Laboratory of Dr. Naomi Habib, Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), HUJI.

Anael Cain is a PhD student in the lab of Prof. Naomi Habib at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she also completed her Master's in computer science and computational biology. She combines advanced data science with genetics to shed light on Alzheimer's disease and the biology of aging. In her first project, Anael built a "cell atlas" of the aging brain, revealing how different cell types change in Alzheimer's and how they communicate in both health and disease. This groundbreaking work was published in the prestigious journals Nature and Nature Neuroscience. Her current research expands this view beyond the brain to ask whether similar cellular changes occur in other tissues such as the spinal cord and muscle. Early findings suggest that Alzheimer's is not confined to the brain but part of a broader, body-wide process. By uncovering these systemic connections, Anael's work opens new possibilities for earlier diagnosis and lays the foundation for more effective strategies to combat neurodegenerative disease.

Laboratory of Dr. Prof. Mor Nitzan, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Racah Institute of Physics, and the Faculty of Medicine, HUJI.

Ms. Serafima (Sima) Dubnov earned her B.Sc. in Psychobiology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2019 and immediately entered a direct Ph.D. track in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience at ELSC. She is conducting her doctoral research under the joint supervision of Prof. Mor Nitzan and Prof. Hermona Soreq, combining computational modeling with experimental validation to study brain transcriptomics in aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Her work focuses on developing novel tools to better understand RNA regulation in the aging brain at the single-cell level. Her research has so far been summarized in five publications in leading journals in the life sciences.

Alongside her research, Ms. Dubnov has served as a teaching assistant for graduate neurobiology courses and plays an active role in ELSC’s outreach programs, engaging with high school students, teachers, and the broader community. She also initiated a student seminar on scientific failure, creating a supportive forum for young researchers to share challenges and foster resilience.

Laboratory of Dr. Ehud Cohen, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, IMRIC, Faculty of Medicine, HUJI.

Mr. Adam Zaretsky earned his B.Sc. in Life Sciences (summa cum laude, 2020) and his MSc. in Molecular Biology (magna cum laude, 2022) at Ben-Gurion University, where he studied the role of the SIRT6 protein in regulating neuronal resilience. He is now an MD/PhD student in the prestigious “Marom” program at the Faculty of Medicine, which integrates medical studies with advanced research. He conducts his research in the laboratory of Prof. Ehud Cohen, focusing on how metabolic changes influence the brain’s ability to maintain healthy proteins with age. His goal is to uncover protective mechanisms against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Mr. Zaretsky is the first author of a study published in Cell Death & Disease and a co-author of additional publications in Nature Cell Biology, Aging Cell, and Cell Reports.

Laboratory of Prof. Shahar Arzy, Department of Medical Neurobiology, IMRIC, Faculty of Medicine, HUJI.

Lidor Gazit is a direct-track Ph.D. student, supervised by Prof. Shahar Arzy in the Computational Neuropsychiatry Lab. She graduated with distinction in both her B.Sc. and M.Sc., appearing twice on the Dean’s List. Her research focuses on early detection and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, leading the development of Shomerosh, a digital tool that identifies early signs of cognitive decline and provides personalized prevention strategies. The app has reached thousands of users in Israel, is expanding internationally, was featured on Channel 12 News, and was a finalist in the Roche Alzheimer’s Innovation Challenge. In addition, her studies on medical risk factors and neuroimaging in Alzheimer’s have been published in leading journals, including the Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease and Human Brain Mapping. Alongside her research, Ms. Gazit teaches Neuroanatomy, mentors students in the Alpha program, and leverages her experience in Unit 8200 and the tech industry to integrate neuroscience, data science, and digital health.