic lineage includes notable figures such as Copernicus, Leibniz, Jacob Bernoulli, Euler, Lagrange, Laplace, and Poisson. Keidar's research focuses on fault-tolerant distributed and concurrent algorithms and systems, with particular interest in distributed storage theory and systems, concurrent data structures and transactions, and scalable Byzantine fault-tolerance. She approaches her work with the goal of finding theoretical foundations that can help explain and improve practical implementations. Her research has significant implications for large-scale distributed systems, cloud computing, and multi-core architectures. Keidar has made substantial contributions to the field through her editorial work as editor of the ACM SIGACT News Distributed Computing Column from 2007-2013 (previously co-editing with Sergio Rajsbaum from 2000-2007). Her publications span theoretical foundations, practical applications, and educational aspects of distributed computing. The trends in her work show a consistent focus on bridging theory and practice in distributed systems, with increasing attention to large-scale systems, transactional memory, and Byzantine fault tolerance as these areas have gained practical importance. Scientific Awards and Recognition: Lord Leonard Wolfson Academic Chair Editor of ACM SIGACT News Distributed Computing Column (2000-2013) Keidar has held significant leadership positions in the distributed computing community, serving as PC Chair for PPoPP 2019 and PODC 2018, Organizing Committee Chair for DISC 2013 in Jerusalem, and PC Co-Chair for LADIS 2021. She has been actively involved with the Networked Software Systems Laboratory at the Technion. Beyond her technical work, Keidar is also a creative writer, with a short story winning 2nd place in the Shirat Ha'Mada creative writing contest for scientists.
Dr. Omri Finkel is an Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator at the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research focuses on terrestrial microbial ecology and plant-microbe interactions, with a particular emphasis on understanding microbiome assembly dynamics and their effects on plant health. He leads the Finkel Lab, which explores topics such as desert plant microbiomes and the ecological context shaping microbiome functionality. Dr. Finkel has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant 2022 for his project on molecular evolution of plant-microbiome interactions in drylands. His work combines experimental microcosms, synthetic communities, and genomic approaches to dissect microbiome-induced plant phenotypes and desert microbiome adaptations. The lab collaborates on projects involving drought-resistant crops, microbial community design, and functional genomics. Students and researchers in his lab include PhD candidates Tzila Vikiniansky and Zheniya Mogilevski, along with several MSc students. The lab is actively involved in analyzing root microbiome responses to environmental stressors, including drought tolerance and pathogen resistance.
Prof. Michal Goldberg is a Professor in the Department of Genetics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her research focuses on cancer genetics, DNA damage response mechanisms, and genomic stability. She investigates early events in cancer development, including the roles of cell cycle regulation and DNA repair pathways. Her work has identified novel genes involved in familial breast and ovarian cancers and uncovered therapeutic drugs targeting cancer stem cells. Key research interests include the cellular response to DNA damage, genomic instability, and the interplay between estrogen signaling and cancer. Prof. Goldberg has pioneered studies on Spironolactone, demonstrating its efficacy in inhibiting cancer stem cell growth by impairing DNA repair processes. Her findings have implications for developing targeted cancer therapies. Received the SMS grant (2024) and Rector's Prize for Excellent Researchers (2019). Leads a research group exploring cancer genetics and therapeutic drug discovery. Collaborates with institutions like the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (France). Her lab's work bridges basic science and clinical applications, with studies published in journals such as Oncogene , Nucleic Acids Research , and Cell Death & Disease .
