People
PI
Gal RazI am a Senior Lecturer at the Steve Tisch School of Film and Television and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, and a researcher at the Sagol Institute for Brain Functions, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. My academic background includes Bachelor's degrees in Film and Television and Biology, a Master degree in Culture Research (under the supervision of Prof. Eva Jablonka and Dr. Snait Gissis), and Ph.D. at the Graduate School of Medicine (supervised by Prof. Talma Hendler) – all from Tel-Aviv University. I continued to a postdoctoral fellowship at Prof. Rainer Goebel's lab in the faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University. My fields of research include brain network dynamics, neuroscience of empathy, cinematic empathy, the neuoroaesthetics of motion pictures, audiovisual brain computer interfaces, and virtual and augmented reality.
Curriculum Vitae
Students
PhD Student
Tsur MishalTsur is a PhD student at the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, under the joint supervision of Dr. Gal Raz, Prof. Nurit Carmi, and Dr. Maya Negev. Tsur received his MA in Communication and Environmental studies at Tel Aviv University. He participated in former Vice President Al Gore’s Climate leadership workshop, and in UNFCCC conventions. He also founded the “Israeli Climate Conference”.
In his Doctoral project, Tsur is interested in exploring the influence of an immersive virtual reality simulation of the local effects of climate change on psychological distance towards climate change. Tsur's research aims to understand whether this method can be effective in changing attitudes and behaviors related to climate change.
PhD Student
Moran OvadiaI am a PhD student in cinema studies under the supervision of Dr. Orly Lubin and Dr. Gal Raz and a lecturer at the Steve Tisch School of Film and Television - Tel Aviv University. My academic background includes a BFA with honors from the Department of Art at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, and an MA with honors from the Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, under the supervision of Professor Judd Ne'eman and Dr. Gal Raz. My research focuses on sexual pleasure as part of the spectatorial experience in cinematic representations of rape, using neuro-aesthetic research tools.
PhD Student
Maya ZuckermanMaya is a PhD student focused on designing multimodal learning environments for intuitive mathematical and scientific knowledge development. She holds a BA in musicology and cognitive sciences, a MBA and a MA in cognitive sciences and is an avid philanthropist with real life experience as a volunteer and manager in a humanitarian aid NGO. In the past Maya co-founded and managed a startup company which uses web-based analytics to optimize digital marketing campaigns, and developed global scientific training platforms for an international oncology company. Alongside her research she is the COO of Israeli Flying Aid (IFA) a NGO providing lifesaving aid to communities worldwide.
MA Student
Roni PartoucheRoni is a Neuroscience M.Sc. student at Tel Aviv University. Her B.A. was in Psychology from Reichman University, with an emphasis on cognitive neuroscience. Her thesis work is part of the VR-CIMT project, relating to the effects of embodied rewards on motor rehabilitation.
MA Student
Romi SionRomi is a Cognitive Neuroscience M.Sc. student at Tel Aviv University. Her B.Sc. was in Psychology and Biology with an emphasis on Neuroscience from Tel Aviv University. Her thesis is part of the VR-CIMT project. She was also a research assistant for the XTics project, and for the PoV project.
MA Student
Na'ama ShohamNa'ama is a speech-language pathologist and a filmmaker. She obtained a B.F.A. in Film and Television and a B.A in Communication Disorders - both from Tel-Aviv University. Her M.A research is focused on the impact of a specific cinematic convention - 'Point of View' - on empathy-related processes. Her research and clinical work aim to transform diagnostic methods and intervention programs for neurodiverse children by using audiovisual inputs.
Staff
Project Manager
Einat VissozkiEinat received her B.Sc. in Psychology and Biology with an emphasis on Neuroscience from Tel Aviv University. Her academic interests are neurorehabilitation and technology based interventions. Einat is the project manager in various projects in the lab as well as in the Rehabilitation Center at the Tel Aviv Medical Center (Ichilov) with Dr. Alexis Mittelpunkt. She was also a research assistant in the XTics project.
XR Lab Technical Director
Assaf HaftA passionate gamer at heart, I am deeply involved in all aspects of gaming. As a technical artist specializing in Unity development, my journey has led me to work on several innovative virtual reality projects. Beyond VR development, I embrace my love for technology through HaftTech, my own venture where I engage in contract Unity development and provide comprehensive computer technical services and general consultation. My expertise as a Unity developer, computer technician and gaming reflect my all-encompassing enthusiasm for technology and the entertainment industry.
Alumni
MA Student
Iddo GefenIddo is an M.A. student in cognition and the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Program at Tel Aviv University, and a Writer. His main interests are narrative recherch, neuroscience, Parkinson's disease and how the human brain understands stories. His thesis work deals with an innovative way, to diagnose aspects of Parkinson's disease using storytelling and augmented reality. Email.
MA Student
Elad RazA student in the honors program at the Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, Tel-Aviv University. Interested in the interrelation between film and media aesthetics, philosophy and psychology. My M.A thesis examines the form of contemporary television comedies and its distinctive affective appeals.
Research Staff
Shiri DavidovitchShiri Davidovitch received her B.A. in Psychology and Humanities from Tel Aviv University. Her academic interests include the psychotherapeutic potential of film and media-based Interventions for psychopathologies and movement disorders.
She is a research assistant for the XTics project, which examines the clinical efficiency of a gamified enhancer of non-pharmacological interventions in tic disorders, and for the PoV project, which probes the relationship between the cinematic point-of-view (PoV) and empathy-related emotional and cognitive processes.
Research Staff
Yuval KorytoYuval is an M.A. student in Clinical Rehabilitation Neuropsychology at the Hebrew University. She received her B.Sc in Biology and Psychology from Tel Aviv University. Her main academic interest revolves around psychopathology, neuropsychological and neurodevelopment disorders and the use of media as a therapeutic tool. Yuval is a research assistant in the XTics project.
XR Lab Technical Director
Shanti StieglitzWith MFA in Digital Media from the Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, Tel-Aviv University, Shanti is a VR enthusiast and developer with a passion for new technologies and innovative ways to create art and entertainment.