The inaugural cohort of Dartmouth-Kalaniyot Postdoctoral Fellows arrived on campus in 2026. Each fellow works with a Dartmouth faculty mentor, and their research spans planetary science, neuroscience, and astrophysics. To learn about the fellowship itself — eligibility, benefits, and how to apply — see the Postdoctoral Fellows program page.
Dr. Elhanan Harel joins Dartmouth from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where he earned his PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences. His research integrates geospatial analysis, modeling, and fieldwork to investigate the evolution of drainage networks and sediment transport systems, from mountainous headwaters to deep marine environments.
At Dartmouth, Dr. Harel works within the planetary geomorphology group led by Dr. Marisa Palucis, focusing on Martian drainage systems. His research combines field observations with quantitative geomorphic analysis to better understand the fluvial processes that shaped planetary landscapes and influenced the geological history of Mars.
Dr. Gabriel Braun completed his PhD in neuroscience at Tel Aviv University. His interdisciplinary research explores how people process and represent truth, trust, and commitment in communication, drawing on cognitive neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, and computational modeling.
Using behavioral experiments, naturalistic narratives, and language models, Dr. Braun investigates how the processing of truth influences the ways individuals and their brains respond to information and misinformation. As a Kalaniyot Postdoctoral Fellow, he continues this work at Dartmouth in collaboration with Dr. Emily Finn.
Dr. Tamar Simhon Kravtzov joins Dartmouth to collaborate with Dr. Robert Caldwell on research at the frontiers of astrophysics. She earned her PhD in Physics with a dissertation centered on the “frozen star” model, a singularity-free alternative to traditional black holes.
Her current research seeks to test the frozen star model using gravitational waves, investigating whether gravitational wave “echoes” could provide a distinctive observational signature separating frozen stars from standard black holes. The project will also simulate extreme collisions between frozen stars to better understand how exotic internal matter behaves under immense pressure and radiates energy.
This pioneering work aims to translate theoretical predictions into observational targets that may guide future discoveries with the upcoming LISA Space Telescope mission in the coming decade.