New research grants for young scientists


First Year

1. Irit Akirav
Psychology
Haifa University
Stress effects on extinction and reacquisition of inhibitory avoidance: possible involvement of cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the amygdala-hippocampal-accumbens pathway.

2. Ron Amir
Cell and Animal Biology
Hebrew University
The role of the sodium channel Nav 1.3 in the mechanism of chronic neuropathic pain.

3. Yaniv Assaf
Neurobiochemistry
Tel Aviv University
Can imaging be used as a biomarker of cognitive decline?

4. Ohad Ben-Shahar
Neuroscience
Ben Gurion University
Perceptual singularities without feature contrast implications to covert and over attention.

5. Claude Brodski
Health Sciences
Ben Gurion University
Methylphenidate (Ritalin) treatment : Pharmacological mode of action and consequences for brain development.

6. Rena Cooper-Kazaz
Psychiatry
Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center
Augmentation of the antidepressant action of sertraline with triiodothyronine (T3) and reboxetine:Clinical efficacy, adverse effects and predictors of response.

7. Ruth Defrin & Karni Ginzburg
Faculty of Medicine & School for Social Work
Tel Aviv University
Chronic pain and reactivity to painful stimuli among combat-related PTSD patients.

8. Daniel Gitler
Health Sciences
Ben Gurion University
Determination of the molecular and cellular basis of eipleptogenesis induced by synapsin loss of function.

9. David Gurwitz
Sackler Faculty of Medicine
Tel Aviv University
Transcriptional and functional regulation of the serotonin transporter in human lymphoblasts by estradiol and SSRI drugs.

10. Raphael Lamprecht
Neurobiology
University of Haifa
Molecular chaperone in memory formation.

11. Yonatan Loewenstein
Neurobiology
Hebrew University
The computational principles and neural mechanism underlying contraction bias.

12. Mouna Maroun
Neurobiology
University of Haifa
Effects of stress on plasticity in the hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex circuit.

13. Marina Pavlovskaya
Neurophysiology
Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital
Hemispheric and cross-dimensional transfer of perceptual learning effects under easy and hard conditions.

14. Ronit Pinkas-Kramarski
Neurobiochemistry
Tel Aviv University
Autophagy inducing drug, as a novel treatment for brain injury.

15. Uri Polat
Faculty of Medicine
Tel Aviv University
Probing levels of deficient visual information processing.

16. Hamutal Slovin
Brain research
Bar Ilan University
Real-time imaging of saccadic suppression in the visual cortex.

17. Michael Wagner
Industiral Engineering & Psychology
College of Judea and Samaria
Virtual depth instatic and dynamic displays : Physiological versus cognitive factors of depth perception and vergence control.

Second Year

1. Dr. Orna Almog
Clinical Biopharmacology
Ben Gurion University
A structural study of the interaction of calbindin D28d with the lithium  inhibited enzyme IMPase.

2. Dr. Yair Bar Haim
Psychology
Tel Aviv University
Neural correlates of threat processing in anxiety.

3. Dr. Dorit Ben-Shalom
Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience
Ben Gurion University
Superior and not so superior visual search in autism.

4. Dr. Alon Chen
Neurobiology
Weizmann Institute
The roles of central corticotrophin releasing factor receptors in mediatingstress-related neuroendocrine and behavioral responses.

5. Dr. Yael Chertkow-Deutsher
Psychobiology-psychiatry
Rambam Medical Center and The Technion
Epigenetic factors in the vulnerability to PTSD ; The role of DNA methylation.

6. Dr. Doron Gothelf
Clinical Psychiatry
Schneider Hospital for Children
Genetic and cognitive endophenotypes and neuropsychiatric risk factors for the development of psychosis in velocardiofacial syndrome(22qll.2 deletion syndrome).

7. Dr. Amir Karniel
Biomedical Engineering
Ben Gurion University
Motor memory does it address the past or the future?

8. Dr. Noga Kronfeld-Schor
Zoology
Tel Aviv University
Modulating affective responses by changing photoperiod in fat sand rats:  possible mechanisms and insights into seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

9. Dr. Gil Levkowitz
Molecular Biology
Weizmann Institute
Zebra-fish as a vertebrate model to investigate developmental dysfunctions of dopaminergic pathways.

10. Dr. Jeannette Schaeffer
Linguistics
Ben Gurion University
Grammatical and pragmatic properties of DPs in the language of Hebrew speaking children with grammatical specific language impairment.

Extended Grant in subjects of Memory, Basic and Clinical Psychobiology

First Year

1. Edi Barkai, David Golomb and Israel Sekler
Depts. of Biology & Neurobiology
University of Haifa and Ben Gurion University
Learning-induced modifications in inhibitory synaptic transmission:
Mechanisms and functional significance.

2. Hagit Cohen
Anxiety and Stress Research Unit
Ben-Gurion University
An assessment of the differential effects of stress hormones and noradrenergic manipulation on traumatic memory consolidation and reconsolidation as reflected in behavioral stress responses.

3. Reuven Stein
Life Sciences Faculty
Tel Aviv University
Molecular characterization of the neuropathology and cognitive deficits in the model of neurofibromatosis type 1 and evaluation of potential treatments.

Second Year

1. Dr. Anat Barnea
The Open University
Neurobiological aspects of migratory behavior in birds:
A neuroethological study, comparing migrant and resident species in Israel.

2. Prof. Ehud Zohary
Neurobiology
Hebrew University
Cortical plasticity in the adult human (visual/motor) cortex following
Damage to the peripheral organ (retina/limb).