Born in Vilnius Lithuania, and Moved to Israel in 1972

CURRICULUM VITAE

RAFAEL LEVI

17. Oct. 2018

Address:

17062 Pacific Coast Hwy

Unit 203

Huntington Beach, CA , 92649

USA

Tel: +1-310-735-3466

Email:

Personal:

Born in Vilnius Lithuania, and moved to Israel in 1972.

Israeli Citizen and permanent resident in the US.

B.Sc.:

Biology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel 1991.

Ph.D.:

1999, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.Department of Cell & Animal Biology.

Thesis: Coding for wind direction in the cockroach escape response.

advisor: Professor J.M. Camhi.

Currently

RTPC Lecturer, Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.

Appointments

Sep 2014-present RTPC Lecturer, Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.

May 2016- Jul 2016 Visiting scientist Visiting scientist. Department of Computer Science, Universidad Autonoma, Madrid, Spain.

2012-2014 Post doctoral researcher, Whitney lab for Marine Bioscience,
University of Florida, St Augustine, Florida

2011-2014 (summer) Visiting scientist. Department of Computer Science, Universidad Autonoma, Madrid, Spain.

2010-2012 Assistant Project Scientist, Department of Neurobiology & Behavior,
University of California, Irvine, California

2009 Assistant Project Scientist, Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology
University of California, Irvine, California

2006 to 2009 Research Scientist, Department of Computer Science, Universidad Autonoma, Madrid, Spain

2001 to 2007. Assistant Project Scientist, Institute for Nonlinear Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA

2002 and 2003 June-August Adjunct researcher, Ocean Science Centre, Memorial University, NF, Canada

2000-2001 Postgraduate Research Scientist, Institute for Nonlinear Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA

1998to 2000 - Postgraduate Research Scientist, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR.

Additional Training:

Neural Systems and Behavior course, Woods Hole, MA, 1993.

Research Interests:

Causality of animal behavior and how it is exerted by the nervous system is the common motive in my research. In particular, I look at the relationship between neural structure neural function and neural dynamics in the context of behavior and its natural environment.

Working on variety of preparation, my defining factor in choosing the experimental system is the question at hand and how the specific system would be suitable to address it. I used simpler invertebrate systems to study coding in sensory system or the effect of neuronal properties on motor activity, as well as, generation of a more complex search behaviors. Also as required by the question, I use a wide range of experimental techniques from electrophysiology to functional imaging and nonlinear dynamics analysis. Using computer/neural hybrid systems offers a great opportunity to interactively investigating the dynamics of small and larger neural systems. More recently, I started combining electrophysiology and imaging methods with genetically modified zebrafish larvea lateral line system.

Teaching experience:

1.Head teaching assistant in the Hebrew University international summer course: “Laboratory course in neural mechanisms of animal behavior”, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 1994, 1996.

2.Guest lecturer in an undergraduate course on neural mechanisms of animal behavior, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

3.Laboratory organizer and head teacher in introductory courses of animal behavior, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

4.Other teaching: Teaching assistant in an introductory courses on Zoology and Development, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

5.Guest lecturer in graduate computational Neuroscience courses, Universidad Autonoma, Madrid.

6.2014 Lecturer in basic biology lab course section (BIOSCI 120), University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.

7.2014 Lecturer in General Physiology lab course section (BIOSCI 307), University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.

8.2015 Lecturer in basic biology lab course section (BIOSCI 120), University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.

9.2016 Lecturer in General Physiology lab course section (BIOSCI 307), University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.

10.2016 Lecturer in Discussion for Neurobiology (BIOSCI 421), University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.

Awards and Scholarships:

1.Young investigator award of the International Society for Neuroethology at the 1996 meeting in Cambridge, UK.

2.Sabbatical for Visiting Researchers, Spanish Ministry of Education (2006).

Societies membership:

1.International Society for Neuroethology.

2.Society for Neuroscience.

3.IsraeliSociety for Neuroscience.

Invitations: conferences, symposia, plenary lectures:

1.Conference on Perspectives in the Neurobiology of Movement Control: From Systems to Subcellular Level, Blaubeuren, Germany. July 1999.

2.Conference on Topical Problems of Nonlinear Wave Physics (NWP-2003), Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 6-12 September 2003.

3.Guest lecturer in the Neuroscience program seminar series, University of California Riverside. November 2004.

4.Summer school for ‘Nonlinear Dynamics in Robotics’. August 4-8, 2008, Escorial, Madrid, Spain.

