Omri Abend
Omri Abend is a computational linguist who works in computer science and cognitive science at the Hebrew University. In 2013, he and Ari Rappoport introduced Universal Conceptual Cognitive Annotation, or UCCA, a multilayer framework for representing semantic distinctions. Their paper studied portability across domains and languages and how annotators learn the scheme. His research also connects semantic representation with statistical learning, machine translation, information extraction, and computational models of child language acquisition.
- Works
- 142
- Citations
- 2,084
- h-index
- 25
Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 14 October 2026.
Timeline
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2013
A shared representation of meaning
Abend and Ari Rappoport introduced UCCA at ACL in August 2013. The framework uses multiple layers to record semantic distinctions in language. The paper’s first layer represents relations such as argument structure and the connections between them, with room for later extension.
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2013
Testing portability and annotation
The UCCA paper examined portability across domains and languages and sensitivity to changes in sentence form that preserve meaning. It also described an annotated corpus and tested how quickly annotators learned the scheme.
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As of October 2026
Statistical learning and language technology
At the Hebrew University, Abend studies semantic representation from a computational perspective. His research connects semantic representation to statistical learning, machine translation, and information extraction. These are practical language technology problems that require systems to handle meaning, beyond the words in a sentence.
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As of October 2026
Language and cognitive science
His research also includes computational modelling of child language acquisition. His faculty work spans computer science and cognitive science. This connects his work on language technology with questions about learning and representation in people.
Sources and credits
Photo: cs.huji.ac.il; Omri Abend's Homepage; creator not stated. License: Not stated by source. Source: cs.huji.ac.il. Cropped to a square and resized. Ask us to remove or replace this photo.