Research Overview
My research focuses on understanding how lifestyle factors — such as diet, exercise, smoking, and pharmaceutical intake — influence the
epigenome, the "control panel" of our genes. Epigenetic changes affect gene expression and can have important influence on
disease susceptibility and
aging.
Age is one of the most significant risk factors for chronic and often terminal diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders. The risk of disease and mortality increases exponentially with age, a pattern that cannot be explained by simple "wear and tear." The computational research in the lab addresses critical questions such as:
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Why does disease risk increase so dramatically with age?
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Is this process (epi) genetically programmed?
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Can it be prevented or mitigated?
Image: Yosef Adest
To tackle these questions, we explore the epigenetic determinants of aging by examining
DNA methylation alterations that occur over time. By understanding these biological mechanisms, we aim to identify gene regulators that impact
age-related disease
risk and potentially affect
the biological aging clock.
Research Interests
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Epigenetic regulation of biological aging
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Immune modulation of Alzheimer's and dementia
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Epigenetic health during pregnancy
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Epigenetic clocks and disease susceptibility
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Machine learning applications in public health
Image: Daniel Goldfarb
My Background
I come with diverse background in cognitive neuroscience, medical sciences, and computational biology. I earned my first Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Tel Aviv University under the guidance of Prof. Daniel Algom, where I developed a strong foundation in statistical analysis and experimental design. I pursued a second Ph.D. in Medical Sciences, focusing on computational epigenetics and aging under the guidance of Prof. Gideon Rechavi and Prof. Haim Cohen. During my postdoctoral work at Yale University I worked with Prof. Laurie Santos, Prof. Steve Chang, and Prof. Ran Hassin, while further completing machine learning and data science training at MIT to expand my research skillset. This multidisciplinary training enables me to approach complex health-related questions with emphasis on Big Data.
Opportunities in My Lab
I welcome students and research assistants with a computational orientation who are interested in epigenetics, aging, and data science. If you are excited about these topics and want to contribute to cutting-edge research, please feel free to contact me.
