Dr. David (Dudi) Deutsch
Principal investigator
David (Dudi) Deutsch received his B.Sc in electrical engineering from Tel-Aviv University in 2005. His M.Sc (direct path for outstanding students) was joint between Tel-Aviv university and the Weizmann Institute, focusing on electrostatic properties of adsorbed polar molecules. Following one year of travel in South America, he decided to move his scientific focus to understanding the mysteries of the brain. He joined the Neurobiology department at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he did his Ph.D. under the supervision of Prof. Ehud Ahissar and Prof. Elad Schneidman. He studied how brains are actively controlling the flow of information that they collect from their environment (‘active sensing’), using the rat whisker system as a model.
Transitioning to his post-doctoral studies, he switched to studying the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, taking advantage of the tractability of the system, and the available genetic tools. In 2014 he joined the Murthy lab at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute. He studied social communication in males and females, focusing on two major questions: (1) What are the shared and sexually dimorphic circuits for the processing of courtship song in the male and female brains, and (2) How do internal motivational states modulate social behavior. Dudi opens his lab in the Neurobiology department at the University of Haifa in 2022, where he will study the neural basis of social communication.
When not in the lab, Dudi loves being outdoors: hiking, running, diving, and skiing.
Dr. Orit David
Lab Manager
As a former undergraduate, M.Sc. and Ph.D. student (in the lab of Prof. Kobi Rosenblum) as well as lab manager at the University of Haifa Orit has a longstanding connection to the university. Throughout this time, she acquired comprehensive knowledge in many fields, including cell culture, biochemistry, pharmacology, in-vivo electrophysiology and various mice and behavioral models. Her main expertise is studying changes in cellular cascades and their effect on protein synthesis and behavior.
In the Deutsch lab her central goal is to reveal the link between gene expression, neural activity and behavior, using Drosophila as a model system.
In her free time, Orit enjoys swimming, reading and hanging out with friends.
Dr. Subhajit Jana
Postdoctoral student
Jana recently submitted his Ph.D. thesis in Drof. Rafi Lamprecht’s lab. Once approved, he will officially become a post-doctoral scholar in the lab.
During his Ph.D., Jana focused on unraveling the intricacies of gene expression in the hippocampus, particularly in the context of fear memory formation. Investigating the regulation by EPHB2 and deciphering the functions of their protein products were key aspects of his doctoral work.
Currently, Jana’s major focus is on revealing the circuits and computations of state-dependent multisensory integration. To this aim Jana is using two photon imaging, neural tracing (using the Drosophila connectome), neural perturbations (using optogenetics) and behavioral quantification.
Outside the academic realm, Jana finds joy in capturing moments through photography and indulging his passion for cooking.
Dr. Arpita Mondal
Postdoctoral student
Arpita started her academic journey with B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Mathematics from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, culminating in a Ph.D. in Mathematical Biology from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee in 2023. Specializing in mathematical modeling, her expertise involves translating real-world phenomena into mathematical frameworks, facilitating insights and predictions to deepen our understanding of complex systems.
Her research interests so far spans from modeling intermittent plankton distribution in aquatic environments, ecological dynamics influenced by natural phenomena in marine environments, neuro dynamics and mathematical modeling of tumor-immune system interactions, particularly focusing on treatment strategies.
Currently, Arpita is engaged in two projects: (1) investigating the social behavior of Drosophila, aiming to reveal the neural basis of dynamic, context-dependent social decisions, (2) revealing the neural basis of persistent internal states. Both projects involve experimental and mathematical aspects.
Beyond her research endeavors, Arpita is a practitioner of Indian classical music and Rabindra sangeet, adding a harmonious dimension to my multifaceted academic pursuits.
Ehud Sussman
PhD student
Ehud Sussman received an undergraduate degree in an applied mathematics and statistics from SUNY Stony Brook and a graduate degree in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from Cornell University.
