Exciting News: Awarded the Marguerite Stolz Research Fellowship!

I am honored to share that I have been awarded the Marguerite Stolz Research Fellowship Fund for Junior Faculty in Medicine to support an exciting new research project. This grant will fund our study, "The Association between Fear of Death and Desire to Get Married or Coupled," which explores how existential fears influence interpersonal relationships.

The inspiration for this research comes from my work in disaster management and human behavior in emergencies. We know that mortality salience—the awareness of one's own mortality—triggers various psychological defense mechanisms. One of the most profound of these is the pursuit of close relationships. Historically, marriage rates have surged after traumatic events, such as wars, suggesting that interpersonal commitment may serve as a buffer against existential anxiety.

This study will be conducted by Renata Khamenka, an alumna of our program who is returning to complete her thesis. Using a cross-sectional, intervention-based approach, we will examine how exposure to disaster-related content affects attitudes toward marriage and relationship commitment among a representative sample of Israeli adults.

Beyond its theoretical contributions, this research has practical implications for understanding decision-making in times of crisis. It may also provide insights into how relationship dynamics shift in response to global and personal threats.

I am grateful for the support of the Marguerite Stolz Research Fellowship and look forward to sharing our findings! Stay tuned for updates.