Manuela Piazza

2003: PhD Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
2002: European Diploma in Cognitive and Brain Sciences (EDCBS) obtained. The Max Planck-Institute for Psychological Research, München, Germany.
1997: Laurea (BSc) in Experimental Psychology obtained (grade: 110/110 Summa cum Laude). University of Padova, Italy.
 

CARRIERA ACCADEMICA

2023 - presente: Membro del Comitato per il Reclutamento e lo Sviluppo delle Carriere di UNITN, Italy.

2022 - presente: Vice-Coordinatrice del CIMeC Master in Cognitive Science. Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy.

2020 - presente: Professoressa Ordinaria in “Psicobiologia and Psicologia fisiologica”. Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy. 

2020: Fellow of the Italian Academy for advanced studies in the USA (spring term). Columbia University, New York, USA.

2019 - 2022: Coordinatrice del CIMeC Master in Cognitive Science. Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy.

POSIZIONI PRECEDENTI:

2015 - 2020: Proessoressa Associata in "Psicobiologia and Psicologia fisiologica”. Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy.

2007 - present: P.I. CIMeC Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy.

2005 - 2014: Ricercatrice (Chargé des Recherches CR1). Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, INSERM (French national institute for medical research), France. 

2003 - 2005: Post-Doctoral Fellow (European Marie Curie Individual Fellow). Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, INSERM, France.

ATTIVITA' DIDATTICA

LAUREA TRIENNALE/ BACHELOR LEVEL

Titolare del corso (1): “Psicobiologia degli apprendimenti culturali”. Dipartimento di Science Cognitive, Università di Trento, IT.

Titolare del corso (2): “Current debates in cognitive neurosciences” (in English). Dipartimento di Science Cognitive, Università di Trento, IT.

LAUREA SPECIALISTICA/MASTER LEVEL

Corso (co-docenza) (1): “Foundations in cognitive psychology and neuroscience”. Master in Cognitive Science. Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, IT.

Lezioni occasionali presso il Master in Cognitive Science (Cogmaster), Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, FR.

La basi cognitive e neurali della cognizione numerica e delle rappresentationi semantiche. L'apprendimento di nuove rappresentazioni semantiche ed i relativi correlati neurali. L'accesso alla semantica durante la lettura di parole e di numeri. La navigazione nello spazio e la navigazione tra i concetti. Spazi rappresentazionali nella mente e nel cervello.

Nel mio gruppo studiamo la relazione tra percezione e cognizione simbolica: da un lato, indaghiamo su quali aspetti della percezione fungono da elementi costitutivi fondamentali per lo sviluppo della cognizione simbolica basata sul linguaggio; dall'altra parte studiamo se e in che modo le acquisizioni simboliche a loro volta modellano la percezione.

Combiniamo diversi approcci metodologici e studiamo diverse popolazioni: in base alla specifica domanda di ricerca, utilizziamo sia la psicofisica e / o neuroimaging (fMRI, M-EEG) in adulti, bambini e neonati di diverse culture (ad es. confontando bambini ed adulti della nostra società occidentale con indiani amazzonici) e con diverse abilità cognitive / percettive (confrontando soggetti a sviluppo tipico con soggetti con discalculia e / o dislessia).

La nostra ricerca riguarda in particolare lo studio delle basi neurocognitive dell'elaborazione dei numeri e delle parole.

2023-present: Member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the “Fondation Fyssen” (Paris, FR).

2023-present: Member of the Scientific Council for the “Paris Institut du Cerveau de l'Enfant” (Paris, FR).

2023-present: Member of the Selection Panel of the ICREA Academia call 2023 (Barcelona, ES).

2021-present: Member of the Selection Panel for the Schwab Center for Dyslexia and Cognitive Diversity, UCSF (San Francisco, USA).

2019-present: Elected Member of the International Neuropsychological Symposium.

2019-2020: Panel Chair of the ERC Starting Grants (ERC-2019-StG) for the SH4 (“The Human Mind and Its Complexity”). European Research Council. (Bruxelles, Be).

2016-2020: Panel Member of the ERC Starting Grants (ERC-2016-StG; ERC-2017-StG; ERC-2018-StG) for the SH4 (“The Human Mind and Its Complexity”). European Research Council. (Bruxelles, Be).

2010-present: Examiner in several PhD thesis committee (University of Szeged, H; University of Padova, IT; University of Louvain-La-Neuve, Be; University of Louven, Be; University of Florence, IT; University Paris Descartes, FR, Amsterdam University, NL).

