SHORT BIO

I graduated from the University of Haifa in 2006 and continued to a postdoctoral training at UC Davis, California. My laboratory and its collaborators have changed wheat genomic by being the first to develop a unique approach that led to the sequencing of wild emmer wheat (Avni et al 2017, Science 357 93-97), and many other wheat genomes. In 2020, I was appointed as the Head of the Institute of Evolution at the University of Haifa.  My laboratory specializes in developing genetic and genomic resources to study wheat domestication and reveal the regulatory mechanisms that enabled wheat to become one of humanity’s most important crops. I think that a major key for a sustainable humanity is to transform our agriculture system from extensive to regenerative. This shift will protect our environment, however, more knowledge and development of genetic materials are needed to support regenerative agriculture. The mission of the Institute of Evolution is to promote regenerative agriculture and develop the expertise that will help implement this environmental revolution. In my spare time, with my family, I like to hike in the wilderness, and I am fully committed to the idea that our future generations should live in a healthy world while preserving and enjoying nature.