Research Lab
Advancing the science of mind and recovery
AYALAB conducts rigorous, applied research at the intersection of neuropsychology, cognitive rehabilitation, and human functioning. Our work bridges laboratory inquiry and real-world clinical practice.
Lab Overview
What we study and why it matters
The AYALAB research program is built on a core conviction: that understanding how the brain adapts, recovers, and reorganizes after injury or illness is essential to improving the lives of those affected. We pursue questions that are both scientifically rigorous and clinically meaningful — from the mechanisms of cognitive rehabilitation to the psychological dimensions of living with acquired disability.
"Our mission is to generate knowledge that translates directly into better assessment, better intervention, and deeper compassion for individuals navigating neurological challenges."
Research Areas
Areas of inquiry
Vocational Neuropsychological Rehabilitation
Examining the efficacy and long-term outcomes of holistic, vocation-focused neuropsychological rehabilitation programs for individuals with acquired brain injury and cancer-related cognitive impairment. Research in this area investigates how time since injury, age, and work ethics interact with quality of life and functional recovery.
Neuropsychological Assessment in Healthcare
Investigating the practice, accessibility, and policy dimensions of neuropsychological assessment in the Israeli healthcare system. This line of research examines practitioner decision-making, physician familiarity with assessment, and the adaptation of assessment methods — including remote evaluation — to real-world clinical constraints.
Motor & Implicit Learning in Spinal Cord Injury
Exploring the neural and behavioral mechanisms of implicit motor sequence learning in individuals with spinal cord injury and tetraplegia, using oculomotor and manual serial reaction time paradigms. This research illuminates how motor learning is preserved or disrupted following spinal cord damage and informs rehabilitation strategies.
Psychological Wellbeing & Adaptation to Disability
Investigating the psychological dimensions of living with acquired disability, including the role of work ethics, quality of life, and technology use (such as smartphone behavior) in long-term adjustment. This research also examines professional practice in psychotherapy and counseling, including therapeutic contracting and ethical frameworks.
Publications
Peer-reviewed journal articles
* Denotes corresponding author.
Work Ethics and Perceived Quality of Life Among Individuals with Acquired Brain Injury: The Moderating Role of Time Since Injury
Bloch, A., Bernstein, L., & Reizer, A.
The Persuasion Paradox
Feng, L., Cohen, R., Bloch, A., & Kraus, S.
Exploring Attitudes Towards a Written Contract in Psychotherapy: Insights from a Qualitative Research of Professionals
Bloch*, A., Hakak-Bronfman, D., Ferencz-Kaddari, M., & Margalit, D.
British Journal of Guidance & Counselling
A longitudinal study on the relationships between impulsivity and excessive smartphone use among patients with acquired brain injury and control participants
Wacks, Y., Koslowsky, M., Bloch, A., & Weinstein, A. M.
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, 1691748
Feasibility and initial assessment of a holistic neuropsychological day program for vocational rehabilitation following non-central nervous system cancer
Bloch*, A., Sharoni, L., Shany-Ur, T., Maril, S., & Margalit, D.
Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1415038
Time from injury and age interact in relationship with perceived quality of life outcomes following vocation-focused neuropsychological rehabilitation
Bloch*, A., Shany-Ur, T., Sharoni, L., Bar-Lev, N., Salomon-Shushan, T., Maril, S., Druckman, E., & Hoofien, D.
Frontiers in Psychology, 14:1047615
Assessment of the unmediated relationship between neurological impairment and health-related quality of life following spinal cord injury
Zwecker, M., Heled, E., Bluvstein, V., Catz, A., Bloch, A., & Zeilig, G.
Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine
How, when, and for whom: decisions regarding remote neuropsychological assessment during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Bloch*, A., Maril, S., & Kavé, G.
Israeli Journal of Health Policy Research, 10(1):31
Functional outcomes following inpatient rehabilitation of guillain-barré syndrome patients: Intravenous immunoglobulins versus plasma exchange
Bondi, M., Engel-Haber, E., Wolff, J., Grosman-Rimon, L., Bloch, A., & Zeilig, G.
NeuroRehabilitation
Oculomotor anticipation reveals a multitude of learning processes underlying the serial reaction time task
Tal, A., Bloch, A., Cohen-Dallal, H., Aviv, O., Schwizer Ashkenazi, S., Bar, M., & Vakil, E.
Scientific Reports, 11(1):6190
Neuropsychological assessment in the Israeli healthcare system: A practitioners' survey
Kavé, G., Bloch, A., Shabi, A., & Maril, S.
Israeli Journal of Health Policy Research, 9:46
Examining implicit procedural learning in tetraplegia using an oculomotor serial reaction time task
Bloch*, A., Shaham, M., Vakil, E., Schwizer Ashkenazi, S., & Zeilig, G.
PLoS One, 15(4):e0232124
Familiarity with neuropsychological assessment among Israeli physicians
Kavé, G., Bloch, A., Maril, S., & Shabi, A.
Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, acaa007
Efficacy of post-acute neuropsychological rehabilitation for patients with acquired brain injuries is maintained in the long term
Shany-Ur, T., Bloch, A., Salomon-Shushan, T., Bar-Lev, N., Sharoni, L., & Hoofien, D.
Journal of the International Neuropsychology Society, 26(1):130–41
Split-arm swinging: The effect of arm swinging manipulation on inter-limb coordination during walking
Bondi, M., Zeilig, G., Bloch, A., Fasano, A., & Plotnik, M.
Journal of Neurophysiology, 118(2):1021–33
Anticipation measures of sequence learning: Manual versus oculomotor versions of the serial reaction time task
Vakil, E., Bloch, A., & Cohen, H.
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 70(3):579–89
In a context of time: The impact of delay and exposure time on the emergence of memory context effects
Bloch*, A. & Vakil, E.
Psychology Research, 81(1):182–90
Specific deficit in implicit motor sequence learning following spinal cord injury
Bloch*, A., Tamir, D., Vakil, E., & Zeilig, G.
PLoS One, 11(6):e0158396
Effectiveness of multi-disciplinary rehabilitation for patients with neuromyelitis optica
Nechemia, Y., Moreh, E., Weingarden, H., Bloch, A., Givon, U., Vaknin-Dembinsky, A., Schwartz, I., Meiner, Z., & Zeilig, G.
Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 39(3):311–6
Safety and tolerance of the ReWalk™ exoskeleton suit for ambulation by people with complete spinal cord injury: A pilot study
Zeilig, G., Weingarden, H., Zwecker, M., Dudkiewicz, I., Bloch, A., & Esquenazi, A.
Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 35(2):96–101
Academic Collaborations
Research partnerships
AYALAB maintains active research collaborations with leading academic institutions, rehabilitation centers, and medical facilities in Israel and internationally. These partnerships span neuropsychological rehabilitation, cognitive neuroscience, oncology, and spinal cord medicine.
The National Institute of Neuropsychological Rehabilitation
Yaffa Vienman-Abu, Dr. Tal Shany-Ur, & Dr. Sari Maril
Collaborative research on neuropsychological rehabilitation outcomes and MCI interventions
The Open University of Israel
Prof. Gitit Kavé
Joint research on neuropsychological assessment access and healthcare policy
Sheba Medical Center
Dr. Gabi Zeilig & Dr. Ronit Lachmanovich
Investigating sheltered medical services during wartime; spinal cord injury rehabilitation research
Adi Negev Medical Center
Dr. Tsaki Ziv-Ner
Rehabilitative goals in the continuum of care following trauma or illness
Maccabi Research and Innovation
Dr. Moran Twick
Impact of hormone therapy on risk for depression and dementia in older women