Ad hoc reviewer:

●The Journal of Experimental Biology.

●FEBS letters.

●National Science Foundation.

●Journal of the Royal Society Interface

●National Geographic Society Grants

Ad hoc committees:

●Ph.D committee of Gonzalo Martín Vázquezin the Medical school of Universidad Autonoma, Madrid, Spain.

Publications:

Peer reviewed papers:

1.Levi R, Akanyeti O, Ballo A, Liao JC (2014) Frequency response properties of primary afferent neurons in the posterior lateral line system of larval zebrafish. J. Neurophysiol 113 (2): 657-668.

2.Serrano E, Nowotny T, Levi R, Smith BH, Huerta R (2013) Gain Control Network Conditions in Early Sensory Coding. PLoSComputBiol 9:e1003133.

3.Latorre R, Levi R, Varona P. (2013) Transformation of context dependent sensory dynamics into motor behavior In preparation. PLoSComputBiol 9:2:e1002908

4.Chamorro P, Muniz C, Levi R, Arroyo D,.Rodríguez FB, Varona P. (2012) Generalization of the Dynamic Clamp Concept in Neurophysiology and Behavior.PLoSONE :7: e40887.

5.Xu X, Olivas N, Levi R, Ikrar T, Nenadic Z. (2010) High Precision and Fast Functional Mapping of Cortical Circuitry Through a Novel Combination of Voltage Sensitive Dye Imaging and Laser Scanning Photostimulation.J Neurophysiol 103:2301-2312.

6.Nowotny T, Levi R, Selverston AI. (2008). Data-driven conductance based model of an identified cell: Implications for the significance of observed variability in neural systems.PLoS ONE 3(7): e2627.

7.Muñiz C,Levi R, Benkrid M, Rodriguez F and Varona P. (2008). Real-time control of stepping motors for mechanosensory stimulation.Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 172:105-111.

8.Nowotny T, Szücs A, Levi R, Selverston AI (2007) Models wagging the dog: Are Circuits Constructed with Disparate Parameters? Neural Comput. 19: 1985-2003.

9.Levi R and Selverston AI. (2006). Mechanisms underlying type I mGluR-induced activation of lobster gastric mill neurons.J Neurophysiol. 96:3378-3388.

10.Levi R, Varona P, Arshavsky YI, Rabinovich MI and Selverston AI. (2005) The role of sensory network dynamics in generating a motor program. J. Neurosci 25(42):9807-9815.

11.Varona P, Levi R, Arshavsky YI, Rabinovich MI, Selverston AI. (2004). Competing sensory neurons and motor rhythm coordination.Neurocomputing 58-60: 549-554.

12.Levi R, Varona P, Arshavsky YI, Rabinovich MI and Selverston AI. (2004) Dual sensory-motor function for a molluskanstatocyst network.J Neurophysiol. 91: 336-45.

13.Levi R, Samoilova M and Selverston A.I. (2003) Calcium signaling components of oscillating invertebrate neurons in vitro. Neuroscience; 118: 283-96.

14.Elazar, M., Levi, R. and Zlotkin, E. (2001) Targeting of an expressed neurotoxin by its recombinant baculovirus. J. Exp. Biol. 204:2637-2645.

15.Levi, R. and Camhi, J.M. (2000) Population vector coding by the giant interneurons of the cockroach. J. Neurosci. 20(10):3822-3829.

16.Levi, R. and Camhi, J.M. (2000) Wind direction coding in the cockroach escape response: winner does not take all. J. Neurosci. 20(10):3814-3821.

17.Ezrachi E, Levi R, Camhi, J.M and Parnas H.(1999) Right-left discrimination in a biologically oriented model of the cockroach escape system.Biol. Cybr. 81(2):89-99.

18.Levi, R. and Camhi, J.M. (1996) Producing directed behavior: Muscle activity patterns of the cockroach escape response. J. Exp. Biol. 199(3):536-568.

19.Levi R. and Camhi, J.M. (1995) Distributing coordinated motor outputs to several body segments: escape movements in the cockroach.J. Comp. Physiol. A. 177:427-437.

Papers in preparation:

20.Arroyo D, Chamorro P, Marinazzo D, Levi R,. Rodriguez FB, Varona P. Cooperative voltage and calcium dynamics in single neurons of central pattern generators. Frontiers in neuroinformatics (In presparation).

21.Chamorro P, Levi R, Rodríguez FB, Pinto RD and Varona P. Application for real-time activity-dependent drug microinjection in bursting neurons of crab. (In preparation).

