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