The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC)

Faculty of Medicine Researcher Wins ERC Grant

Dr. Anat Arzi, from the Department of Medical Neurobiology and the Program in Cognitive and Brain Sciences at the Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, heads the Natural and Pathological (un)Consciousness Laboratory. She has been awarded an ERC grant of €1.7 million for her research on the dynamics of brain responsiveness across different states of consciousness, from everyday sleep to severe brain injuries.

Her study investigates how environmental stimuli, such as the smell of smoke signaling a fire, may influence an unconscious brain, and how traces of responsiveness can be detected in patients who are unresponsive. The goal of the research is to identify the local brain rhythms associated with momentary responsiveness, thereby advancing our understanding of unconscious information processing mechanisms and their clinical implications