By David Yagudayev, Science and Technology Editor
Gabriel Ghalandar (YC ‘27) is a sophomore at Yeshiva University, pursuing a major in biology with a minor in finance. He went to high school at North Shore Hebrew Academy (NSHAHS). He currently works in the research lab of Professor Yaniv Cohen, Clinical Associate Professor of Biology at YU, where he contributes to innovative work focused on visual empathy and brain wave analysis.
What do you study in Dr. Cohen’s lab?
In Dr. Yaniv Cohen’s lab, we explored the neurological basis of visual empathy. Working alongside a focused group of students interested in neuroscience, we examine how emotional responses are processed and potentially shared between individuals. Our methodology uses EEG (electroencephalogram) headsets to record brain activity during interactive experiments. Two participants are seated face-to-face, where only one is exposed to an emotionally provocative image, while the other receives no visual stimulus. We then study whether the unexposed participant’s brain reflects any empathetic resonance, offering insight into how emotions might be communicated without words or direct experience.
How did you get involved in this research?
I first heard about Dr. Cohen’s lab through other students, and the idea of measuring brain activity immediately grabbed my attention. The complexity of neuroscience has always fascinated me, so I reached out to Dr. Cohen to learn more and see how I can get involved. He took the time to walk me through his research, explaining what the lab was working on and what he hoped to achieve.
Right away, I knew I wanted to be involved. I jumped onto his current project, helping with both recording and analyzing neural data picked up by our devices. Seeing raw brain activity and turning it into something meaningful has been an incredible experience. It’s deepened my interest in neuroscience and reinforced my passion for medicine, biotech and research.
What did you hope to gain from this research experience?
I hoped to gain real hands-on experience in conducting research – from setting up experiments to analyzing data and interpreting results. But beyond that, I was excited by the idea of contributing to something entirely new, something that hasn’t been done before. There’s something really motivating about being part of a project that could open up a previously unexplored area of neuroscience. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll even be listed as the first author (fingers crossed).
What role do you play in this lab?
In Dr. Cohen’s lab, my role involves both conducting EEG-based experiments and analyzing the resulting neural data to explore how visual stimuli may trigger empathetic responses in others. Using non-invasive EEG caps, we observe brain activity in paired participants – one exposed to emotional images, the other unexposed – to investigate whether and how emotional states can be neurologically transferred. I focus on identifying patterns and connections in the brain wave data that may point to new mechanisms of visual empathy. This research not only contributes to a growing body of work in cognitive neuroscience, but also has the potential to reveal insights that have never before been documented.
Is there anything you encountered that was especially difficult during the research?
One of the most difficult challenges we encountered was finding participants who were comfortable with the setup, especially given that the EEG caps require conductive gel to be applied to the scalp, an uncomfortable position for many. Additionally, the entire process, from setting up the equipment and recording sessions to analyzing the resulting data, is extremely tedious and requires an in-depth understanding of alpha and beta waves, as well as knowing how to properly navigate the EEG software.
A particularly difficult aspect was dealing with interference waves that can appear in EEG readings due to environmental or physiological noise. However, this challenge ultimately proved to be an opportunity. In learning how to isolate and disregard these irrelevant signals, we were pushed to deepen our understanding of the brain wave data itself. It refined our ability to recognize meaningful neural patterns and forced us to approach the analysis with even greater precision and insight.
What did you find most interesting about your research?
What I found most interesting about this research was the ability to actually see brain waves in real time and connect them to emotional responses we experience every day – whether it’s happiness, sadness, frustration or excitement. Being able to visualize how the brain reacts to specific emotional stimuli gave me a completely new appreciation for the complexity of human connection and how our minds process the world around us. It made the abstract concept of emotion feel tangible, almost measurable, in a way I hadn’t experienced before. On top of that, the collaborative aspect of the project made the experience even more rewarding. Since the research involved working closely with a small group, we not only learned a lot from each other, but also developed strong friendships along the way, which made the long hours in the lab genuinely enjoyable.
Lastly, do you have any advice for students interested in lab positions?
Of course, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask to get involved in research – it can be intimidating at first, but professors are often excited to bring on curious and motivated students. That said, my advice is to go into a lab not just looking to build your resume, but to genuinely contribute and learn. Be open to the slow parts of the process, because real discovery often happens when you’re troubleshooting or digging through data that doesn’t make immediate sense. Also, try to find research that sparks questions in your mind, not just answers – those are the projects that will keep you engaged. And finally, remember that science is collaborative; the relationships you build with your labmates can be just as meaningful as the research itself. For me, this experience has been a reminder that some of the most valuable learning happens when you step into something unfamiliar and decide to figure it out anyway.
Photo Caption: Gabriel Ghalandar
Photo Credit: Gabriel Ghalandar