Research Team
Meet the brilliant minds driving our research forward
Head of the Lab
Prof. Inbar Levkovich
Full Professor & Vice Dean for Research Affairs
Head of the Lab
Prof. Inbar Levkovich is the Vice Dean for Research Affairs at the Faculty of Education and the head of the Human-AI-Affect Lab. She completed her PhD in Health Sciences at the University of Haifa, followed by postdoctoral research at the School of Social Work, Bar-Ilan University, supported by the Israel National Institute for Health Policy. Prof. Levkovich previously led the research unit within the Division of Family Medicine at the Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence, information behavior, and mental health, with a particular emphasis on developing AI-driven tools that promote emotional insight and psychological well-being.
Lab Affiliates
Dr. Lilach Alon
Senior Lecturer
Lab Affiliates
Dr. Lilach Alon is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Tel Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee. Her work sits at the intersection of information behavior, technology, and learning, with a focus on how people seek, manage, and make sense of information in times of change. She designs mixed-methods studies and practical interventions, such as AI-supported professional development for STEM teachers and evidence-based guidelines for public-sector AI adoption. Across projects, Lilach integrates affective perspectives (emotions, stress, and coping) with user-centered design to create scalable, human-centred innovations for education and public services.
Dr. Dorit Hadar Shoval
Senior Lecturer, Psychology Department, Tel Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee
Lab Affiliates
Dr. Dorit Hadar Shoval is a senior lecturer in the Psychology Department at Tel Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee. Her research focuses on the intersection of generative artificial intelligence, psychology, and mental health. She investigates the psychological capabilities of large language models, such as their ability to identify and understand emotions, and the ethical implications of their integration into therapeutic settings. Her work includes critical social research on how mental health issues are reflected within artificial intelligence systems and the consequences for integrating these systems in mental health. She also examines the psychological characteristics of people who seek emotional support from AI systems and explores the potential of AI to support people with cognitive and mental disabilities.
Researchers
Dr. Tal Eitan
Senior Lecturer
Lab Affiliates
Dr. Tal Eitan is an interdisciplinary researcher specializing in the psycho-sociology of technology. Utilizing mixed-methods research, his work explores the intricate intersection of human behavior, social structures, and digital environments, with a focus on how technology shapes contemporary culture and individual well-being. Dr. Eitan earned his PhD from the Department of Information Science and AI Applications at Bar-Ilan University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Sociology at the same institution. He also holds a Master's degree in Culture Research from Tel Aviv University and an additional Master's in Information Science. Alongside his research, he is a lecturer and strategic consultant, helping organizations navigate the cultural and human challenges of a tech-driven world.
Dr. Yasmin Felberbaum-Koren
Lab Affiliates
Dr. Yasmin Felberbaum-Koren is a Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) researcher studying how interactive technologies can support health, learning, and well-being. Her research focuses on designing systems that help people understand their behaviors, learn from their data, and make informed decisions about their health. She received her B.A. (2010) and M.A. (2016) in Information Systems from the University of Haifa and completed her PhD in Information Systems in collaboration with the Department of Occupational Therapy. She was a visiting researcher at the Health Equity Action Research and Technology Solutions (HEARTS) Lab at Stanford University School of Medicine. Yasmin completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Ben-Gurion University and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Computer Science at Cornell Tech and at the Department of Education in Science and Technology at the Technion.
Dr. Shai Goldfarb Cohen
Lab Affiliates
Dr. Shai Goldfarb Cohen completed her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, followed by postdoctoral research at the School of Education and Ben-Gurion University and at the Department of Learning and Instructional Sciences at the University of Haifa. Her research lies at the intersection of the learning sciences, educational technology, and digital information literacy, focusing on how learners engage with complex texts and information in digitally mediated environments. Her work examines emerging technologies, particularly generative AI, that shape collaborative learning, knowledge construction, and the critical evaluation of online and AI-generated content. Using design-based and mixed-methods approaches, her research aims to bridge theory and practice by advancing critical thinking and informed engagement in today's digital information landscape.
Dr. Adela Peleg
Lab Affiliates
Dr. Adela Peleg is a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer specializing in early childhood education and the integration of educational technologies into learning environments. Her research focuses on how traditional and advanced technologies reshape pedagogical design, teacher–child interactions, and children's agency in early educational settings. Her doctoral work examined the introduction of makerspaces in kindergarten classrooms, exploring their impact on children's creativity, self-efficacy, leadership, and gender dynamics. Building on this foundation, her current research investigates the use of AI-mediated and avatar-based simulations to promote restorative justice practices, emotional regulation, and social-emotional learning in early childhood. Dr. Peleg's work integrates sociocultural theory, scaffolding, and design-based approaches to examine how digital tools function as mediational means in value-oriented and relational education. She is particularly interested in how AI can support teachers in fostering belonging, community repair, and reflective dialogue in kindergarten classrooms. Her broader research agenda connects maker pedagogy, restorative justice, digital simulations, and professional development, with the aim of developing empirically grounded frameworks for innovative and emotionally responsive learning environments.
