Collaborative Ventures Awards: Spring 2026

Dr. Benjamin Ross Associate Professor Microbiology & Immunology; Orthopedics Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine

Dr. Asaf Levy Associate Professor Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment Hebrew University

This research studies how bacteria in the human gut compete and survive. Scientists from the Ross Lab and Levy Lab are working together to understand how harmful bacterial toxins and protective immunity proteins interact. Using machine learning and bioinformatics, the Levy Lab will predict which proteins work together, while the Ross Lab will test these predictions in bacteria such as Bacteroides fragilis and E. coli. The project aims to map the hidden "battle network" between gut bacteria and explain how microbes successfully colonize the gut. The findings could improve understanding of gut health, probiotics, infections, and how bacterial communities shape human health.

Dr. Tor D. Wager Diana L. Taylor Distinguished Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences Dartmouth College

Lital Cohen-Blum Health Sciences PhD Student Bio-Medical Engineering Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Dr. Or Duek Assistant Professor Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Community Health Sciences Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

This research will examine how Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) reduces chronic pain. The team will study people with long-term neck or back pain to understand how combining cognitive and body-focused techniques reduces pain levels, comparing full PRT — which combines psychoeducation and body-based techniques — with a modified version without the body-based techniques, and usual care. Brain scans, in-session EEG monitoring, wearable devices, and standardized questionnaires will track changes in brain activity, heart rate, sleep, arousal states, and emotional regulation at baseline, post-intervention, and a few months out. The team will also test whether changes in brain regions linked to pain and emotion, as well as low-arousal physiological states, explain recovery. The goal is to identify how psychological and neural mechanisms work together to reduce chronic pain effectively.

Dr. Olga Zhaxybayeva Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Computer Science Simons Foundation Investigator in Mathematical Modeling of Living Systems Dartmouth College

Dr. Uri Gophna Professor Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology Tel Aviv University

This research will investigate how bacteria and archaea exchange genetic material in extreme, high-salt environments. The team will study two poorly understood systems — gene transfer agents (GTAs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) — which can move DNA and RNA between microbial cells, focusing on hypersaline habitats like Dead Sea sinkholes and coastal salt ponds, where microbes are under strong stress and fluctuating environmental conditions and rely heavily on gene exchange for survival. Using DNA sequencing, microscopy, and bioinformatics on environmental samples, they will identify GTAs, EVs, and the genes that produce them, and link these particles to their host organisms. The work will help explain how microbial life evolves and adapts in extreme environments.

Dr. Amanda Amodeo Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program Dartmouth College

Dr. Eran Meshorer Professor of Epigenetics and Stem Cells Arthur Gutterman Family Chair for Stem Cell Research, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences; Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences Hebrew University

This research will investigate how two genes, H3.3A and H3.3B, which encode the same histone protein, differentially regulate genome organization and gene activity. Using advanced genetic engineering approaches in mouse stem cells and fruit fly embryos, the team will rapidly deplete each gene product and examine the immediate consequences for chromatin architecture, gene expression, and development. By comparing these effects across species, they aim to reveal conserved mechanisms that maintain genome stability and coordinate developmental programs. The project will generate powerful new experimental tools and provide fundamental insights into epigenetic regulation, stem cell biology, and diseases associated with chromatin dysfunction, including cancer.

Dr. Margaret Ackerman Professor of Engineering, Thayer School of Engineering Technical Associate Director, Center for Precision Health and Artificial Intelligence (CPHAI) Dartmouth College

Dr. Biana Bernshtein Senior Lecturer Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research Tel Aviv University

This research will help us better understand how the immune system protects the body in the gut and other mucosal tissues. The team will study IgA, an important antibody that helps defend against harmful bacteria and viruses while maintaining balance with healthy microbes. By creating laboratory models that mimic the intestinal environment, they will examine how immune cells respond to IgA-coated pathogens such as Shigella and Poliovirus. The goal is to identify protective immune pathways, improve tools for vaccine research, and advance understanding of immunity against intestinal infections that affect millions of people worldwide.

Dr. G. Eric Schaller Professor of Biological Sciences, Robert E. Maxwell 1923 Professorship in the Arts and Sciences Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program Dartmouth College

Dr. Dan Mishmar Professor, Department of Life Sciences Member, Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change Ben-Gurion University

This research investigates how plant cells coordinate gene expression between the nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts when facing environmental challenges such as drought. Led by G. Eric Schaller (Dartmouth College) and Dan Mishmar (Ben-Gurion University), the project combines single-cell RNA sequencing, genomics, and molecular biology to explore communication among these three genomes. Preliminary findings suggest that drought increases gene activity in both mitochondria and chloroplasts, highlighting a dynamic regulatory response. By uncovering the mechanisms that maintain cellular coordination under stress, the study aims to advance understanding of plant resilience and inform future strategies for crop improvement.

Dr. Jesse Casana W.J. Bryant 1925 Professor of Archaeology Ecology, Evolution, Environment and Society PhD Program; Program in Middle Eastern Studies Dartmouth College

Dr. Emmanuel Nantet Associate Professor Department of Maritime Civilizations, Faculty of Humanities University of Haifa

Dr. Michael Lazar Lecturer in Marine Geosciences Co-founder, Leon Charney School of Marine Sciences and Moses Strauss Department of Marine Geosciences University of Haifa

This research will combine marine archaeology and advanced geophysical technology to better understand ancient Mediterranean harbor systems. The international team from Dartmouth College and the University of Haifa will study ancient ports in diverse Mediterranean settings, including France, Italy, and Greece. Using remote sensing tools such as sonar, drones, and radar, they will detect underwater and buried archaeological features that are difficult to see with traditional methods. The project will help reconstruct ancient coastal environments and reveal how harbors functioned as complete systems, and its findings will improve archaeological research methods worldwide and strengthen collaboration and training between researchers and students.

Dr. Sergi Elizalde Professor of Mathematics Department of Mathematics Dartmouth College

Dr. Yuval Roichman Professor Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Exact Sciences Bar-Ilan University

Dr. Ron Adin Professor Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Exact Sciences Bar-Ilan University

This project lies at the interface between algebra and combinatorics. Positivity problems involve proving that certain mathematical quantities are positive integers; such problems arise frequently in algebraic combinatorics and representation theory, and are becoming increasingly prominent in contemporary mathematics. One way to prove positivity is by describing specific combinatorial objects that are counted by these numbers; another is to show that these numbers are dimensions of some algebraic structures. This research explores positivity problems that originate in the study of symmetric functions, with the goal of better understanding the structure of permutations, binary trees, and lattice paths. The project will strengthen international collaboration through research visits and joint work between Dartmouth and Bar-Ilan University.