Lab Members

Prof. Pavel Goldstein, PhD – Head of Integrative Pain (iPain) Laboratory, Head of MPH Biostatistics track at the School of Public Health

I lead the Integrative Pain Laboratory (iPainLab), where our mission is to understand the mechanisms of neuroplastic chronic pain and develop innovative therapeutic and diagnostic tools. Recognizing that chronic pain is a multifaceted phenomenon involving various systems and their interactions, we focus on pain-specific mechanisms using neurophysiological, physiological, and biochemical measures. Our team has also created effective web-based and phone-based platforms, synced with wearables, to track chronic pain and associated mental health conditions.

In collaboration with methodologist Julia Zatulovsky, we developed the Personalized Danger Signal Reprocessing (PDSR) therapeutic approach to assist people in healing chronic pain in a scalable way. We also develop psychoeducational materials in forms of animation, songs, and articles to inform and inspire chronic pain sufferers on their healing journey.

Additionally, I oversee the recovery journeys of chronic pain patients, capturing their stories and experiences to share with millions suffering and healthcare providers that healing is possible.

Email: pavelg@stat.haifa.ac.il

LinkedIn | Google Scholar

Shaked Eizman – Integrative Pain (iPain) Lab Research Manager; MPH Student in Public Health with a specialization in Biostatistics

Shaked is a Master’s student in Public Health with a specialization in Biostatistics at the University of Haifa. She completed her BSc in Cognitive Science at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where she gained a strong foundation in neuroscience and data analysis. Her research centers on chronic pain, with current work focused on examining structural and connectivity changes in the brain using advanced neuroimaging and statistical modeling.

She also serves as the Research Manager of the Integrative Pain (iPain) Lab and is engaged in public health policy at Israel’s Ministry of Health, where she supports initiatives aimed at reducing health disparities in the Haredi community. She is particularly motivated by questions of health equity and the translation of research and neuroscience into policy and everyday health.

Carmit Himmelblau Gat, PhD Student

Carmit’s academic background includes a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from the Technion, a BA in Psychology, and a subsequent Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Bar Ilan University. During her Master’s research, Carmit investigated the effects of oxytocin on behavioral dynamics within groups using computational techniques, showcasing her interdisciplinary approach to psychological research.

Carmit is deeply interested in understanding the therapeutic process in chronic pain recovery, focusing on the clinician-patient relationship and its influence on treatment outcomes. Her research aims to uncover the mechanisms underlying these interactions, translating scientific insights into effective clinical solutions. At the Integrative Pain Laboratory, Carmit leads a project to scale the Personalized Danger Signal Reprocessing (PDSR) intervention for widespread healthcare application in chronic pain recovery. Her work centers on examining physiological and behavioral synchronization between clinicians and patients throughout the recovery process

In addition to her current work as a PhD student, Carmit operates a private clinic. Before this, she worked as a chip designer and firmware engineer. Carmit’s expertise spans both theoretical understanding and practical implementation, providing her with a unique perspective on integrating technology into psychological interventions.

Email: carmithg@gmail.com

Shaked Rosenblum, PhD Student

With a diverse background encompassing clinical, academic, and industry settings, Shaked is dedicated to conducting impactful research that integrates innovative technology into healthcare. She holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Neuropsychology, which combines training in clinical and rehabilitative psychology with scientific expertise in brain research, particularly focusing on trauma and stress within the Psychopathology and Stress Laboratory. Additionally, Shaked is a graduate of the Biodesign program, a medical entrepreneurship initiative that utilizes design thinking methodology to drive medical innovation in collaboration with Rambam Health Care Campus, the Technion, and Stanford University.

Currently pursuing her doctoral studies, Shaked explores the intersection of technology and mental health. Her research leverages AI and digital technologies to enhance diagnostic approaches for chronic pain, aiming to improve the precision of chronic pain diagnoses. She also investigates the intricate relationship between body and mind, examining how mental health influences chronic pain and its management.

Beyond her doctoral research, Shaked is the founder and leader of a community focused on innovation and resilience in the mental health field. She is actively involved in the innovation labs at the University of Haifa, where she co-hosts the HILLCAST podcast, exploring how impact-driven initiatives and groundbreaking ideas push academic boundaries and foster real-world change.

