When I was 20 years old, I was involved in a severe car accident that led me to a profound understanding of human frailty. This understanding made me look for ways to make my years on this planet meaningful and helpful for frail individuals.

I dedicate my life to exploring how aging well may help decrease frailty in later life. I have authored over 100 articles published in leading scientific journals and collective volumes, and presented in numerous national and international conferences.

Whereas a lot of my work is theoretical, it has a clear and practical aspiration. By educating students, practitioners and policymakers about the means for aging well, I aim to support the development of adequate services and technologies that can contribute to a better quality of life for older individuals.

My interdisciplinary research combines knowledge and methods from fields including sociology, psychology, gerontology, communication, culture studies, social work, health sciences, and computer and robotics engineering.

I was thus an absolute “non-mainstream” and struggled to find an academic home. I was fortunate to get a position at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, which not only accepts this kind of research but also endorses it.

While working on my recently published book, The Aging of Aquarius: The Hippies of the 60s in Their 60s and Beyond, I realized that deep down, I am a hippie trying to make the world a better place. When I discover an exciting model for aging well, such as the hippie model, I write about it in a friendly manner accessible to academics and non-academics alike.

I plan to increase my involvement in national and international organizations focusing on the older population and, hopefully, age well while doing so.