People
PI
Gal Raz
I 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 Mishal
Tsur 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 Ovadia
I 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 Zuckerman
Maya 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 Partouche
Roni 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 Sion
Romi 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 Shoham
Na'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.
Project Manager
Einat Vissozki
Einat 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 Haft
A 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 Gefen
Iddo 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 Raz
A 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 Davidovitch
Shiri 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 Koryto
Yuval 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 Stieglitz
With 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.