Hiba Akel – Master of Clinical Pharmacy, student for PhD in Public Health

BSc Pharmacy, MSc Clinical Pharmacy

Hiba is a doctoral student in Public Health. Her doctoral research focuses on examining the impact of multilevel factors affecting drug-prescribing errors in inpatients, and the optimization of clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) to improve safety of medication treatment. Hiba obtained her Master of Science in Clinical Pharmacy from the Hebrew University, during which she investigated the effectiveness of antibiotic lock therapy in hematoncology children with Catheter Related Blood Stream Infection (CRBSI). Currently, she is a clinical pharmacist at the Clalit Health Services with expertise in CDSSs, Clinical informatics, Medication safety, and antimicrobial stewardship.

Accomplishments:

Developed and implemented a clinical decision support system responsible for assessing medication safety for a large investigational study.
Worked with product designers and product managers to design user interfaces in clinical applications.
Datamined large healthcare datasets utilizing SQL report writing.

Skill Highlights: Electronic health record and Clinical Decision support system specialist, Clinical Pharmacy practice experience, SQL report generation and analysis, Clinical informatics, Medication safety, project management, workflow optimization.

Research interests include medication safety, antimicrobial stewardship and CDSS.

Email: hibaakel24@gmail.com

Evgeniya Matviuk, MD, Specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Evgeniya is a physician assisting in the laboratory.

After joining the laboratory to conduct her research during her internship, she became deeply interested in the topics being studied and continued her collaboration.

Her experience as a neurologist and rehabilitation physician facilitates diagnostics within the research.

The topics studied in the laboratory are relevant to a wide range of the population, and advances in chronic pain management methods should significantly improve quality of life.

Michal Weiss – PhD student (Haifa University Committee for Research Students)

BSc Psychobiology, MSc Brain Research

Michal completed her Bachelor’s in Psychobiology at the Hebrew University and her Master’s in Brain Research at Bar Ilan University. Her Master’s research focused on theoretical concepts of modulating effect of tdcs and its influence on attentional load.

Michal is interested in how biology and psychology interact to form emotion and behavior. She is passionate about understanding complex systems and in translating basic scientific concepts to clinical solutions. She has an extensive experience in working with R&D teams on digital healthcare systems, serving as a scientific analyst and product specialist in several startups.

Since she joined the Integrative Pain Laboratory in September 2020, Michal is leading the Pain Radar project. This interdisciplinary project, in collaboration with professor Haick (Technion), aims to develop a Fibromyalgia signature and a monitoring tool for chronic pain based on cutting-edge biochemical techniques and physiological tools.

Email: Michalweiss87@gmail.com

LinkedIn | Google Scholar

Alexandra Zhuravlyova, PhD Student

Alexandra Zhuravlyova holds an MSc in Information Technology, where she researched cloud-based information systems, and a BSc in Biology, both obtained in Ukraine. Her academic foundation spans technology and life sciences, positioning her at the intersection of AI, healthcare, and science.

Not only pursuing her academical efforts, Alexandra gained a lot of industrial experience while working in startups and enterprise companies through analyzing digital signal data, including audio and physiological signals. Improving her digital signal processing skills over the years, she mastered this skill and now develops AI-solutions based on the signal data, which are further applied across various fields.

This interdisciplinary background equips her to contribute effectively to the varios projects at the iPain Lab using Large Language Models to advance chronic pain diagnostics and management.

Alexandra’s upcoming Ph.D. centers on modeling resistance in psychotherapy for chronic pain patients, where she aims to identify individualized resistance factors. Additionally, she has developed an AI algorithm for emotion detection in speech, aligning with her focus on empathetic AI to enhance patient-centered approaches in healthcare.

Reema Katish, MA Student

Reema completed her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Haifa. During her Bachelor’s she joined the lab in 2021 as a research assistant for the Pain Radar project. And came back in 2024 as a Master’s student in Clinical NeuroPsychology at the University of Haifa.

Currently, Reema is a part of the PDSR (Personalized Danger Signal Reprocessing) project which aims to examine the effects of a PDSR intervention on chronic pain among musculoskeletal sufferers. She’s interested in finding new practical approaches for healing chronic health issues, such as chronic pain, and other mind-body conditions.

