• B.S. in Bioengineering, Summa Cum Laude, University of California, Berkeley , 2002
• M.S. in Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 2004
• Ph.D. in Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 2008

• Movement control with sensory substitution devices: sensory substitution devices (SSDs) convey information usually conveyed by one sense (e.g., vision) using another sense (e.g., audition). With Prof. Amir Amedi, I have been studying movements made to targets presented by auditory signals. We compare these to movements made towards visual targets. We found that participants made fast and accurate movements using the SSD, similar to movements made when visual feedback was available. The ultimate goal is to design aids for the Blind and the visually impaired, to assist in their perception and interaction with their environment. Our recently published paper compares movements with an SSD to visually guided movements. In this study, we used the EyeMusic, a visual-to-auditory SSD, which conveys visual information using musical notes.
• In another recently published study, we showed that information about space that is learned with the visual sense is used when making movements that are guided by the EyeMusicSSD.
• Rhythmic movement in healthy individuals: I have been studying rhythmic movements generated by healthy adults, and together with my colleagues found evidence for at least two distinct sub-types of rhythmic movement: one that is of a more discrete nature, and one that is of a more harmonic nature. With Prof. Amir Karniel, I studied the potential sources for the choice made by the human motor control system to employ one movement type vs. the other.
• Rhythmic movement in Parkinson's disease patients: In studying rhythmic movements generated by individuals with Parkinson's disease, we have described a fascinatingmitigatory effect that removing visual feedback has on bradykinesia (slowness of movement; a hallmark of the disease). This finding opens the door to potential new approaches to physical therapy for PD patients, as a complement to existing ones.
• Handshake movements in healthy individuals and individuals with Cerebral Palsy (CP): As part of the "Handhshake team" at the CMCL, and in collaboration with Dr. Simona Bar-Haim, we studied the rhythmic nature of the human handshake, and the variations in movement parameters with CP. Turing-like Handshake Test website. See what the folks at "Improbable research" have to say about the Turing-like handshake test.

·         Other ways of seeing: from behavior to neural mechanisms in the online “visual” control of action with sensory substitution

Proulx M.J., Gwinnutt J., Dell’Erba S., Levy-Tzedek S., de Sousa A.A., & Brown D.J. (Accepted to RNN Oct 2015)
 

·         Integration and binding in rehabilitative sensory substitution: increasing resolution using a new Zooming-In approach 

Buchs G., Maidenbaum S., Levy-Tzedek S., Amedi A. (Accepted to RNN Oct 2015)

·         Color improves ‘visual’ acuity via sound.
Levy-Tzedek S., Riemer D., Amedi A. , Frontiers in Neuroscience, 8:358 (2014) [LINK]

·         Blind in a virtual world: The effect of extended sensory range on the characteristics of visionless virtual navigation Maidenbaum S., Levy-Tzedek S., Chebat D.R., Namer-Furstenberg R., Amedi A.  Multisensory Research, 27(5-6); 379 – 397 (2014) [PDF]

·         The “EyeCane”, a new Electronic Travel Aid for the blind: Technology, behavior & swift learning.
Maidenbaum S., Hanassy S., Abboud S., Buchs G., Chebat D.R., Levy-Tzedek S. , Amedi A. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, 32(6); 813-824 (2014) [PDF]

·         EyeMusic: Introducing a “visual” colorful experience for the blind using auditory sensory substitution. 
Abboud S*., Hanassy S*., Levy-Tzedek S., Maidenbaum S., Amedi A.   Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, 32(2); 247-257  * equal contribution (2014) [PDF]

·         Depth-To-Audio Sensory Substitution for Navigation in Virtual Environments. 
Maidenbaum S., Chebat D.R., Levy-Tzedek S., Amedi A.  Human Computer Interfaces (HCI) 8513, 398-406 (2014) [PDF]

·         Increasing accessibility tothe blind of virtual environments, using a virtual mobility aid based on the "EyeCane": feasibility study. 
Maidenbaum S., Levy-Tzedek S., Chebat D.R., Amedi A. PLoS ONE, 8(8): e72555 (2013) [LINK]

·         Cross-sensory transfer of sensory-motor information: visuomotor learning affects performance on an audiomotor task, using sensory-substitution.
Levy-Tzedek S., Novick I., Arbel R., Abboud S., Maidenbaum S., Vaadia E., Amedi A. Scientific Reports (Nature Group) 2 (949) (2012) [LINK]

·         Fast, Accurate Reaching Movements with a Visual-to-Auditory Sensory Substitution Device.
Levy-Tzedek S., Hanassy S., Abboud S., Maidenbaum S., Amedi A.  Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience 30(4); 313-323 (2012) [PDF]

·         The Effects of Rhythmicity and Amplitude on Transfer of Motor Learning.
Ben-Tov M., Levy-Tzedek S., Karniel A.  PLoS ONE 7(10): e46983 (2012) [LINK]

·         Virtual 3D shape and orientation discrimination using point distance information.
Maidenbaum S., Arbel R., Abboud S., Chebat D.R., Levy-Tzedek S., Amedi A. Intl Conf. Disability, Virtual Reality & Associated Technologies(2012) [PDF]

·         Rhythmic movements are larger, faster but with the same frequency upon removal of visual feedback.
Levy-Tzedek S., Ben Tov M. and Karniel A.  J Neurophysiol. 106(5); 2120-2126 (2011) [PDF]

·         Rhythmic movement in Parkinson’s disease: effects of visual feedback and medication state.
Levy-Tzedek S., Krebs H.I., Arle J.E., Shils J.L., Poizner H. Exp Brain Res. 211(2); 277-286 (2011) [PDF]

·         Early switching between movement types: indication of predictive control?
Levy-Tzedek S., Ben Tov M. and Karniel A. Brain Research Bulletin 85(5); 283-288 (2011) [PDF]

·         Non-monotonicity on a spatio-temporally defined cyclic task: evidence of two movement types?
Levy-Tzedek S., Krebs, H.I., Song, D., Hogan, N., Poizner, H. Exp Brain Res. 202(4); 733-746. (2010) [PDF]

·         One Dimensional Turing-Like Handshake Test for Motor Intelligence.
Karniel A., Avraham G., Peles B.C., Levy-Tzedek S., Nisky I. J Vis Exp. 46: p. e2492 (2010) [PDF]

·         A Turing-like Handshake Test for Motor Intelligence.
Karniel A., Nisky I., Avraham G., Peles B.C., Levy-Tzedek S. Eurohaptics (2010) [PDF]

·         A Paradigm-Shift: Rehabilitation Robotics.
Krebs, H.I., Dipietro, L., Levy-Tzedek, S., Fasoli, S., Rykman, A., Zipse, J., Fawcett, J., Stein, J., Poizner, H., Lo, A., Volpe, B., Hogan, N.  IEEE EMB. 24(7); 61-70. (2008)

·         Parkinson’s Disease: A Motor Control Study Using a Wrist Robot.
Levy-Tzedek, S., Krebs, H.I., Shils, J.L, Apetaurova, D., Arle, J.E. Advanced Robotics. 21(10); 1201-1213. (2007) [PDF]