Regular Ad-hoc reviewer for scientific journals:

Science, Nature Neuroscience, PLoS Biology, Current Biology, Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Cerebral Cortex, NeuroImage, Cognition, Cognitive Neuropsychology, Journal of Experimental Psychology:HPP, Animal Cognition, Cortex, Laterality, Neuropsychology, Neuropsychologia, Perception & Psychophysics, Vision research, Journal of Vision, PLoS One.

PLENARY TALKS

- ECVP (European Conference of Visual Perception). Keynote Speaker (Perception Lecture). Paphos, Cyprus, 2023. 

- SPADE workshop (Sensory plasticity, Adaptation, and Development). Pisa Vision Lab, Pisa, Italy, 2018.

- International Neuropsychological Symposium. Crete, Greece, 2017.

- Collège de France. Colloquium on “Interactions between Space, Time and Number: 20 Years of Research”. Talk: “How do young children expand their number sense?”. Paris, FR. 2013.

- International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists World Congress. Talk: “How culture shapes the brain”. Paris, FR. 2012.

- Collège de France. Colloquium on “Cognitive Science and Education”. Talk: “Le gout du nombre et comment l’acquerir”. Paris, FR. 2012.

- Attention and Performance Symposium "Space, Time and Number in the Brain". Talk: “Neurocognitive Start-up-tool for symbolic number knowledge”. Cernay, FR. 2010.

- Education, Cognition and Neuroscience: International workshop. Department of Cognitive and Education Sciences. Talk: “Neurocognitive Start-up-tool in Numerical Cognition”. University of Trento, IT. 2009.

- Concepts, Actions, and Objects: International workshop. Center for Mind/Brain Sciences. Talk: “Number concepts: Quantity meets symbols in parietal cortex”. Universtiy of Trento, IT. 2007.

- Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting. Talk: “Number sense: Quantity meets symbols in parietal cortex”. New York, USA. 2007.

- British Experimental Psychology Society Meeting. Talk: “The quantifying brain: cerebral correlates of numerosity estimation and counting”. London, UK. 2001.

INVITED LECTURES (a short selection)

- Annual conference of the AIP (Italian Psychology Association). Lucca, IT, 2023.

- COSYNE Symposium on Navigation and Inference. Lisbon, Portugal, 2022.

- Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA. 2020.

- Central European University, Budapest, HU. 2017.

- Montessori International, Amsterdam, NL. 2016.

- International School on Mind, Brain, and Education. Erice, IT. 2015.

- Humboldt University of Berlin, DE. 2014.

- University of Louvain la Neuve, BE. 2014.

- University of Cambridge, UK. 2013.

- Pisa Vision Lab, CNR Pisa, IT. 2012.

- National Dyscalculia and Maths Learning Difficulties Conference. London, UK. 2010.

- French Developmental Neuroscience Group. Neurospin, Saclay, FR. 2010.

- Associazione Italiana Psicologia. Sciacca, IT. 2004.

- University of Gent, BE. 2002.

Responabilità accademiche:

- Membro della Commissione Paritetica Docenti Studenti per la laurea triennale Scienze e Tecniche di Psicologia Cognitiva 

- Responsabile CIMeC per la Valutazione VQR 2011-2014

- Membro del Comitato Esecutivo della Scuola di Dottorato del CIMeC.

- Membro del Gruppo di Lavoro AVA2/SUA RD

- Referente CIMeC per la Biblioteca

- Membro della Commissione per la selezione al Collegio di Merito B. Clesio

Attività legata alla clinica:

• 2010-2015: Teaching at “Continuing education courses” for pediatricians and speech therapists on dyscalculia in Italy, France, Belgium, England.
• 2012: Co-responsible in the conception and implementation of a computer-based Education and Rehabilitation Game for number processing and calculation (“The number catcher”). http://www.thenumbercatcher.com/. Paris, FR.
• 2000: Consulting in the conception of a test for diagnosis of developmental dyscalculia (“Dyscalculia Screener”, by B. Butterworth, nferNelson Publisher). London, UK.

Attività di divulgazione:

• Articles/interviews in newspapers and scientific magazins (« National Geographic », « La Stampa », « Vita d'Infanzia », « Il Trentino », « L'Adige », « Telerama», « Pour La Science », « Science et Vie »).
• TV and radio programs (« Le magazine de la santé » of France3, « Icarus », France; « radio3scienza », Italy).
• Talks at various conferences, mainly related to Neuroscience and Education (e.g., Association Montessori International, Amsterdam; Ministero dell'Istruzione, Università e Ricerca, Roma).
• Installation of experiments for visitors at the Science Museum in Bristol (UK) (“science@bristol science museum”) on basic number abilities.