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I am an environmental hydrology and soil science researcher, mainly interested in fundamental processes and mechanisms controlling water flow and solute transport and mixing in environmental porous media.
Solute mixing processes can control mineral dissolution and precipitation, solutes' migration and pollutants' fate in soils and aquifers, bacterial activity, and more.
Porous media structural heterogeneity can alter water flow patterns, especially in unsaturated porous media like soils in the field, and impact solute mixing rates.
To study this fascinating topic, I utilize numerical modeling for detailed simulations and laboratory experiments for high-resolution direct visualization of solute transport processes.
With my research group, I aim to use the knowledge gained from small-scale experiments and modeling to improve our understanding of large-scale environmental phenomena.
I also serve as a senior lecturer and Helmsley fellow at Tel Hai College, teaching soil science, hydrogeology, and numerical methods courses.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Sep. 2019–Sep. 2022, Géosciences Rennes, Université de Rennes 1
Project title: Impact of structural heterogeneity on solute transport and mixing in unsaturated porous media.
Supervisors: Dr. Yves Méheust and Dr. Tanguy Le Borgne
Aug. 2018–Aug. 2019, The Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Project title: Colloid facilitated transport of radionuclides through fractures in carbonate rocks: A micro-scale study
Supervisors: Prof. Noam Weisbrod and Prof. Avraham Be'er
Education
2012-2018, Ph.D. The Department of Soil and Water Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Thesis title: A pore-scale study of the effects of heterogeneity and deformation on fluid displacement in granular media
Supervisor: Dr. Ran Holtzman
2009-2012, M.Sc.Agr. Soil and Water Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, magna cum laude
Thesis title: Mobility of pharmaceutical compounds in an agricultural soil: Effects of biosolids application and solution chemistry.
Supervisor: Prof. Benny Chefetz
2006-2009, B.Sc.Agr. Soil and Water Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem magna cum laude
2024-2028: ISF - Israel Science Foundation
Project title: Solute transport, mixing, and chemical reactions in porous media: coupled effects of structural heterogeneity and fluid displacement
Total grant amount: NIS 960,000
2024-2027: BARD - US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund
Project title: Tillage-induced soil structure and water saturation impact on porewater oxygen and redox conditions: Controls for nutrient availability and water quality
Total grant amount: US$ 300,000
Collaborator: Prof. Verónica Morales, UC Davis, California, USA
2024-2026: Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure
Project title: Fluid Displacement in Porous Media: Factors Affecting Hydrogen Storage
Total grant amount: NIS 314,123
Collaborator: Dr. Yaniv Edery, Technion, Israel
2024-2026: MIGAL internal call 2024
Project title: Impact of bacterial biofilm matrix on water retention in heterogeneous porous media and its implication for plant growth under water-limited conditions
Total grant amount: NIS 200,000
Collaborator: Dr. Elhanan Tzipilevich, MIGAL, Israel