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April 28, 2015
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Date:01ThursdayJanuary 2026Lecture
Vision and AI
More information Time 12:15 - 13:15Title Bridging Generative Models and Visual CommunicationLocation Jacob Ziskind Building
Lecture Hall - Room 1 - אולם הרצאות חדר 1Lecturer Yael Vinker
MITOrganizer Department of Computer Science and Applied MathematicsContact Abstract Show full text abstract about From rough sketches that spark ideas to polished illustratio...» From rough sketches that spark ideas to polished illustrations that explain complex concepts, visual communication is central to how humans think, create, and share knowledge. Yet despite major advances in generative AI, we are still far from models that can reason and communicate through visual forms.
I will present my work on bridging generative models and visual communication, focusing on three complementary domains: (1) algorithms for generating and understanding sketches, (2) systems that support exploratory visual creation beyond one-shot generation, and (3) methods for producing editable, parametric images for design applications.
These domains pose unique challenges: they are inherently data-scarce and rely on representations that go beyond pixel-based images commonly used in standard models. I will show how the rich priors of vision-language models can be leveraged to address these challenges through novel optimization objectives and regularization techniques that connect their learned features with the specialized representations required for visual communication.
Looking ahead, this research lays the foundation for general-purpose visual communication technologies: intelligent systems that collaborate with humans in visual domains, enhancing how we design, learn, and exchange knowledge.
Bio:
Yael Vinker is a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT CSAIL, working with Prof. Antonio Torralba. She received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Tel Aviv University, advised by Profs. Daniel Cohen-Or and Ariel Shamir. Her research spans computer graphics, computer vision, and machine learning, with a focus on generative models for visual communication. Her work has been recognized with two Best Paper Awards (SIGGRAPH 2022, SIGGRAPH Asia 2023) and a Best Paper Honorable Mention (SIGGRAPH 2023). She was selected as an MIT EECS Rising Star (2024) and received the Blavatnik Prize for Outstanding Israeli Doctoral Students in Computer Science (2024) as well as the VATAT Ph.D. Fellowship. -
Date:01ThursdayJanuary 2026Lecture
Geometric Functional Analysis and Probability Seminar
More information Time 13:30 - 14:30Title The limiting law of the Discrete Gaussian level-linesLocation Jacob Ziskind Building
Room 155 - חדר 155Lecturer Eyal Lubetzky
NYUOrganizer Department of MathematicsContact Abstract Show full text abstract about We will present a recent result with Joe Chen on the low tem...» We will present a recent result with Joe Chen on the low temperature (2+1)D integer-valued Discrete Gaussian (ZGFF) model. The level lines were conjectured to have cube-root fluctuations near the sides of the box, mirroring the Solid-On-Solid picture. The new results resolve this and further recover the joint limit law of the top level-lines near the sides of the box, which is a product of Ferrari—Spohn diffusions. -
Date:01ThursdayJanuary 2026Lecture
Tumor Innervation as a Novel Therapeutic Target
More information Time 14:00 - 15:00Location Candiotty
AuditoriumLecturer Prof. Ronny Drapkin Organizer Dwek Institute for Cancer Therapy Research -
Date:04SundayJanuary 2026Lecture
Foundations of Computer Science Seminar
More information Time 11:00 - 12:15Title Efficient LLM Systems: From Algorithm Design to DeploymentLocation Elaine and Bram Goldsmith Building for Mathematics and Computer Sciences
Room 108 - חדר 108Lecturer Rana Shahout
Harvard UniversityOrganizer Department of Computer Science and Applied MathematicsContact Abstract Show full text abstract about Large Language Models (LLMs) have transformed what machines ...» Large Language Models (LLMs) have transformed what machines can do and how systems are designed to serve them. These models are both computationally and memory demanding, revealing the limits of traditional optimization methods that once sufficed for conventional systems. A central challenge in building LLM systems is improving system metrics while ensuring response quality.
