תחילת דף אינטרנט, לחץ אנטר כדי לעבור לאזור תוכן מרכזי

Senior Lecturer Michal Kafri (PhD)

mkafri@univ.haifa.ac.il

Phone: 972586862261

Office: Eshkol Tower, 917

Physical Therapy

Research areas:

- Motor learning in healthy individuals and in those with brain damage

- Stroke rehabilitation

- Health behaviors of people with neurological conditions

My primary area of research is motor learning in healthy individuals and in individuals with neurological impairments, in particular lesions to the CNS. The approach I use is multifaceted, considering different aspects of motor behavior and integrating a wide range of assessment tools and methods to elucidate the mechanisms underlying changes in motor behavior.

As a lecturer in the area of neurological rehabilitation and due to my involvement in the clinical field, I strongly believe in the need to develop tools that will facilitate the translation of knowledge about motor learning and neural plasticity to the actual, daily practice of physical therapists. With this in mind, I lead students through knowledge translation research projects aimed at transferring knowledge into practice in neurologic physical therapy.

My research also focuses on health behaviors among people with stroke or Parkinson's disease. In this context, I am interested in mapping health behaviors and specifically healthcare use along the continuum of these conditions, and in revealing the association between the various patterns of healthcare use and health and well-being outcomes.

 

Undergraduate and Graduate Studies

1994: Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy (BPT); Department of Physical Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

2001: Master of Science (MSc); Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

2008: Philosophy Doctor (PhD); Department of Medical Sciences, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

2013: Post-doctoral studies; Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences, Rutgers, Newark, NJ, USA

A selection of current research projects:

- The effect of contextual interference during practice of upper extremity skill on engagement in treatment in people post-stroke.

- Long-term effect of reward-based learning of vertical jump landing.

- The effect of acute high-intensity exercise on learning of viso-motor task in able-bodied adults

- Self-Management Behaviors in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Socioecological Perspective

- Living with stroke - Sustainable utilization of healthcare services