I was born in Ramat Gan in 1983, grew up in Ra'anana, and graduated from high school in 2001. I served in the IDF Armored Corps for five years. My academic career has been almost entirely at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev: I completed all three degrees at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. I began my postdoc at the Technion and after a year and half moved to the Weizmann Institute of Science. My research interests straddle the boundaries between signal processing, machine learning, digital communication and data science.
My research:
I work on a number of subjects that do not necessarily overlap. My primary focus is the link between machine learning and classic algorithmics. The traditional approach to systems design was based on the programmer's knowledge, translated into a distinct set of commands according to which decisions were executed. A few years ago, machine learning, especially deep learning, changed the rules of the game by creating systems that are not designed in advance to carry out a specific operation, but rather, learn on their own to make decisions based on examples. What I try to do is link the traditional approach to deep learning so as to benefit from the best of both worlds.
Why BGU?
The University is home for me. I was a student and teaching assistant at BGU for about 10 years. Returning now as a member of the faculty feels natural and right.
An insight from my research:
There is tremendous added value in attempting to bridge different fields. There are significant obstacles; linguistic differences, prejudices and the illusion of ignorance are prominent examples of these. But, as Dr. Seuss said, “You're off to wonderful places."
Something that doesn't appear on my CV:
I like going on long hikes, walking for weeks among hills and mountains with a backpack. This has gotten a bit more complicated since I've become a parent…
A source of inspiration:
I really love Yuval Noah Harari's books and find them thought provoking in many areas of life.
When I grow up:
As a child I guess I would have said that I would work in computers, because I used to play a lot of computer games. So, things turned out pretty much as expected.
If wasn't a researcher:
I would be in hi-tech, the natural alternative in my fields of interest.
In Brief:
» Facebook of Twitter? Neither, I'm not a fan of social media
» Game of Thrones or Simpsons? GoT
» Yoga or CrossFit? Neither. What's wrong with just running?
» Hapoel or Maccabi? I'm a Maccabi fan, while my wife and her family are fans of Hapoel.
It's regular source of conflict at Friday night dinners…
» Chess or backgammon? Neither
» Steak or tofu? Hummus
» Trekking or the spa? Trekking, for sure
» Car or train? Train in theory, but since I live in Jerusalem, it's car in practice.
» Xbox or PlayStation? Neither
» Fortis or Sakharov? Sakharov is one of my favorites
» Classical Europe or India? Both
» Ocean or pool? The pool (I'm from Jerusalem)
» Radio or podcast? Podcast
» Night or Morning? Morning
» Winter or summer? Summer; there's too much flu in the winter
» Cat or dog? I have a dog I rescued from the street in Beer-Sheva when I was still an undergrad.
» Film or Play? Film