Eran Treister is an Assistant Professor at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev in the Department of Computer Science. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia (2014-2016) and earned his PhD from the Technion in 2014 under Prof. Irad Yavneh. His research spans computational science, numerical methods, and machine learning, with a focus on: Scalable algorithms for inverse problems Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) optimization Seismic and optical imaging via PDE solvers Low-precision deep learning acceleration Multilevel preconditioning techniques Recent work explores: Graph neural networks for PDEs with adaptive meshes Deep learning approaches to Helmholtz equation modeling 3D shape reconstruction via parametric level sets He serves on editorial boards: SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing (2024-) Copper Mountain Conference on Multigrid Methods (2025) International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) as Area Chair (2025) Current teaching: Optimization Methods for Data Science (Spring 2025) Deep Learning Mini-Project (Winter 2024/5) Advanced Numerical Optimization (Spring 2025)
Tomer Michaeli is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. His research focuses on interdisciplinary areas bridging computer vision, machine learning, and signal processing methodologies. Research Interests Computer Vision Machine Learning Image Processing Signal Processing
Dr. Tamar Avin-Wittenberg is a Group Leader in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her research focuses on plant cellular recycling mechanisms, particularly autophagy, and its role in metabolic adaptation during development and stress conditions. She investigates how plants manage energy resources by degrading cellular components to enhance resilience and yield potential. Education: BSc in Life Sciences (Ben-Gurion University, 2003), MSc in Immunology (Weizmann Institute, 2006), PhD in Plant Sciences (Weizmann Institute, 2012), and Postdoc in Plant Metabolism (Max Planck Institute, Germany, 2016). Research Interests: Autophagy's role in lipid metabolism, stress responses, seed development, and metabolic reprogramming. Her work bridges molecular mechanisms with whole-plant physiology, aiming to improve crop tolerance and yield through metabolic insights. Lab Members: Includes PhD/MSc students (Shahar Weiss, May Barani Maung, Yakov Zelzer, etc.) and research interns. Alumni include Dr. Sahar Magen (2020–2025). Publications Highlight: Over 30 peer-reviewed articles, including studies on autophagy-lipid interactions, seed development regulation, and metabolic adaptations under stress. Key work published in Plant Physiology , New Phytologist , and Autophagy .
Dr. Miri Adler is a Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a visiting scientist at Yale University's Tananbaum Center. Her research focuses on uncovering universal principles of tissue organization and function, particularly in health and disease, with an emphasis on fibrosis, cell-cell communication circuits, and systems-level analysis of complex biological networks. She leads a multidisciplinary team combining theoretical models, computational methods, and experimental data to study tissue repair, homeostasis, and pathological processes like fibrosis. Education: Ph.D. in Physics (Weizmann Institute, 2019), M.Sc. in Physics (Weizmann Institute, 2013), B.Sc. in Physics (Technion, 2010). Previous positions include postdoctoral fellowships at the Broad Institute (MIT/Harvard) and Weizmann Institute, and a visiting scientist role at Yale. Research interests span network hyper-motifs, division of labor in tissues, fibrosis mechanisms, and fold-change detection in biological systems. Key contributions include identifying fibrosis subtypes (‘cold’ and ‘hot’) and developing theoretical frameworks to predict therapeutic targets. Her work integrates concepts from mathematics, computer science, and physics with biology. Scientific awards include the Alon Fellowship (2024), EMBO Excellence in Life Sciences Fellowship (2020), and the Lee A. Segel Prize in Theoretical Biology (2017). The lab actively seeks students and researchers in computational biology, systems biology, and mathematical modeling. Advising: Supervises graduate and undergraduate students in projects related to tissue dynamics, network analysis, and fibrosis modeling. Collaborates with experimental labs to validate theoretical predictions in heart, lung, and liver tissues. Current team includes postdocs, M.Sc. students, and undergraduate researchers. Labs & Teams: The Adler Lab at Hebrew University focuses on multidisciplinary approaches to tissue biology, with a particular emphasis on fibrosis and systems-level tissue organization. Collaborations span institutions including Yale University and the Broad Institute.
Prof. Adi Mizrahi is a Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), leading the NeuroPlasticity Lab. His research focuses on neuronal plasticity in auditory and olfactory systems, parental neuroscience, and adult neurogenesis. He holds the Eric Roland Chair in Brain Sciences. Research Interests: Neuronal & Circuit Plasticity in Sensory Systems Auditory Learning & Perceptual Boundaries Social and Parental Behavior Neural Mechanisms Adult Neurogenesis Functional Role Olfactory Bulb Circuit Dynamics Key Findings: Discovered maternal behavior-driven plasticity in auditory cortex representations of pup vocalizations Elucidated odor categorization mechanisms in the olfactory bulb Showed learning-induced cortical map expansions in auditory cortex Awards & Honors: ERC Starting Grant (2007) Sir Zelman Cowen Universities Fund Prize (2009) Labs & Teams: Directs the NeuroPlasticity Lab, collaborating with multiple postdocs and students investigating auditory, olfactory, and parental neurobiology. Lab develops automated behavioral systems and advanced imaging techniques.
