Lior Blank
As a landscape ecologist, I specialize in the spatio-temporal dynamics of emerging infectious disease, pest, and weed. My research involves utilizing techniques such as remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems, mathematical and statistical modeling and species distribution modeling to study the spatial and temporal dynamics of disease, pest, and weed at the field and landscape scales.


Education
2005                PhD Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion, Israel
2001                MSc Faculty of Biochemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
1998                BSc Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel. Cum Laude

Academic positions
2014-Present  Research scientist, Department of Plant Pathology, ARO, Volcani Center, Israel
2020-2021       Sabbatical leave, University of California, Davis​, USA
2012                Associate researcher, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Israel
2011                Postdoctoral fellow, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Israel
2010                Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Finland 

 

Member of the COST action FA1406- Pine pitch canker - strategies for management of Gibberella Circinata in greenhouses and forests (PINESTRENGTH)
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Member in the Plant Protection and Precision Agriculture committees in the Model Farm Project

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Board member of the Weed Science Society of Israel 

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​Member of the United Nations University Nexus project's Working Group on Biological Invasions

Students

Amir Mussery
Postdoc (2023- to date)

The dynamic of cereals and broad leaves in semi-arid grasslands- physical, climatic, and hydrological perspectives

Roni Gafni
PhD candidate, Co-supervised with Prof. Hanan Eizenberg (Volcani center) (2015- to date)

​Studying the effects of geographic and climatic variables on the spatial distribution and control of Amaranthus albus

Gal Rozenberg
MSc, Co-supervised with Dr. Rafi Kent (Bar-Ilan University) (2017-2019)
​PhD candidate, Co-supervised with Prof. Yohay Carmel (Technion) (2020- to date)

Working on invasive weeds in arable land: distribution, adaptation and management 

Nikolai Romanovski
MSc Student (2023- to date)

Enhancing peach fruit fly management through current distribution modeling, and predicting climate impact on future spread

Former Lab Members

Helena Krasnov Posdoc (2016-2022)
Current position: Postdoc at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai medical center, NY

Amber Hill ​Postdoc, Co-advised with Dr. Liora Shaltiel-Harpaz (​Tel-Hai College) (2018-2021)

Iftah Sinai PhD candidate, Co-supervised with Prof. Leon Blaustein (University of Haifa) and Prof. Alan Templeton (Washington University) (2011-2020)
Current position: Nature and Park Authority Upper Galilee District Biologist 

David Chakuki MA candidate, Co-supervised with Prof. Itzhak Benenson (Tel-Aviv University) (2015-2019)
Current position: Regional planning and building committee (Nazareth, Israel)

Miri Ben-Hamo Postdoc (2017)
Current position: Tel Aviv University Medical school

Nitzan Birger MSc candidate, Co-supervised with Prof. Hanan Eizenberg (Volcani center) (2014-2018)
Current position: Agronomist at Fieldin

Lera Vakel Undergraduate student. Co-supervised with Dr. Ofir Bahar (Volcani center) (2017)

Benjamin Firester High school summer student, Hunter College High School, New York, NY, USA (2015 & 2016)
Current position: Mathematics PhD student at MIT, MA