ORCID ID: 0009-0006-9547-6459
Curriculum: Clinical Neuroscience
Tutor: Professor Nadia Bolognini
Supervisor: Dr Giacomo Guidali
Workplace: University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy AND IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy (Neuropsychology Lab, Neuromotor Rehabilitation Unit)
B.Sc. in Psychology (Oct 2020), at University of Milano-Bicocca, with a thesis on the use of propranolol in the treatment of PTSD (Supervisor: Prof. Eraldo Paulesu). M.Sc in Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology (Febr 2023), at University of Milano-Bicocca, with a thesis investigating the effects of attentional workload on the C1 ERP component (Supervisor: Prof. Alice Mado Proverbio and Prof. Gilles Pourtois; research conducted at Ghent University, Belgium, as part of the Erasmus+ program).
During my master’s degree, I completed internships in clinical neuropsychology at the Cognitive Disorders and Dementia Center (CDCD), Legnano – ASST Ovest Milanese, and at the Alzheimer’s nursing home in San Vittore Olona (Milan).
I also completed experimental internships:at the Psychology Department (University of Milano-Bicocca), under the supervision of Prof. Nadia Bolognini, focusing on the validation of psychometric cognitive tests and at the CAP-LAB (Ghent University, Belgium), under the supervision of Prof. Gilles Pourtois, employing EEG and eye-tracking.
From 2023 to 2024, I completed the postgraduate traineeship at the Neuropsychology Laboratory of the IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano (Milan), focusing on the assessment and rehabilitation of patients with neurological disorders. I also took part in research projects on cognitive rehabilitation in Parkinson’s disease and multisensory rehabilitation of executive-attentional functioning.
Additionally, I collaborated as a research volunteer at the Neurostim Lab of the IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, participating in studies involving Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation techniques (TMS) in stroke rehabilitation.
In March 2024, I obtained my license to practice as a psychologist after passing the state exam (Albo A nr. 28429).
Since November 2024, I’m enrolled in the PhD Program in Neuroscience, Clinical Neuroscience curriculum, at the University of Milano-Bicocca, under the supervision of Prof. Nadia Bolognini and in collaboration with the IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano in Milan (Italy).
PhD research project
Promoting associative plasticity in the visual system through non-invasive brain stimulation protocols
Visual impairments due to post-chiasmatic brain lesions occur frequently after strokes (70% of patients), involve mainly the occipital lobe (45%) and result in contralateral visual field defects (i.e. hemianopia or quadrantanopia), which can significantly compromise patients’ autonomy and quality of life. Despite the spontaneous potential of the brain to reorganize after injury, visual rehabilitation remains challenging. Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) techniques, such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), have shown potential in driving and enhancing recovery of cerebral functions. With respect to post-stroke visual rehabilitation, although promising, current approaches require further optimization and assessment of their long-term efficacy.
This project aims to investigate plasticity mechanisms within the visual cortex of healthy individuals using NIBS protocols and optimizing stimulation parameters to identify effective strategies for modulating early visual processing. Based on these findings, the second phase of the research will focus on patients with post-chiasmatic lesions, with the aim of evaluating the efficacy and feasibility of neuromodulation interventions and ultimately contributing to the development of more efficient, patient-tailored rehabilitation strategies.