Prof. Yaakov Nahmias is a Professor and Managing Director at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Department of Genetics. His research focuses on bioengineering applications in metabolism, tissue engineering, and drug discovery. His lab develops organ-on-chip systems, sensors for toxicity studies, and cultivated meat technologies. Key projects include metabolic control of viral infections, kidney nephrotoxicity mechanisms, and cost-effective bioprocessing for cultured meat. Research Interests: Metabolic programming and nuclear receptor control Liver tissue engineering and HCV infection Organ-on-chip platforms for drug discovery Cultivated meat production and bioprocessing innovations Scientific Awards: AIMBE Fellow, ERC Consolidators Grant (2015), Rosetrees Trust Prize (2017), and Rappaport Prize (2014). Lab Members: Includes researchers like Mohammad Ghosheh and Aaron Cohen. Collaborations span Grass Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Dynamics.
Prof. Tommer Ravid is a Professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research focuses on protein quality control mechanisms, particularly the ubiquitin-proteasome system and degradation signals (degrons). He leads a lab investigating misfolded protein elimination, proteomic changes during aging, and membrane protein degradation. Current research directions include high-throughput degron analysis and systematic methods for studying cellular degradation pathways. Education: BSc in Biology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1991) MSc in Biochemistry, Tel Aviv University (1995) PhD in Clinical Biochemistry, Tel Aviv University (2001) Research Highlights: Prof. Ravid’s lab has pioneered methods to map degradation signals and characterize quality control pathways. Notable work includes the development of QCDPred, a computational tool predicting degrons, and studies on proteomic changes linked to aging. Recent publications explore degron exposure in misfolded proteins and their role in cellular homeostasis. Labs/Teams: Current lab members include M.Sc. student Leela Manohar Chinni and Ph.D. student Elisheva Gur. The lab collaborates on projects published in Nature Communications and Journal of Molecular Biology .
Prof. Alon Zaslaver is a Professor in the Department of Genetics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Life Sciences. He leads the Zaslab, an interdisciplinary Systems Biology lab combining molecular genetics, computational modeling, and neurobiology. His work focuses on understanding neural circuits and gene networks in C. elegans, particularly in learning/memory mechanisms and sensory processing. Research Interests: Computation in neural circuits with single-neuron resolution Plasticity in neural networks (aging, neurodegeneration) Epigenetic memory transmission across generations Evolutionary genomics of transcription networks Neuro-developmental disorders modeling Gut-brain axis signaling Awards & Grants: ERC Starting Grant 2013: 'Design Principles in Encoding Complex Noisy Environments' Farkas-Himsley 2016 Award for Young Researchers Lab Team: PhD students: Eddie Bokman (computational biology), Yuval Balshayi (physics-based modeling) MSc students: Neta Barlam (neurodevelopmental disorders), Omri Babay (memory mechanisms) Alumni: Dr. Rotem Ruach (data scientist at Prospera Technologies)
Yoram Margalioth is a Full Professor at Tel Aviv University Faculty of Law, where he teaches Taxation, Tax Policy (Public Finance), International Taxation, and Economic Growth and Distributive Justice. He pioneered Israel's first law MOOC on Coursera and has held visiting positions at NYU, Harvard, Toronto, and NUS. His academic leadership includes co-founding the Law and Philanthropy Institute (2014-2019) and the Microbusiness and Economic Justice Clinical Program. His educational background features a J.S.D. (1997) and LL.M. in Taxation (1995) from NYU School of Law, and an LL.B. (1991) and LL.M. Magna Cum Laude (1994) from Hebrew University School of Law. His doctoral thesis on U.S. tax code inflation adjustment was supervised by Daniel Shaviro. Margalioth's research integrates tax law with socioeconomic justice, focusing on Ultra-Orthodox communities, climate policy, and security studies. His work examines tax asymmetry in financial markets, welfare stigma, and charitable incentives, often bridging legal theory with empirical economics. He critically analyzes policy instruments like carbon taxes and per-capita taxation models while addressing cultural dimensions of economic behavior. His publication trajectory reveals deepening interdisciplinary engagement, shifting from pure tax technicalities toward macroeconomic justice and security policy. Recent works increasingly incorporate behavioral economics and cross-cultural analysis, particularly regarding Haredi society, while maintaining rigorous tax policy foundations. Climate change taxation and airport security profiling now feature prominently alongside traditional tax scholarship. American Law and Economics Association Prize for Best paper (for 'A Case for Pay Secrecy') As Academic Supervisor of the Microbusiness Clinical Program, Margalioth mentored students working with Ultra-Orthodox women in Bnei Brak. His World Bank consultancy (2003) and Harvard International Tax Program deputy directorship (2002-2003) demonstrate policy impact. Current research receives institutional support through TAU's Law and Philanthropy Institute framework. He co-founded and directed the Law and Philanthropy Institute (2014-2019), established the Microbusiness and Economic Justice Clinical Program (2004-2008), and served as Senior Fellow at The Haredi Institute for Public Affairs until 2021. These initiatives operationalize his research on economic inclusion, particularly for marginalized religious communities.
