RAMAT GAN, Israel (Press Release)—Bar-Ilan University is establishing a groundbreaking multidisciplinary research center dedicated to studying the post-traumatic consequences of the October 7 attacks and the Swords of Iron War. The new center will conduct large-scale research on the diverse populations affected by the war, including former hostages and their families, soldiers, evacuees from Israel’s southern and northern regions, as well as professionals such as medical teams, emergency responders, and journalists.
The center will be headed by Bar-Ilan University researchers Prof. Rivka Tuval-Mashiach, Prof. Danny Horesh, and Dr. Yael Shoval-Zuckerman.
“Tragically, in the wake of the war, we have a historic opportunity to understand the impact of trauma in real time. We aim to identify both vulnerability and resilience in order to improve diagnosis and treatment. Trauma manifests in both body and mind, and we need research that addresses all these dimensions. We are bringing together Bar-Ilan’s full range of expertise in brain research, biology, psychology, and the social sciences to provide the most comprehensive response possible,” said Prof. Danny Horesh, from Bar-Ilan’s Department of Psychology.
The center will serve as a unique research platform integrating diverse fields of knowledge, including mental health, biology and neuroscience, medicine, law, data science, communication, and more. It will unite leading scholars from across the university to conduct an in-depth, multidisciplinary examination of the war’s consequences using varied methodologies. This initiative reflects the understanding that trauma has far-reaching manifestations—emotional, cognitive, biological, social, and policy-related.
The center’s inaugural study, currently in advanced stages of preparation, will focus on one of the most sensitive and unique populations affected by the war: former hostages who have returned from captivity and their families. The study will examine the psychological, biological/physiological, and social consequences of captivity, identify risk and resilience factors, and evaluate tailored therapeutic responses. Recognizing that release from captivity does not mark the end of the ordeal, the research will explore how psychological effects may persist and evolve over time.
The integrative trauma and resilience research conducted at the center will be designed for translation into practical therapeutic and societal interventions. Its distinctiveness lies in combining quantitative and qualitative research, basic and applied science, and academic scholarship with real-world engagement. The center will also serve as a major hub for academic and research training in trauma studies, incorporating graduate students who will conduct their M.A. theses and Ph.D. dissertations within the center, learn innovative research methodologies, and deepen their understanding of post-trauma across its many dimensions.
Beyond populations directly affected by combat, the center will also examine processes within the general population, recognizing that over the past two years the ripple effects of trauma have reached virtually every household in Israel. Many of the center’s projects will be longitudinal studies, tracking the consequences of the war over time to provide a more precise understanding of their scope and evolution.
The center’s steering committee includes leading researchers from Bar-Ilan University. Prominent trauma experts from around the world will participate in guiding the research agenda, alongside representatives of affected populations, including former hostages, soldiers, family members, and evacuees, who will help shape its priorities.
In addition to its academic contribution, the center aspires to play a key role in shaping Israel’s national agenda. Its findings are expected to generate significant applied impact on the health, education, and welfare systems, and to support all sectors involved in Israel’s rehabilitation efforts in the aftermath of the war.
This initiative is not only an academic endeavor but also a national effort to understand how an entire society copes with trauma, and to translate that understanding into meaningful action.
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Preceding provided by Bar-Ilan University.