Research
Attentional and sensory neuro-dysregulation in adults with PTSD
With a unique collaboration between Haifa University – Department of Occupational Therapy, Technion – Department of Neuroscience, and Lev HaSharon – Adult Mental Health Clinic, we investigate attentional and sensory neurodysregulation mechanisms and their impact on daily life function in adults with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). By combining several neuro-imaging techniques with clinician administered questionnaires as well as self-reports, we aim to gather a large variety of data, bridging the gap between neuroscience, clinical practice and daily life symptoms.
Supervisors: prof. Batya Engel-Yeger & prof. Avi Avital
Funding: VSBfonds Personal Scholarship; Haifa University Personal Scholarship


Belief in Brua among psychiatric patients from the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao)
Brua is an Afro-Caribbean religion and healing tradition predominantly practiced on the ABC Islands of the former Netherlands Antilles. It is grounded in oral tradition and shrouded in strict social taboos.
With the Parnassia Psychiatric Institute (the Netherlands), we investigate the knowledge about Brua and its role in illness concepts and idioms of distress among psychiatric patients originating from the ABC Islands. The cultural sensitive qualitative data are gathered using a self-developed questionnaire.
Coresearcher: dr. Sarah N. Ruggenaath
Supervisor: prof. Jan Dirk Blom