Prof. Alex Bronstein is a Professor at the Henry and Marilyn Taub Department of Computer Science, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, where he holds the Dan Broida Academic Chair and heads the VISTA Lab and the Center for Intelligent Systems. He concurrently serves as a Visiting Professor at the Austrian Institute of Science and Technology. His research spans computer vision, machine learning, computational geometry, signal processing, and bioinformatics, with a focus on geometric data analysis and AI applications in science. He has held significant industry roles including Principal Engineer at Intel Corporation, co-founding startups such as Invision (acquired by Intel), VideoCites, and Sibylla. His work bridges academia and industry, emphasizing practical applications of theoretical insights. Research interests include foundational AI models for molecular biology, robust machine learning systems, and interdisciplinary applications in healthcare and robotics. Notable projects include protein structure prediction using AlphaFold integration, adversarial robustness frameworks, and medical imaging innovations like T1-PILOT for MRI acceleration. He actively collaborates with global institutions, maintaining labs in Haifa, Vienna, and Sardinia. Recent publications highlight advancements in quantum computing simulations, wearable health monitoring systems, and AI-driven biomedical solutions. While no explicit awards are listed, his leadership roles and industry impact underscore significant contributions to computational science. He mentors graduate students in his VISTA Lab, focusing on cutting-edge projects in AI, computer vision, and computational chemistry.
Michael Elad is a Professor of Computer Science at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, where he has held a permanent faculty position since 2003. He also holds a courtesy appointment in the Technion's Electrical & Computer Engineering Department. Elad received his B.Sc. (1986), M.Sc. (1988) and D.Sc. (1997) in Electrical Engineering from the Technion, followed by a research associate position at Stanford University (2001-2003). His educational background includes: B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion (1986) M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion (1988), focusing on video compression algorithms under Prof. David Malah D.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion (1997), focusing on super-resolution algorithms for image sequences under Prof. Arie Feuer Michael Elad's research spans signal and image processing and machine learning, with specialization in inverse problems, sparse representations, deep learning, and generative models. He is particularly renowned for his work on sparse representations, having created the influential K-SVD algorithm together with Michal Aharon and Bruckstein. His 2010 book "Sparse and Redundant Representations: From Theory to Applications in Signal and Image Processing" is a leading publication in this field. Elad has also made significant contributions to diffusion models and generative AI, applying these concepts to solve complex problems in signal and image processing. His extensive publication record shows a clear evolution from foundational work on sparse representations to more recent applications in deep learning and generative models. While his early work focused on theoretical aspects of sparse coding and dictionary learning, his more recent publications demonstrate an integration of these concepts with modern deep learning techniques, particularly in the areas of image restoration, super-resolution, and generative modeling. Elad's scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous awards: Rothschild Prize in Engineering (2024) Member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities (2024) Weizmann Award for contributions in Sparse Modeling (2021) IEEE SPS Sustained Impact Paper Award (2018) IEEE SPS Best Paper Award (2018) IEEE SPS Technical Achievement Award (2018) Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM Fellow) (2018) IEEE Fellow (2012) ERC advanced grant (2013) Throughout his career, Elad has been actively involved in academic service and mentorship. He has served as an Associate Editor for several prestigious journals including IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, and Applied Computational Harmonic Analysis. From 2016 to 2021, he was the Editor-in-Chief for SIAM Imaging Sciences. He has advised numerous students, including Michal Aharon and Yaniv Romano. Elad also headed the Rothschild-Technion Program for Excellence from 2015 to 2018, an undergraduate program for exceptional students. Elad maintains an active research laboratory at the Technion focused on advancing the theory and applications of sparse representations, deep learning, and generative models in signal and image processing. His team continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in image restoration, super-resolution, and other inverse problems in imaging.
