
The Parenting, Child Development and Sleep Lab
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Lab Members

Professor Liat Tikotzky
Ph.D., Head of Lab
Liat Tikotzky is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. She is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialized training and expertise in infant, child, and parent sleep. Her research broadly explores the interplay between parenting and sleep.
Prof. Tikotzky’s work has examined the longitudinal relationships between parental sleep-related behaviors and cognitions and the development of infant sleep patterns, as well as the role of fathers’ involvement in caregiving and infant sleep. She has led longitudinal studies—funded by the Israel Science Foundation—on the associations between maternal emotional distress and infant sleep development. Her ongoing research also investigates the links between parental sleep disturbances and the parent-infant relationship. Currently, she is the principal investigator of a large randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of infant sleep interventions.
e-mail: liatti@bgu.ac.il

Amit Samet
Ph.D. Student
Amit Samet is a PhD student in clinical psychology at Ben-Gurion University. She received her B.A in psychology and brain and cognition science and her M.A in clinical psychology from BGU. She is interested in behavioral sleep interventions for infants with sleeping problems and parental factors that impact treatment outcomes.
e-mail: amitsamet114@gmail.com

Yotam Schori
M.A. Student
Yotam Schori received his B.A in Behavioral Sciences from Ben-Gurion University and is currently an M.A student in clinical psychology at Ben Gurion University. He focuses on investigating the associations between sleep and physiological linkage among couples.

Malka Leviton
M.A. Student
Malka Leviton received her B.A in Psychology from Hebrew University and is currently an M.A student in clinical psychology at Ben-Gurion University. Her research examines the role of parental guilt in sleep interventions for infants.
e-mail: malka.leviton@gmail.com

Avigail Langer
M.A. Student
Avigail Langer received her BSc in Psychobiology from Ben-Gurion University and is currently an M.A. student in clinical psychology at Ben-Gurion University. Her research examines the role of parental cognitions related to infant sleep, in the treatment of infant insomnia.

Maayan Farhana
M.A. Student
Maayan Farhana received her B.Sc in Psychology and Life sciences from Ben-Gurion University and is currently an M.A student in developmental Psychology at Ben-Gurion University. Her research examines the role of marital satisfaction and coparenting in the effectiveness of infant insomnia treatment

Shahar Zimen
M.A. Student
Shachar Zimen received her B.A. in Psychology and Biology at the Sagol School of neuroscience in Tel Aviv University. Her research examines the relationship between sleep quality and romantic relationships. Specifically, whether poor sleep affects partners ability to engage in Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples.
e-mail: zimen@post.bgu.ac.il
Former Students
Ella Volkovich, Ph.D.
Hamutal Ben-Zion, Ph.D.
Dar Ran-Peled, Ph.D.
Omer Finkelstein, Ph.D.
Dana Sinai, M.A.
Yasmin Bauminger, M.A.
Hila Oren, M.A.
Roni Schneider, M.A.
Gili Shrieber, M.A.
Avigail Palgi-Hecker, M.A.
Mor Bar, M.A.
Dana Elberg, M.A.
Shir Mayan, M.A.
Yosef Fertouk, M.A.
Uriel Harel Schuman, M.A.
Noam Oz, M.A.
Yael Rothschild, M.A.
Ruth Agroskin-Gusarov, M.A.
Shani Zeldman, M.A.
Gal Ferder, M.A.
Avel Horwitz, Ph.D.
Yael Porat-Zaiger, Ph.D.
Alona Molcho-Haimovich, Ph.D.
Ofek Matzliach, M.A.
Adva Assulin, M.A.