He served as a mathematics teacher in New York State. The students he taught at the Bronx High School of Science inspired Ehud to pursue science in-depth. He completed his M.Sc. in Information Systems with an emphasis on Machine Learning at the University of Haifa. As an aspiring researcher with a quantitative background, Ehud plans to complement his research skills by preparing and performing experimental research in an experimental lab. In his PhD, Ehud applies tools from machine learning to quantify courtship behavior in Drosophila, using high-resolution video and audio recordings. He will apply these methods to reveal the neural basis of sex/mating-state-dependent sensorimotor transformations.
In addition to fluency in English and Hebrew, Ehud can converse in Hindi.
Maram Nijem Bishara
PhD student
Maram Nijem Bishara is a PhD student, a mother of two daughters, and a scientist with a strong background in clinical laboratories, management, and applied research. She holds a BSc in Medical Laboratory Sciences from Hadassah College in Jerusalem and an MSc in Health Promotion from the University of Haifa.
As part of her master’s thesis, she investigated the association between fatalistic perceptions and the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products in the Arab population, integrating perspectives from public health, culture, and health-related behavior.
In recent years, Maram worked as a Regional Laboratory Manager at Maccabi Healthcare Services in the Afula–Beit She’an district, where she was responsible for managing six clinical laboratories in accordance with Ministry of Health regulations and ISO quality standards. In this role, she gained extensive experience in team leadership, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and bridging research with clinical practice.
Outside the academic setting, Maram values balance between research and personal life. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, staying physically active, and—most importantly—enjoying a good cup of coffee.
Amit Gross
MSc student
Upon graduating from the Biology and Psychology B.Sc. program at Haifa University in 2018, Amit worked at the Weizmann institution and the Technion, participating in various STEM research projects while studying computer science and mathematics at the Open University. He is particularly interested in implementing & developing computational techniques for a better understanding of neural systems’ connectivity, functions, and behavior.
Currently, Amit is persuading his M.sc. under the neurobiology-bio informatics program.
In his research, he explores how diversities in the drosophila connectomics (such as synaptic types and neural architectures) are related to information flow and computation across the brain.
Besides science, you might find Amit having fun with friends and family, playing music, or just relaxing in front of a tv show or a movie.
Hatem Adawi
MSc student
Hatem is from the village of Tur’an, located in the beautiful Galilee region. Hatem completed his master’s degree in mathematics at the University of Haifa in 2021, specializing in graph theory. Afterwards, Hatem moved to the Department of Computer Science, where he is currently pursuing a second master’s degree.
In his free time, he enjoy hiking with his family and doing sports.
Hanan Yassin
BSc student
Hanan is a BSc student in Biology and Medical Sciences at the University of Haifa, with a strong interest in neurobiology. She is currently working on her graduation project on sexual maturation in Drosophila, focusing on understanding factors that influence reproductive development.
Outside the lab, Hanan likes to play guitar and enjoys exploring music.
Majd Farah
BSc student
Majd is in his final year of a BSc in Computer Science at the University of Haifa. Throughout his studies, he gained experience in various areas of computer science, including machine learning, deep learning, image processing, and computer vision. His strong interest in the natural sciences led him to explore interdisciplinary fields such as computational genomics and neuroscience.In his research, Majd focuses on analyzing structural features within the Drosophila connectome, focusing on synaptic connectivity. He leverages computational tools—ranging from machine learning and statistical analysis to algorithm design—to uncover patterns in neural organization.Beyond his academic interests, Majd enjoys hiking, birding, diving, and a variety of sports.
Ayala Diamant
BA student
Ayala is a B.A. student in Cognitive Science and Psychology at the University of Haifa. She is currently working on her BA graduation project, focusing on active sensing in Drosophila antennae during courtship. Her primary research interests include sensory processing, particularly how the brain differentiates between pain and pleasure, interprets stimulus intensity, and represents sensory experiences during mating. In her free time, Ayala practices ballet and vocal training and works as a Pilates instructor.
Past lab members:
Seba Awidat
Zehava Rozental