Dr. Liran Kalderon
Department of Physical Therapy
My life before BGU:
I was born and raised in Jerusalem — there’s simply no place like it. My academic path included a bachelor’s and master’s degree in physical therapy from Tel Aviv University, followed by a PhD in medical sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, in the Department of Physical Therapy.
Why BGU?
I first came to the University while searching for a supervisor in my research field. Here, I found an impressive academic team and a professional, supportive, and remarkably collegial environment—one that made my connection to the place feel entirely natural.
My research:
My research focuses on vestibular rehabilitation — specialized physical therapy for dizziness and balance disorders — with particular emphasis on patient adherence to exercise. Through my clinical work with patients experiencing dizziness, I repeatedly encountered the difficulty many face in maintaining their home exercise routines, despite their proven effectiveness and critical importance to treatment. The intersection of clinical practice and research lies at the heart of my work, with the aim of identifying barriers to adherence and developing practical approaches that improve both the treatment experience and clinical outcomes.
An insight from my research:
One of my central insights is that listening carefully to people’s lived experiences is no less important than analyzing quantitative data; it allows us to better understand processes, refine them, and ultimately improve them.
Something that doesn’t appear on my CV:
Running outdoors is my way of organizing my thoughts, often punctuated by spontaneous stops to admire especially cute dogs along the way. In general, I have a slightly excessive fondness for animals.
Sources of inspiration:
They change constantly and usually come from people I’ve met, patients, students, and colleagues, as well as from the everyday encounter between practice, curiosity, and learning.
In brief
- Summer or winter? Each season, has its right time.
- Steak or tofu? Not much of a meat eater, but tofu hasn’t quite convinced me either.
- Shuk or shopping mall? Shuk.
- Instant coffee or espresso? Espresso, obviously. But sometimes there’s room for a teachers’ lounge instant coffee, in a mug.
- Trekking or the beach? Trekking.
- Car or train? Train when possible, car when necessary.
- Classical Europe or the Far East? Classical Europe, especially Eastern Europe, though I’m very curious about the Far East
- Sea or pool? Sea
- Dog or cat? Dog
- Fantasy or reality? Fantasy
Personal website
https://cris.bgu.ac.il/en/persons/liran-kalderon/
