I serve as Full Professor in Psychobiology and Physiological Psychology at the Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestrari", Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna. I lead the Non-invasive brain stimulation research group at the Center for studies and research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Cesena Campus.
I serve as research consultant at IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome and Universidad Católica del Maule (Talca, Chile). I am president of the international advisory board of the Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia at Universidad de la Laguna (Tenerife, Spain), member of the international advisory board of the Latin American Brain Health institute, at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (Santiago, Chile), and elected member of the International Neuropsychology Symposium.
I graduated with a master degree in
Experimental Psychology and a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience at Sapienza University of Rome. I performed research at the Department
of Psychology, University of Rome "La Sapienza" (2000-2006), Centro
Ricerche di Neuropsicologia, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia di Roma
(2000-2006), Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience , University
College of London (2005-2006), Autism Research Centre, University
of Cambridge (2005), University of Groningen (2008-2009) e
University of La Laguna (2013-2014); and have several scientific
collaborations with national and international institutes.
My research interests deal with Social, cognitive and affective Neuroscience and with the development and validation of novel neurostimulation protocols for the investigation of brain plasticity in humans. I serve as Editor and Referee for peer-reviewed international scientific journals. I am member
of the Associazione Italiana di Psicologia (AIP) and Societa' Italiana di Psicofisiologia e Neuroscienze Cognitive (SIPF).
Current Position:
- 2019-to present. Full Professor, Department of
Psychology, University of Bologna "Alma Mater Studiorum",
Italy.
Professional experience:
- 2021-2022. Research consultant, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome.
- 2019-to date. Research consultant, Universidad Católica del Maule, Cile.
- 2014-2019. Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Bologna.
- 2007-2019. Affiliated researcher, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome.
- 2006-2014. Researcher, Faculty and Department of Psychology, University of Bologna.
- 2003-2006. Research fellow, Dept. of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome and Center for research in Neuropsychology , IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome.
- 2003. Research fellow, Department of Neurological and Vision Sciences, University of Verona.
Education:
- PhD in "Cognitive Neuroscience". Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
- European Diploma in Cognitive and Brain Science. Hanse Institute
in Advanced Science, Delmenhorst, Germany.
- Degree in "Experimental Psychology". Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Score: 110/110 cum laude
- Diploma in Scientific Studies. Liceo scientifico statale "A.
Labriola". Rome, Italy. Score: 60/60
Research grants:
- 2023. PRIN 2022 (Role: PI; Prot. num. 2022NEE53Z).
- 2023. Imminent Research grant Translated (Role: Co-PI; PI: S. Battaglia).
- 2023. FISM 2022 (Role: PI; Prot. num. 58/23/F14.
- 2022. Bial Foundation grant programme 2022/2023 (Role: PI; Prot. num. 304/2022).
- 2022. Partenariati Estesi PNRR, Neuroscience and neuropharmacology. Project MNESYS (Role: member PI; Prot. num PE0000006).
- 2022. Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna, Italy (Role: PI; Prot. num. 1402bis/2021).
- 2020. Ricerca Finalizzata 2019, Ministero della salute (Role: Co-PI; PI: S.M. Aglioti; Prot. num. RF-2019-12368598).
- 2018. 2018 Grant, Bial Foundation (Role: PI; Prot. num. 347/18).
- 2017. Alma Attrezzature 2017, Universita' di Bologna (Role: member; PI: M. Viroli).
- 2017. Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna, Italy (Role: PI; Prot. num. 339bis/2017).
- 2016. 2016 Grant, Bial Foundation, Portogallo (Role: Co-PI; PI: S. Borgomaneri; Prot. num. 298/16).
- 2014. Research Grant 2014, Cogito Foundation, Svizzera (Role: PI; Prot. num. 14-139-R).
- 2013. Research Grant 2013, Cogito Foundation, Svizzera (Role: PI; Prot. num. R-117/13).
- 2013. FARB 2012, Universita' di Bologna (Role: member; PI: E. Ladavas).
- 2012. Bando Futuro in Ricerca 2012, Ministero Istruzione Universita' Ricerca (Role: local coordinator; Prot. num. RBFR12F0BD).
- 2012. Bando Giovani Ricercatori 2010, Ministero della Salute (Role: PI; Prot. Num. GR-2010-2319335).
- 2011. Progetto CUIA, Consorzio Interuniversitario Italiano per l'Argentina (Role: local coordinator; PI: C. Urgesi).
- 2010. Cassa di Risparmio di Cesena (Role: member; PI: E. Ladavas).
- 2010. University of Groningen (Role: PI).
- 2009. Ministero Istruzione Universita' e Ricerca. PRIN 2007 (Role: member; PI: G. di Pellegrino).
- 2009. Project Seed 2009, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Role: local coordinator; PI: S.M. Aglioti; Prot. Num. 21538).
- 2008. Cassa di Risparmio di Cesena (Role: member; PI: E. Ladavas).
- 2008. Polo Scientifico-Didattico di Cesena / Ser.In.Ar (Role: PI).
- 2007-to date. Fondi Ateneo Universita' di Bologna: RFO 2006-to date (class AAA researcher) (Role: PI).
Editorial activity:
- 2016-to date. Scientific Reports (editorial board).
- 2015-to date. Cognitive Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience (consulting editor).
