I was born in Moscow, Russia, and received my MA and Ph.D. in medical sociology and demography in former Soviet academic institutions, followed by the post-doc at Oxford University, UK. In late 1991, I immigrated to Israel where I continued my academic career, initially as research fellow at the Hebrew University and Shiba Medical Center. In October 1994, I joined Bar-Ilan's Sociology & Anthropology faculty as Lecturer (Graduate Program in Sociology of Health) and made Full Professor by 2006. I was elected Chair for three terms in 2002-2009 and again in 2018. My main lines of work are in sociology of women's health and reproduction, immigration, and intercultural relations in pluralistic societies. I live in Tel Aviv and have one adult daughter.

• Sociology of immigration and migrant integration
• Ethnic relations and multicultural societies
• Sociology of health and illness; Immigrant health and well-being
• Immigrant youth and inter-generational relations
• Russian-speaking Jewry in Israel and in the West
• Sociology of sexuality, reproduction and family planning