Avner Kantor
I am a Computational Social Scientist specializing in the intersection of information systems, decision-making, and public policy. I recently completed my PhD at the University of Haifa under the supervision of Prof. Sheizaf Rafaeli, where my research focused on how data journalism shapes civic engagement and rationality in online discourse.
My work bridges the gap between academic theory and real-world application. Alongside my academic research on digital platforms, I have extensive experience in Healthcare Analytics and Official Statistics. As a Data Scientist at Maccabi Health Services and the Central Bureau of Statistics, I applied machine learning and time-series forecasting to solve complex operational challenges—from predicting physician burnout to analyzing national health trends during the COVID-19 pandemic.
My academic roots lie in Philosophy and Education, where I first developed a passion for critical thinking and rational inquiry. Over the years, my toolkit has evolved from philosophical logic to computational methods (NLP, SNA). Today, I use these tools to understand not just how people argue, but how data availability shapes their decisions—whether in a comment section of the New York Times or in a clinical setting.
I am a passionate advocate for open knowledge. I created an open-data platform for the OECD’s PISA database to make educational findings accessible to the public. I am also a long-time editor and community member of the Hebrew Wikipedia, believing that accessible knowledge is a key driver for social change.