Dr. Nufar Grinblat
Postdoctoral Researcher
Researchers
Dr. Nufar Grinblat is a post-doctoral researcher at The Human–AI–Affect Lab at Tel Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee, under the supervision of Prof. Inbar Levkovich and Dr. Lilach Alon. Her research lies at the intersection of occupational performance and participation in meaningful occupations, Executive Functions (EF), and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD) across the lifespan. She holds a Ph.D. in Occupational Therapy from the University of Haifa (2023). During her doctoral studies, Dr. Grinblat formulated and evaluated the efficacy of Work-MAP (Metacognitive self-tailored telehealth for enhancement of adults with ADHD Work Performance), an innovative metacognitive tele-intervention. Her current research focuses on the integration of Generative AI (GenAI) as a sophisticated "scaffolding" mechanism in educational and therapeutic encounters.
Tali Malinoff Nathan
Lab Affiliates
Tali Malinoff is a researcher and lecturer specializing in public policy, local governance, and organizational innovation. Her research examines how people, information, and emerging technologies interact to shape decision-making, public policy, and organizational responses under conditions of uncertainty. She is currently completing her PhD in the Department of Management and Public Policy at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Her doctoral research examines how new municipal policy develops through the case of healthy lifestyle promotion in local governments. Alongside her doctoral research, she investigates information practices, human-AI interaction, and decision-making in organizational and crisis contexts, with the goal of advancing well-being and resilience.
Dr. Liat Ariel
Postdoctoral Researcher
Researchers
Dr. Liat Ariel recently completed her PhD in Philosophy of Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her doctoral research examines the challenges that the post-truth condition poses to democracy and citizenship education. Her work investigates the role of digitally mediated environments in shaping young people's evaluation of knowledge and the attribution of epistemic authority, with particular attention to the role of affect in the formation of truth. She also develops pedagogical approaches to foster democratic dialogue under post-truth conditions. In her postdoctoral research, Ariel investigates the role of affective amplification and AI-mediated cues in shaping young people's credibility judgments in digital information environments. Her research focuses on how emotionally charged content and algorithmic signals influence the attribution of epistemic authority to experiential versus institutional sources of knowledge, and how these dynamics reshape the ways young people evaluate truth.
PhD Students
Edit Amira Solomon
Ph.D., School of Social Work, Ariel University. Supervised by Prof. Y. Hamama-Raz and Prof. I. Levkovich.
PhD Student
Edit Amira Solomon | Clinical social worker (MSW) and Psychotherapist Expert in Loss, Bereavement and Trauma | PhD student in Social Work | Col. (Res.) Edit Amira Solomon is a clinical social worker (MSW) and psychotherapist. Expertise in the treatment of bereavement and trauma. A Ph.D student, School of Social Work, Ariel University, Supervised by Prof. Y. Hamama-Raz and Prof. I. Levkovich. Her research focuses on the adult orphan population of the defense establishment in Israel. It examines the contribution of a variety of emotional and social factors to the adjustment processes regarding loss, ongoing grief, post-traumatic growth and quality of life. Presently, she combines therapy, research, training, and knowledge development, as well as lectures and leads psychotherapy programs in academic institutions and in the public service. In the past, she served as the head of the IDF’s Casualty Unit [2022, Col. (Res.)]. A role in which she led systemic policy changes, developed accompaniment processes for bereaved families, injured and traumatized victims. Moreover, for professionals in this field, she initiated and established dedicated training programs.
Amiti Marcos
Ph.D., School of Social Work, Ariel University
PhD Student
Supervised by Prof. Y. Hamama-Raz
Thesis Students
Michal Balilati
MA Student
Michal Blilti, M.Ed. Michal Blilti completed her M.Ed. in Educational Systems Management from Herzog College. She has extensive experience in various educational and teaching roles. Her research focuses on suicide prevention among educational professionals through the use of an AI-based simulator. Research Interests Michal's research lies at the intersection of education, mental health, and artificial intelligence. Her work centers on enhancing the "Gatekeeper" role of educators, with particular emphasis on improving their preparedness, willingness, and self-efficacy to identify, persuade, and refer students at risk of suicide Through the use of an AI-based simulator for training, practice, and feedback, her research aims to strengthen educators' knowledge of suicide prevention and enhance their capabilities to effectively intervene and support at-risk students.
Dima Goron
M.A. candidate, Educational Management and Organization, Tel Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee
MA Student
Dima Goron, M.A. candidate, is pursuing his Master's degree in Educational Management and Organization at Tel Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee. With over 25 years of experience working with youth at the Havat HaNoar HaTzioni Youth Village in Jerusalem.
Fabiana Filosof
M.A. student, Educational Management, Tel Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee
MA Student
Fabiana Filosof is a M.A. student in the Educational Management program at Tel Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee. She is conducting her thesis research under the supervision of Prof. Inbar Levkovich and Dr. Lilach Alon.
Khizran Safadi
MA Student
Lavi Sigman, Esq.
M.A. Student in Education | Multidisciplinary Scholar and Practitioner
MA Student
Lavi Sigman, Ph.D., Esq., is a multidisciplinary scholar and practitioner whose work bridges psychology, education, and organizational leadership. His research focuses on teacher well-being, healthy work environments, and the implementation of technopedagogical innovation in Israeli educational systems.