22.Volkovskii A, Levi R, Pinto R, Selverston AI and Rabinovich M. Phase Maintenance of Neural Oscillations via Frequency Control by a Synaptic Current. (In preparation).

Selected abstracts and conference papers:

1.R. Levi and J.M. Camhi, (1995). A population vector code for wind direction in the cockroach giant interneurons. Proceedings 4th International Congress of Neuroethology (M. Burrows, T. Matheson, P.L. Newland and H. Sculppe eds.) pp. 216.

2.R. Levi, J. Monterrubio, C. Zuazaga and A.I. Selverston (1999). Metabotropic glutamate agonists and intracellular Ca++ in the lobster stomatogastric ganglion. Neurosci. Abs. 29.

3.R. Levi, M. Samoilova, F.L. Santana, A.I. Selverston (2000) Calcium signaling components of oscillating invertebrates neurons. Soc. Neurosci. Abs. 30:591.2.

4.P. Varona, R. Levi, Y.I. Arshavsky, M.I. Rabinovich, A.I. Selverston. (2003). Dual role for a statocyst: as a sensory organ and as a part of the motor pattern generator. Soc. Neurosci. Abs. 29: 403.16 New Orleans (USA).

5.R. Levi, P. Varona, Y.I. Arshavsky, A.I. Selverston, M.I. Rabinovich. (2003). Generation of an irregular motor program by a sensory organ. Topical Problems of Nonlinear Wave Physics (NWP-2003), Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 6-12 September 2003.

6.R. Levi and A.I. Selverston (2003). Metabotropic glutamate effects in the lobster stomatogastric ganglion. Soc. Neurosci. Abs. 29: 604.9.

7.A. Volkovskii, R. Levi, A. Selverston, M. Rabinovich, and R. Pinto. (2003) Phase Maintenance of Neural Oscillations via Frequency Control by a Synaptic Current. Soc. Neurosci. Abs. 29: 605.9.

8.R. Levi, P. Varona, Y.I. Arshavsky, M.I. Rabinovich, A.I. Selverston. (2005) Dual role for a statocyst: as a sensory organ and as a part of the motor pattern generator. Gordon Research conference: NEUROETHOLOGY: BEHAVIOR, EVOLUTION & NEUROBIOLOGY. August 7-12, 2005. Magdalen College Oxford, United Kingdom.

9.Volkovskii A, Brugioni S, Levi R, Rabinovich M, Selverston A, Abarbane HDI. Analog electronic model of the lobster pyloric central pattern generator. [Journal Paper] Journal of Physics: Conference Series, vol.23, no.1, 2005, pp. 47-57.

10.Selverston, A.I.; Rabinovich, M.I.; Huerta, R.; Novotny, T.; Levi, R.; Arshavsky, Y.; Volkovskii, A.; Ayers, J.; Pinto, R., "Biomimetic Central Pattern Generators for Robotics and Prosthetics," Robotics and Biomimetics, 2004. ROBIO 2004. IEEE International Conference on , vol., no., pp. 885-888, 22-26 Aug. 2004

11.Pablo Chamorro, Rafael Levi, Francisco B Rodríguez, Reynaldo D Pinto and Pablo Varona. Real-time activity-dependent drug microinjection.BMC Neuroscience2009, 10(Suppl 1):P296.

12.Nowotny T, Szucs A, Levi R, Selverston AI (2009) Homeostasis versus neuronal variability: Models and experiments in crustaceans. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 153:S154-S155.

13.Pablo Chamorro, Pablo Varona , Francisco B. Rodriguez, Daniele Marinazzo, Rafael Levi (2011) A model study for causal relationships between voltage and calcium dynamics. Twentieth Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting CNS*2011, July 23-28, 2011 in Stockholm, Sweden.BMC Neuroscience 2011, 12(Suppl 1):P359

14.James C. Liao, OtarAkanyeti, Rafael Levi. “50 Years of Underwater Bioacoustics”. Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, Sarasota, Florida. May 25th, 2013.

15.Levi R, Ballow A, Akanyeti O, Liao J. Frequency response properties of the zebrafish larval lateral line. 352.12. 2013 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. San Diego, CA: Society for Neuroscience, 2013.

16.I. Elices, D. Arroyo, R. Levi, F.B. Rodriguez, P. Varona. 2016. Assessing irregularity and coordination of spiking-bursting rhythms in central pattern generators. BMC Neuroscience 2016, 17(Suppl 1):O1 (CNS 2016, Jeju, S. Korea).