Dr. Rachel Tomer

 

Higher Education

1971:        B.A.  Psychology, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem

1979:        M.A.  Psychobiology (Cum Laude), Tel Aviv University

1986:        Ph.D. Psychobiology , Tel Aviv University

Current position: 

Senior lecturer, Dept. of Psychology; Haifa University,Head of Clinical Neuropsychology Program   

 

Research Interests:

My major interest is the behavioural correlates of normal and pathological asymmetries in the brain. My focus is on the subcortical-prefrontal circuits, which are affected in a number of neuropsychiatric syndromes, and more specifically on the role of asymmetries (functional as well as structural) in these pathologies. Current studies involve cognitive and affective changes in ParkinsonŐs disease, Obsessive-Compulsive Disease and acquired brain damage, and how these are related to abnormal patterns of asymmetry in the brain.

 

Ongoing projects:

  1. Cognitive flexibility in ParkinsonŐs disease
  2. Neuroanatomical correlates of apathy vs. depression
  3. Spatial attention and dopaminergic asymmetry
  4. Directed attention and asymmetry in OCD
  5. Dopaminergic asymmetries and temperament

 

Selected publications:

  1. Tomer, R, Levin BE and Weiner, WJ (1993) Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and motor asymmetries in ParkinsonŐs disease. Neuropschiatry, Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neurology 6:26-30.
  2. Tomer, R, Levin BE and Weiner, WJ (1993) Side of onset of motor symptoms influences cognition in ParkinsonŐs disease. Annals of Neurology 34:579-584.
  3. Tomer R, Fisher, T, Giladi, N and Aharon-Peretz, J, (2002). Dissociation between spontaneous and reactive flexibility in early ParkinsonŐs disease. Neuropsychiatry, Neuropsychology, and Behavioral Neurology 15:106-112.
  4. Shamay, S.G., Tomer, R., Berger, B.D. & Aharon-Peretz, J. (2003) Characterization of empathy deficits following prefrontal brain damage: The role of the right ventromedial cortex. Journal of cognitive Neurosciences, 15:324-337.
  5. Tomer, R & Aharon-Peretz, J. Novelty seeking and harm avoidance in ParkinsonŐs disease: effects of asymmetric dopamine deficiency. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry (in press).

 

Graduate students:

Zina Tsitrinbaum

Chaya Miller

Sari Kriger

Ilan Eran

Tal Shany (joint supervision with Dr. S. Shamay-Tsoory)

Revital Lavie (joint supervision with Prof. A. Karni)