Mobility in the
Technological Era
People
Head of Lab
I am a senior lecturer at the Department of Physical Therapy and a researcher at the Department of Pediatric Rehabilitation The Edmond & Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer.
I have a BSc in Computer Science, a master’s degree in Physical therapy, and did my PhD in Rehabilitation Science (McGill University) with Prof. Mindy Levin. My post-doctoral research at the Department of Occupational Therapy (University of Haifa) dealt with the effects of age on the ability to perform dual-task walking using a functional task (texting).
My research deals with the interaction between movement, cognition and technology. I am interested in the effects of personal and environmental constraints on the ability of people to perform daily motor functions such as walking, and in the ability of technological solutions to modify this ability. In addition, I deal with the effects of neurological damage (TBI, stroke) on function across the life span.
Current students
Moshe Aharoni (PhD student)
I am Moshe Aharoni, a certified physical therapist. My practice and interests are vestibular diagnosis and rehabilitation, virtual reality, psychosomatic treatment and cognitive-behavioural therapy. My masters research assessed head kinematics, anxiety and function in people with persistent dizziness symptoms, while performing a dynamic balance task under altered visual stimuli. My PhD project evaluates motor learning in people with and without ADHD.
Inbar Breuer (MSc student)
I am a pediatric occupational therapist working at the inpatient wards and intensive care units at Edmond & Lily Safra Children’s Hospital at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center. Currently studying for a master’s degreeinPublic Health in the field of Biostatistics (University of Haifa). My research deals with body scheme in children with Cerebral Palsy, and involves sensitivity analysis of the Hand Laterality Test.
Aya Gharra (MScPT student)
I am a physiotherapist who graduated from Tel Aviv University since 2014. currently studying for a master’s degree in a Department of Physical Therapy at University of Haifa. I work in a rehabilitation daycare center with children on the autism spectrum in Haifa. My research aims to evaluate the effect of emotional content of text messages while walking on task performance (texting, walking) among young adults.
Omry Yogev (MScPT student)
My name is Omry Yogev, a certified physiotherapist from the University of Haifa since 2016. I have worked in the neurological and orthopedic rehabilitation department at the Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya for two years. Since 2019, I have been specializing in working with the elderly at the "Galilee Home and Elderly Day Center" at Tel Hai College, and I also work in a private clinic.
My research focuses on the Hebrew validation of the Gait-Specific Attentional Profile questionnaire, developed by Dr. William Young and his colleagues, and understanding the emotional and attentional factors influencing the fear of falling and walking measures among old people.
Tuval Ginsburg-Shay (MScPT student)
I am a physical therapist specializing in pediatric development. My work at the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya and a community child development center in Meron focuses on normal childhood development as well as special needs children and their families. I received a bachelor's degree in 2013 and am currently pursuing a master's degree at Haifa University. My research examines the relationship, in teenagers, between motor learning and emotional feedback in a virtual reality environment by applying, for the first time, a psychological-social model.
Rotem Katz (MScPT student)
I'm a physiotherapist since 2013. I graduated my bachelor's degree from Tel Aviv university and about to complete my master's degree from Haifa university. I worked for many years in the rehabilitation center in Sheba hospital, and in the last few years I've been working in a private clinic with neurological and orthopaedic patients. My research is assessing sit to stand performance in people with stroke while performing in real environment compared to virtual environments including an elevated environment which may effect perception and challenge motor control.
Gili Shwartz (MScPT student)
I am a physical therapist and a 2017 graduate of Haifa University, currently pursuing my master's degree. My professional experience includes working in children's rehabilitation at ALYN Hospital and my current role at Maccabi Healthcare, where I focus on orthopedic and vestibular rehabilitation. My research investigates the kinematic differences in sit-to-stand movements among older adults in real, virtual, and challenging virtual environments.
Past students
Ibrahim Azzam (MScPT)
I graduated from The Physiotherapy Department at Tel Aviv University. Since then, I had worked in Reout Rehabilitation Center for two years and for the past nine years I have been working with orthopedic patients in AposTherapy center at the Emek Hospital. My research aims to investigate the effect of Total Knee Replacement on dual-task walking performance among older adults, In order to be able to understand rehabilitation more comprehensively for the elderly and address falls that may occur after the surgery.
Rawda Madi (MScPT)
I am a physical therapist with 19 years of clinical experience. My expertise is vestibular rehabilitation. My project involved investigating the feasibility of measurement of prefrontal cortex brain activation during walking.