Narrative CV
(My complete CV is available at the bottom of the page)
Scientific background
I have always been fascinated by how our brain merges information from our complex multisensory world, and how (a)typical development shapes this crucial ability. During my Master’s thesis at CIMeC, University of Trento (IT), I worked with Prof. Olivier Collignon on cross-modal plasticity in deafness using MRI. My work showed intact functional specialization for spatial and motion processing in the deaf auditory cortex, despite input from a different sensory modality (i.e. vision). This research experience consolidated my desire to understand how the brain implements cognition across the senses.
In 2020 I completed a PhD in computational neuroscience with Prof. Uta Noppeney at the University of Birmingham (UK). There, I studied multimodal integration through the framework of Bayesian Causal Inference, which represents the state-of-the-art principled computational account of how the brain binds information across the senses. Of note, my work (combining psychophysics, computational modelling and MRI) also investigated the multisensory processing of naturalistic stimuli (i.e. music), offering original insights into how the brain automatically tracks naturalistic multisensory information.
Having approached perception from a Bayesian perspective, I started wondering about how prior expectations are established and how they evolve as a function of learning. Driven by this interest, I worked as a postdoc in the Predictive Bain lab of Prof. Floris de Lange at the Donders Institute (NL), where I combined behavioural analyses and fMRI to examine how expectations are implemented in the brain. My work bridging the gap between statistical learning and predictive processing encountered significant interest in the scientific community during a national symposium that I co-organized.
Next, I brought my expertise in multimodal integration and prediction to the realm of face-to-face communication, working as a postdoc in the Neurobiology of Language Department of Prof. Peter Hagoort at the Max Plank Institute for Psycholinguistics (NL). Using advanced Bayesian modelling, I resolved the outstanding debate on how language comprehension is influenced by beat gestures, i.e. rhythmic up-and-down hand movements that typically accompany prosodic stress in natural, face-to-face conversation. In parallel, I started formalizing my ideas about how multimodal face-to-face communication is implemented in the brain, which received positive feedback during an international symposium that I co-organized.
Recently, I decided to venture into developmental neuroscience to directly tackle the question of how we learn to use verbal and non-verbal communication to exchange meanings with other individuals. Specifically, I got interested in examining whether and how preverbal infants use manual gestures to communicate with their caregivers. I developed this into a research idea that was awarded the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) postdoctoral fellowship.
Network and academic citizenship
Throughout my career thus far, I have built a broad international and interdisciplinary network of highly renowned scientific collaborators (Uta Noppeney and Floris de Lange, Donders Institute; Peter Hagoort, Fenna Poletiek and Judith Holler, Max Plank Institute for Psycholinguistics). I have presented my work at large international conferences (OHBM, SfN, SNL, IMRF, ECVP), and have been invited to give lectures internationally (UCL: Gabriella Vigliocco; CIMeC: Francesco Pavani, Raffaella Bernardi), where I established collaborations that are still ongoing.
I am strongly committed to open science, as evidenced by my ongoing contribution to an open MATLAB-based toolbox for EEG time-frequency analysis, and my sharing of research data and code in open-access repositories and publications.
I am regularly consulted as a reviewer in relevant journals of the field (Cerebral Cortex, JoCN, Imaging Neuroscience, Neuropsychologia) and have served as an examiner for PhD degree congregations (CIMeC, University of Trento, Italy; Sapienza University, Rome, Italy).
I have served as a postdoctoral representative at the Donders Institute, organizing scientific and social events tailored to postdocs and pushing the institute agenda towards formalizing a career training centre for postdocs.
I have extensive supervision experience: I have co-supervised several undergraduate and graduate students during dissertation projects and PhD projects, and I have recently been appointed two co-lectureships in my current institution.
I have been actively involved in scientific outreach (public engagement via interviews at Italian top-chart science podcast and YouTube; Pint of Science host).
Transferable aspects
I am a certified psychologist with training in clinical neuropsychology assessment and dementia daycare at major Italian hospitals. This endows me with key interpersonal soft skills to interact with special populations and vulnerable individuals that I am directly applying in my current research activities (infant and caregiver testing).
I have practised my communication skills in diverse settings (academia: several talks and poster presentations at international events; outreach: podcast, YouTube, Pint of Science and InScience festivals).
I have exceptional organizational skills: on top of my scientific output, I have organized several corollary events (national and international symposia, journal clubs, career day for PhDs and postdocs).
My creative and networking skills are demonstrated by the ideation and implementation of original initiatives for scientific networking (international joint group meetings) and career development (academic skills workshop for PhDs).