Principal investigator

Since 2022, Luca is an Associate Professor at the School of Psychology of Vita-Salute San Raffale University, Milan, where he was previously appointed as tenure-track Assistant Professor (2019-2022). He completed his PhD in Psychological Sciences at the University of Padova (2014), and post-doctoral trainings both at the University of Padova (2014-2016) and at the Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC) of the University of Trento (2016-2019). He also spent periods as visiting researcher abroad in Cambridge (UK, 2012-2013) and Münster (Germany, 2017).  

His main research activities focuses on the role of neural oscillations in human perception and cognition, and on how 'oscillopathies' that characterize neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and dyslexia can give rise to anomalies in basic sensory/cognitive functions with cascade effects on more complex domains.

Post-doctoral researcher

His research interests cover the field of cognitive neuroscience of speech perception and reading with a special focus on electrophysiological activity and neural oscillations. In his PhD work at the University of Trento, he studied the neurocognitive mechanisms subserving the integration of linguistic and talker-related information during speech perception using EEG and behavioural techniques. In the lab he will focus on the relationship of oscillatory neural activity and correct letter segregation in crowded contexts as well as on the potential benefits of tACS stimulation and behavioural training on reading skills in adults with Developmental Dyslexia.

Post-doctoral researcher

After his master’s degree at the University of Trento, he moved for his internship to the University of Milano-Bicocca, where he became Research Assistant in 2017, and then PhD  student from 2019 to 2023. During this period, Francesco became interested in the use of EEG/ERP and focused his research on Neuroaesthetics and Music Neuroscience, investigating the influence that music has on different cognitive processes and the multi-modal integration of artistic stimuli. The main focus of his activity in the lab is the relationship between brain oscillations and perceptual/attentional mechanisms, along with the application of a novel intervention using tACS and behavioural training in adults with Developmental Dyslexia.

Post-doctoral researcher

After completing her Master’s degree in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Granada in 2018, Klara completed her PhD in the same university (2019-2024). Her dissertation project focused on understanding and mitigating the decrement of vigilance over time through brain stimulation (tDCS). She has employed EEG and diffusion-weighted imaging to better understand and predict the effects of tDCS on behavior. Her current role in the lab focuses on exploring the role of predictive coding in perceptual processes using EEG and brain stimulation (tACS).

PhD student (III year)

Denisa is a third year PhD student. She is a licensed psychologist who completed her Master’s degrees in Body and Mind Sciences and in Psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology at the University of Turin. During her undergraduate studies she collaborated on several research projects investigating the neurophysiological underpinnings of pain perception and its modulation. In her PhD project she seeks to better characterize the potential alterations of fronto-parietal beta oscillations and possible new remediation strategies in adults with developmental dyslexia using eye tracking, EEG and non-invasive brain stimulation (e.g. tACS).

PhD student (II year)

Alessia is a second year PhD student with a background in psychology and neuroscience. She completed her master studies at CIMeC (University of Trento) in Cognitive Science, after which she collaborated with Professor Melcher at the New York University Abu Dhabi. The focus of the research project is investigating the functional role of neural oscillations in relation to perceptual and attentional mechanisms using EEG and non-invasive brain stimulation (e.g., tACS), both in neurotypical and neurodiverse (e.g., Developmental Dyslexia) populations.

PhD Student (I year)

Sara is a first year PhD student with a background in psychology and neuroscience. She completed her master degree in Neuroscience and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation at the University of Bologna, where she collaborated with Professor Avenanti on studies that combined TMS and EEG to investigate emotion perception and executive functions. In our lab, her research project focuses on the functional role of periodic and aperiodic neural oscillations in perceptual decisions within the theorical framework of the ASD-SSD continuum, by using EEG and non-invasive brain stimulation (e.g., tACS).

Research Assistant

Camilla is a research assistant who recently completed her training at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University of Milan where she graduated in Psychology with a Neuroscience curriculum. Since her master's thesis, she focused her interests in the broader field of neural entrainment and its implications in multisensory integration processes. At the conclusion of her internship training in neuropsychology, she became a licensed psychologist. She's currently attending a master's program on Behavioral Neuroscience and Neuroenhancement in order to expand her knowledge on the broader topic of neuromodulation through non-invasive brain stimulation and EEG.