Psychology, brain and mental health

The research of psychology, the brain, and mental health has been truly revolutionized in recent years. Groundbreaking studies, new treatment methods and the application of computing and artificial intelligence capabilities have helped researchers and therapists reach new, meaningful and empirical insights that facilitate access to personalized medicine in these domains as well.  

The Dangoor Center for Personalized Medicine at Bar-Ilan University is home to some of the most sophisticated and advanced laboratories in the world, which are led by clinical psychology, brain research and mental health researchers responsible for some of the most innovative studies performed in this field. 

Multi-layer data collection 

Bar-Ilan’s psychotherapy research laboratory is one of the largest five in the world.  The laboratory staff works in collaboration with the university's community clinic and utilizes a unique system that records multi-layered information from therapy sessions: video and audio recordings of conversations during sessions, feedback from therapists and patients, and physiological information collected for research purposes. After the data collection and sorting phase, researchers can use different machine learning models to uncover significant nuances that were previously undiscoverable.   

Brain research 

Equipped with state-of-the-art imaging equipment, powerful computers and advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning systems, our brain research laboratories enable scientists to investigate the brain's response to various stimuli, examine the neurological mechanisms associated with emotion, and focus on populations suffering from diseases such as schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia, autism, and cancer. These studies allow us to uncover not only how the brain works, but also how cognitive processes operate both in health and illness. Research of the brain’s structure and processes conducted at our laboratories provides valuable information to doctors and surgeons treating multiple illnesses, including brain cancer.  

Multidisciplinary Collaboration 

In order to meet the challenges of the 21st century, multidisciplinary collaboration is required. Accordingly, our lab's research builds on collaboration with researchers from various departments at Bar Ilan University, as well as with leading academic and research institutions and hospitals in Israel and abroad.  

Cure for the millions suffering 

Millions of people around the world suffer from illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Advances in mental health research and access to personalized treatment may significantly improve the services offered by community therapists and public health systems, assist with the training and qualification of future therapists by providing them with real measurable tools to elevate their therapeutic methods, and significantly optimize therapy outcomes.