This talk presents approaches for reducing latency in LLM systems to support interactive applications, from scheduling algorithm design to deployment. It introduces scheduling frameworks that use lightweight predictions of request behavior to make informed decisions about prioritization and memory management across two core settings: standalone LLM inference and API-augmented LLMs that interact with external tools. Across both settings, prediction-guided scheduling delivers substantial latency reductions while remaining practical for deployment. -
Date:05MondayJanuary 2026Lecture
A gut sense for microbes
More information Time 15:30 - 16:30Location Benoziyo Brain science building,
Seminar room 113Lecturer M. Maya Kaelberer, Ph.D. Organizer Department of Brain SciencesContact Abstract Show full text abstract about To coexist with our resident microbiota we must possess the ...» To coexist with our resident microbiota we must possess the ability to sense them and adjust our behavior. While the intestine is known to transduce nutrient signals to the brain to guide appetite, the mechanisms by which the host responds in real time to resident gut microbes have remained undefined. We found that specific colonic neuropod cells detect ubiquitous microbial signatures and communicate directly with vagal neurons to regulate feeding behavior. This pathway operates independently of immune or metabolic responses and suggests the host possesses a dedicated sensory circuit to maintain equilibrium. We call this sense at the interface of the biota and the brain the neurobiotic sense. -
Date:07WednesdayJanuary 2026Lecture
Deciphering molecular heterogeneity in tumors with increased EGFR expression towards -individualized treatments
More information Time 14:00 - 15:00Location Max and Lillian Candiotty Building
AuditoriumLecturer Dr. Maria Jubran-Khoury, DMD, PhD Organizer Dwek Institute for Cancer Therapy Research -
Date:08ThursdayJanuary 2026Lecture
Vision and AI
More information Time 12:15 - 13:15Title Model circuits interpretability, and the road to scale it upLocation Jacob Ziskind Building
Lecture Hall - Room 1 - אולם הרצאות חדר 1Lecturer Yaniv Nikankin
TechnionOrganizer Department of Computer Science and Applied MathematicsContact Abstract Show full text abstract about In this talk, we will explore circuit analysis for interpret...» In this talk, we will explore circuit analysis for interpreting neural network models. After some background on the paradigm and techniques of circuit analysis, I'll present two (and a half) research studies demonstrating the breadth of these interpretability methods.
We will explore how this paradigm can help gain scientific insights into how neural network models operate, exemplified in the first work ("Arithmetic without Algorithms", https://technion-cs-nlp.github.io/llm-arithmetic-heuristics) where we use circuit analysis to reveal how language models solve arithmetic prompts. We will also show that circuit analysis can reveal findings on neural network models and help fix existing problems in them --- specifically targeting the issue of poor performance of VLMs on visual tasks compared to equivalent textual tasks (done in the work "Same Task, Different Circuits", https://technion-cs-nlp.github.io/vlm-circuits-analysis). Lastly, if time permits, we will discuss some current directions for future and ongoing work, mainly on scaling circuit analysis to complex tasks.
Bio:
Yaniv Nikankin is a PhD student at the Technion, working with Yonatan Belinkov. His work focuses on interpretability of neural networks, with a recent focus on scaling to analysis of long-form complex tasks. He is particularly excited about cross-domain applications of interpretability in scientific fields, for goals such as better understanding of scientific foundation models such as pLMs. Yaniv is a recipient of the Israeli Higher Education (VATAT) fellowship. -
Date:08ThursdayJanuary 2026Lecture
Geometric Functional Analysis and Probability Seminar
More information Time 13:30 - 14:30Title TBDLocation Jacob Ziskind Building
Room 155 - חדר 155Lecturer Adva Mond
King's CollegeOrganizer Faculty of Mathematics and Computer ScienceContact -
Date:08ThursdayJanuary 2026Lecture
Challenges in CAR T cell therapy in hematologic malignancies and beyond
More information Time 14:00 - 15:00Location Candiotty
AuditoriumLecturer Prof. Elad Jacoby Organizer Dwek Institute for Cancer Therapy Research -
Date:10SaturdayJanuary 202601ThursdayJanuary 2026Lecture
Vision and AI
More information Time 12:15 - 13:15Title Bridging Generative Models and Visual CommunicationLocation Jacob Ziskind Building
Lecture Hall - Room 1 - אולם הרצאות חדר 1Lecturer Yael Vinker
MITOrganizer Department of Computer Science and Applied MathematicsContact Abstract Show full text abstract about From rough sketches that spark ideas to polished illustratio...» From rough sketches that spark ideas to polished illustrations that explain complex concepts, visual communication is central to how humans think, create, and share knowledge. Yet despite major advances in generative AI, we are still far from models that can reason and communicate through visual forms.
