Elisa Ciaramelli

Elisa Ciaramelli is a Full Professor in the Department of Psychology 'Renzo Canestrari' at the University of Bologna. Her research focuses on neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, and memory disorders, particularly investigating the roles of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and hippocampus in episodic memory and mental time travel. She holds editorial roles in journals like Frontiers in Psychology and Experimental Brain Research, and has received prestigious awards including the Laird Cermak Award.

Education:

• 2006: PhD in Psychology, University of Bologna
• 2005: Visiting PhD student, University of Toronto
• 2002: Degree in Experimental Psychology (Summa Cum Laude), University of Florence

Research Interests: Elisa’s work explores how brain regions like the vmPFC and hippocampus underpin memory formation, retrieval, and future thinking. She investigates disruptions in these processes due to brain lesions, aging, and neurological disorders. Her lab (MEMORY Lab) focuses on translational research linking cognitive neuroscience to clinical applications.

Grants & Awards:

• PRIN Grant (2022–2025) on neural mechanisms of future-oriented decision-making
• Marie Curie Fellowships (2007–2010)
• Elected Member of the Memory Disorders Research Society (2014)

Academic Service: She coordinates the Master’s program in Neuroscience and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, leads the Science of the Mind summer program (Bologna-UC Davis), and serves on departmental committees.

Lab & Collaborations: The MEMORY Lab collaborates internationally, including with York University (Toronto) and UC Davis (USA). Ongoing projects include studies on temporal processing, decision-making under risk, and the neural basis of self-schema.