- 2011-to date. PLoS ONE (academic editor, section editor 2014-2018).
In the past I served the following journals:
- Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (Associate Editor 2015-2018; Reviewing editor 2014-2018).
- Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (Associate Editor 2017-2018; Reviewing editor 2013-2018).
- Frontiers in Emotion Science (Associate Editor 2017-2018; Reviewing editor 2011-2018).
- Frontiers in Psychoanalysis and Neuropsychoanalysis (Reviewing editor 2011-2018).
I serve as ad-hoc reviewer for several peer-reviewed ISI journals including top-tiers journals in the field
of Neuroscience and Psychology and multidisciplinary science (e.g. PNAS, Nature Neuroscience, Behavioral and Brain Science, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Current Biology, Journal of Neuroscience, Cerebral Cortex, Neuroimage, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, etc.; about 30 reviews per year).
Research funding agencies:
- Member of the EU panel Human Brain Project “FLAG-ERA JTC 2019 – HBP - Basic and Applied Research”, EU.
- Member of the international panel of Neuroscience for the selection of research grant project at Agence Nationale de la Ricerche, France, 2014 edition, 2015 edition, 2016 edition.
- Reviewer for the following research funding agencies: Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), France (2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020); Binational Science Foundation (BSF), United States of America & Israel (2016); Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Trento e Rovereto (Caritro), Italy (2020, 2021); Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation), Germany (2019); European Research Council (ERC-starting grants; ERC-advanced grants), European Union (2017, 2019, 2021); Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek– Vlaanderen (FWO, Research Foundation – Flanders), Belgium (2019, 2020); FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (F.R.S.– FNRS), Belgium (2020, 2021); Israel Science Foundation (ISF), Israel (2017); Leverhulme Trust, United Kingdom (2016, 2017, 2018); Ministero Istruzione Universita' Ricerca (MIUR), Italy (2015, 2019); National Science Centre, Poland (2015, 2017, 2019); Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NOW), Netherland (2015, 2017); La Caixa foundation, Spain (2020, 2022).
Media:
- Articles and interviews on neuroscience issues on local, national
(Corriere della Sera, Repubblica, La Stampa, Giorno, Nazione, Resto
del Carlino, Domani, Milano Finanza, Corriere Bologna, Corriere
Romagna, Corriere Adriatico, Voce di Romagna, Rivista Imprenditori,
Unibo Magazine) and international journals (CNN, The Times, MSNBC,
Fox News, Daily Telegraph, Weekendavisen).
- Radio interviews for RCS media group (gruppo editoriale
Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera: Radio 105, Radio Monte Carlo e Virgin
Radio), Radio Capital, Radio 3 Scienza (Radio Rai3). TV interview
for RAI (TGR3 Emilia-Romagna).
Awards and honors:
- 2023. Listed in the World's 2% Top Scientists 2023 - Stanford University & Elsevier.
- 2023-2025. Vice President of the Italian Society for Psychophysiology and Cognitive Neuroscience (SIPF).
- Since 2021. Member of the General council of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cesena.
- Since 2021. President of the international Advisory Board of the Instituto de Neurosciencia, Universidad de la Laguna, Spain.
- Since 2021. Member of the international Advisory Board of the Latin American Brain Health institute, at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile.
- 2020. Paul Harris Fellow. Rotary Club Cesena.
- 2019-2020. President of the Rotary Club Cesena.
- Since 2019. Elected member of the International Neuropsychology Symposium.
- Since 2018. Honorary member of the Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de la Laguna.
- 2016. National award "Premio SIPF 2016". Award of the Società Italiana di Psicofisiologia for research in psychophysiology, Italy.
- 2014. International award "Programa de Talento Tricontinental 2014". CEI
Canarias: Campus Atlantico Tricontinental, Spain.
- 2011. International award "Young Investigator Award". International award for
research with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. Magstim
coorporation/University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
- 2007. Fellowship for attending the "European Diploma in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, III".
Hanse Institute for Advanced Study, Delmenhorst, Germany.
- 2004. Fellowship and travel grant for attending the "Summer Institute in Cognitive Neuroscience 2004". Darmouth
College, Hanover, NH, USA.
- 2004 National award "Golden Degree Award - Biological Science", International
Award of Rome, Italy.
- 2003. National award "Young Investigator Award". National Congress of Experimental section of the
Italian Association of Psychology (AIP), Bari, Italy.
Institutional activity at UNIBO:
- Since May 2021. Director of the Department Organizational Unit (UOS) of Cesena.
- Since 2018. Board member of the Cesena Campus.
- 2018-2021. Director of the master degree in Neurosciences and neuropsychological rehabilitation.
- Since 2016. Board member of the Ph.D. program in Psychology (curriculum Cognitive Neuroscience).
- Since 2015. Member of the group for research quality assurance, Department of Psychology (executive board VQR, Department of Excellence MIUR).
- Since 2015. Member of the Research committee, Department of Psychology.
- 2013-2016. Member of the Library committe, Department of Psychology.
- 2013-2015. Member of the Internationalization committee, Department of Psychology.
- 2006-2015. Board member of the Joint International Ph.D. program in Cognitive Neuroscience.
- 2006-2012. Board member of the Faculty of Psychology.
- Since 2006. Board member of I e II cycles teaching courses, Faculty/Department of Psychology.
- Since 2006. Board member of the Department of Psychology.