Reema is a big believer of holistic approaches in therapeutic practices, and beyond enthusiastic about mind-body interactions and dynamics. She believes that balancing those interactions can lead to a balanced mental and physical health.

Email: reemaka9999@gmail.com

Maya Cohen – Master's Student in Public Health (MPH), Biostatistics Track

Maya is currently pursuing her Master’s in Biostatistics at the University of Haifa. She graduated with highest honors with a B.A. in Economics from Tel Aviv University.

She has worked as a researcher at a policy-oriented research organization, focusing on data-driven analysis of regulatory frameworks for social media and artificial intelligence. Maya also worked as a regulation journalist at Calcalist, a major financial newspaper in Israel.

Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Maya is a certified yoga teacher in Tel Aviv, aiming to connect yoga practice with recent research on mind-body relations, specifically regarding pain management. She also brings personal experience with chronic pain treatment to her work

Lena Pizman – Master's Student in Public Health (MPH), Health Systems Management

Lena Pizman is a physiotherapist with over 12 years of clinical experience treating individuals with acute and chronic pain. Through her clinical work, she developed a strong interest in holistic approaches to health, viewing the body and mind as an integrated system. This perspective led her to train as a personal health and lifestyle coach, where she works with individuals coping with a variety of health challenges.

Lena is currently completing her Master’s degree in Health Systems Management at the School of Public Health at the University of Haifa. Her academic journey reflects her motivation to better understand the mechanisms of healthcare systems and to contribute to improving patient care and health outcomes at a broader systemic level.

For her thesis, Lena joined the Integrative Chronic Pain Research Laboratory led by Prof. Pavel Goldstein. She is particularly interested in the promising potential of novel mind–body approaches for chronic pain and hopes to contribute to advancing research in this field and supporting the integration of these approaches into healthcare systems

Alon Ganor – B.A. Student in Psychology and Cognitive Science

Alon Ganor is a B.A. student in Psychology and Cognitive Science at the University of Haifa. In 2025, he joined the Integrative Pain (iPain) Lab as a research assistant as part of the PDA research project, which explores the relationship between chronic pain and aversive mental states.

As an officer in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Alon developed a strong interest in the links between trauma, PTSD, and chronic pain, and in improving approaches to treatment and recovery.

Anna Amitzur Steinberg – B.A. Student in Cognitive Science and Psychology

Anna Amitzur Steinberg is a final-year undergraduate student in Cognitive Science and Psychology at the University of Haifa. She is a research assistant on the PDSR project, which investigates mechanisms and recovery processes in chronic pain.

Alongside her academic work, she maintains a clinical practice in Isfiya, integrating yoga instruction and bodywork therapy. She also serves as a teaching assistant at Reidman College.

This integration of clinical practice and cognitive research drives her interest in the neural and psychological mechanisms of healing, pain perception, neuroplasticity processes, and evidence-based therapeutic interactions

Lior Chervinsky - B.A. graduate in Psychology and Management

Lior is a B.A. graduate in Psychology and Management from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Currently, she serves as a guide at the Eating Disorders Clinic at Rambam Health Care Campus, where she participates in clinical discussions and supports patients in their recovery process.

Lior has a deep interest in mind-body interactions and the mechanisms of psychological healing. As a research assistant in the Integrative Pain (iPain) Lab, she is part of the PDA research project, which explores the relationship between chronic pain and aversive mental states. In this role, she works closely with participants, guiding them throughout their involvement in the study.

Aspiring to become a clinical psychologist, Lior is passionate about integrating practical clinical experience with academic research.

Ido Yaakobi – B.A. Student in Psychology and Economics

Ido Yaakobi is a Lab Assistant at the Pain Lab, where he contributes to the development and implementation of the PDSR therapeutic protocol for chronic pain. His work includes assisting with physiological measurements, coordinating participant sessions, and supporting community-based initiatives connected to the lab’s research. He is particularly interested in nociplastic pain mechanisms and in understanding how cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors shape the experience of pain.

Ido’s interest in chronic pain research developed through his therapeutic work with individuals experiencing persistent pain, where he observed how changes in understanding and context could influence pain perception. These experiences motivated him to explore the scientific mechanisms underlying such changes.

He is currently pursuing a B.A. in Psychology and Economics at The Open University of Israel. His academic training includes coursework in statistics, research methods, physiological psychology, and econometrics.