Itamar Talpaz PhD student

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First Year direct PhD student of Life Sciences at Ben-Gurion University. As undergraduate student at BGU, I participated in “Dkalim” excellence program, which accelerates my journey towards advanced degree. Since my second year, I’m a member of the “Ecological Complexity Lab”. My current work centers around investigating host-pathogen interactions of small mammals in Madagascar across a human land-use gradient. My academic interests encompass ecology, microbiology, network science, and evolution. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, climbing, playing the piano and watching good movies.

A little about my research:

Infectious diseases pose a major threat to human health, wildlife, and ecosystems, making it crucial to understand how and why infections occur. My research in disease ecology leverages advanced computational methods, including network analysis and machine learning, to investigate the factors that predict infection risk. I study the complex interactions between hosts and their pathogens—whether parasites, microbes, or viruses—to uncover patterns that drive disease transmission. By identifying key predictors of infection, my work provides valuable insights that can inform disease prevention, wildlife conservation, and public health strategies.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES

2024 - current PhD student: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
2024 - current Teaching assistance: Statistical Analysis course, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
2022 - current Research assistance: Prof. Yaron Ziv’s lab, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

EDUCATION

2021 - 2024 B.Sc. in Life Sciences: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel (GPA: 96.78)

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES

• Frydman, N., Freilikhman, S., Talpaz, I., Pilosof, S. (2023). Practical Guidelines and the EMLN R Package for Handling Ecological Multilayer Networks. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. DOI: 10.1111/2041-210X.14225

AWARDS & GRANTS

• “Lachish” Scholarship of Kraitman School for Excellent Ph.D. Students (2024)
• Summer Scholarship for Outstanding Students Pursuing an Advanced Degree (2024)
• Dean’s List Award (B.Sc., second year, 2023)
• Excellence Certificate (B.Sc., first year, 2022)