I will present my work on bridging generative models and visual communication, focusing on three complementary domains: (1) algorithms for generating and understanding sketches, (2) systems that support exploratory visual creation beyond one-shot generation, and (3) methods for producing editable, parametric images for design applications.
These domains pose unique challenges: they are inherently data-scarce and rely on representations that go beyond pixel-based images commonly used in standard models. I will show how the rich priors of vision-language models can be leveraged to address these challenges through novel optimization objectives and regularization techniques that connect their learned features with the specialized representations required for visual communication.
Looking ahead, this research lays the foundation for general-purpose visual communication technologies: intelligent systems that collaborate with humans in visual domains, enhancing how we design, learn, and exchange knowledge.
Bio:
Yael Vinker is a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT CSAIL, working with Prof. Antonio Torralba. She received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Tel Aviv University, advised by Profs. Daniel Cohen-Or and Ariel Shamir. Her research spans computer graphics, computer vision, and machine learning, with a focus on generative models for visual communication. Her work has been recognized with two Best Paper Awards (SIGGRAPH 2022, SIGGRAPH Asia 2023) and a Best Paper Honorable Mention (SIGGRAPH 2023). She was selected as an MIT EECS Rising Star (2024) and received the Blavatnik Prize for Outstanding Israeli Doctoral Students in Computer Science (2024) as well as the VATAT Ph.D. Fellowship. -
Date:10SaturdayJanuary 202601ThursdayJanuary 2026Lecture
Vision and AI
More information Time 12:15 - 13:15Title Bridging Generative Models and Visual CommunicationLocation Jacob Ziskind Building
Lecture Hall - Room 1 - אולם הרצאות חדר 1Lecturer Yael Vinker
MITOrganizer Department of Computer Science and Applied MathematicsContact Abstract Show full text abstract about From rough sketches that spark ideas to polished illustratio...» From rough sketches that spark ideas to polished illustrations that explain complex concepts, visual communication is central to how humans think, create, and share knowledge. Yet despite major advances in generative AI, we are still far from models that can reason and communicate through visual forms.
I will present my work on bridging generative models and visual communication, focusing on three complementary domains: (1) algorithms for generating and understanding sketches, (2) systems that support exploratory visual creation beyond one-shot generation, and (3) methods for producing editable, parametric images for design applications.
These domains pose unique challenges: they are inherently data-scarce and rely on representations that go beyond pixel-based images commonly used in standard models. I will show how the rich priors of vision-language models can be leveraged to address these challenges through novel optimization objectives and regularization techniques that connect their learned features with the specialized representations required for visual communication.
Looking ahead, this research lays the foundation for general-purpose visual communication technologies: intelligent systems that collaborate with humans in visual domains, enhancing how we design, learn, and exchange knowledge.
Bio:
Yael Vinker is a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT CSAIL, working with Prof. Antonio Torralba. She received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Tel Aviv University, advised by Profs. Daniel Cohen-Or and Ariel Shamir. Her research spans computer graphics, computer vision, and machine learning, with a focus on generative models for visual communication. Her work has been recognized with two Best Paper Awards (SIGGRAPH 2022, SIGGRAPH Asia 2023) and a Best Paper Honorable Mention (SIGGRAPH 2023). She was selected as an MIT EECS Rising Star (2024) and received the Blavatnik Prize for Outstanding Israeli Doctoral Students in Computer Science (2024) as well as the VATAT Ph.D. Fellowship. -
Date:11SundayJanuary 202612MondayJanuary 2026Conference
2nd Bridges of Science Symposium
More information Time 08:00 - 08:00Title 2nd Bridges of Science SymposiumLocation The David Lopatie Conference CentreChairperson Neta Regev-RudzkiHomepage Contact -
Date:12MondayJanuary 2026Lecture
Special Guest Seminar
More information Time 10:00 - 11:00Title ?How Do Extraembryonic Tissues Shape DevelopmentLocation Max and Lillian Candiotty Building
AuditoriumLecturer Dr. Ron Hadas Organizer Department of Immunology and Regenerative BiologyContact -
Date:12MondayJanuary 2026Colloquia
Chemistry colloquium
More information Time 11:00 - 12:15Location Gerhard M.J. Schmidt Lecture HallLecturer Prof. Dongyuan Zhao Homepage -
Date:14WednesdayJanuary 2026Lecture
Special Guest Seminar
More information Time 11:00 - 12:00Location Max and Lillian Candiotty Building
AuditoriumLecturer Dr. Marc Lecuit Organizer Department of Immunology and Regenerative BiologyContact -
Date:15ThursdayJanuary 2026Lecture
Molecular Mechanisms of Synapse and Myelin Development, Plasticity, and Repair
More information Time 10:00 - 11:00Title Insights from the inner ear and prefrontal cortexLocation Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Building for Biomedical Research
Botnar AuditoriumLecturer Gabriel Corfas Organizer Department of Molecular NeuroscienceAbstract Show full text abstract about Glial cells are increasingly recognized as active regulators...» Glial cells are increasingly recognized as active regulators of neural circuit development, plasticity, and repair. This seminar will highlight how supporting cells in the inner ear and myelinating glia in auditory and prefrontal circuits control circuit function. Our work in the inner ear shows how glia influence hearing, in particular the recently described “hidden hearing loss”, while our studies of juvenile social isolation demonstrate our early-life experience reshapes prefrontal myelination, neuronal function, and behavior through epigenetic mechanisms. Together, these findings point to glia‑mediated synaptic and myelin changes as key, complementary pathways through which development, experience, and aging impact circuit performance. -
Date:15ThursdayJanuary 2026Lecture
Geometric Functional Analysis and Probability Seminar
More information Time 13:30 - 14:30Title TBDLocation Jacob Ziskind Building
Room 155 - חדר 155Lecturer Zhenhao Cai
WISOrganizer Faculty of Mathematics and Computer ScienceContact -
Date:15ThursdayJanuary 2026Lecture
Towards the theory of everything- microbiome version
More information Time 14:00 - 15:00Location Candiotty
AuditoriumLecturer Prof. Eran Elinav Organizer Dwek Institute for Cancer Therapy Research -
Date:20TuesdayJanuary 2026Lecture
NitroNet – a machine learning model for the prediction of tropospheric NO2 profiles from TROPOMI observations
More information Time 11:30 - 12:30Location Via zoom onlyLecturer Leon Kuhn Organizer Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesAbstract Show full text abstract about Satellite instruments, such as TROPOMI, are routinelyused to...» Satellite instruments, such as TROPOMI, are routinelyused to quantify tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2)based on its narrowband light absorption in the UV/visible spectral range. The key limitation of suchretrievals is that they can only return the „verticalcolumn density“ (VCD), defined as the integral of theNO2 concentration profile. The profile itself, whichdescribes the vertical distribution of NO2, remainsunknown.This presentation showcases „NitroNet“, the first NO2profile retrieval for TROPOMI. NitroNet is a neuralnetwork, which was trained on synthetic NO2 profilesfrom the regional chemistry and transport model WRFChem,operated on a European domain for the month ofMay 2019. The neural network receives NO2 VCDs fromTROPOMI alongside ancillary variables (meteorology,emission data, etc.) as input, from which it estimates NO2concentration profiles.The talk covers:• an introduction to satellite remote sensing of NO2.• the theoretical underpinnings of NitroNet, how themodel was trained, and how it was validated.• practical new applications that NitroNet enables. -
Date:21WednesdayJanuary 2026Lecture
2025-2026 Spotlight on Science Seminar Series - Dr. Jason Cooper (Department of Science Teaching)
More information Time 12:30 - 14:00Title Why are school mathematics and sciences so boring? How discipline-faithful teaching can make a differenceLocation Gerhard M.J. Schmidt Lecture HallLecturer Jason Cooper Contact Abstract Show full text abstract about One hardly needs to convince theWeizmann community how excit...» One hardly needs to convince theWeizmann community how excitingmathematics and science can be. Yet alltoo often these subjects in school aredreary and mundane, taught as a set offacts that need to be memorized andprocedures that need to be mastered.This does little to help inspire the nextgeneration of mathematicians andscientists. Education researchers havebeen investigating ways to narrow thegap between scientific disciplines andtheir school counterparts for decades,yet this gap has its institutionalrationalities, making the gap frustratinglypersistent. In the talk, I will discuss whythis is a “wicked” problem and presentsome research on approaches to bringthe ethos of the academic disciplinesinto the school subjects.