معرفی
Francesca Starita is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestrari" of the University of Bologna, Italy, and a core member of the Neuroscience of Motivation, Decision, and Learning Group. Her research focuses on the psychophysiological and neural bases of motivation, reinforcement learning, and affective processing, particularly fear and pain. She employs multimodal methods including behavioral assessments, EEG, TMS, and psychophysiological measures.
Education:
- BSc Neuroscience, King’s College London (2008-2011)
- MSc Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology, University College London (2011-2013)
- PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna (2014-2018)
- ReActor School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Fondazione Golinelli (2020)
Research Interests: Francesca investigates how threat learning, fear, and pain modulate cognitive and motor processes. Her work integrates neuroimaging (EEG), neuromodulation (TMS), and behavioral paradigms. Current projects include studying the motor system’s role in decision-making under threat (MoDeM grant) and fear’s influence on motor responses (BIAL Foundation).
Grants & Awards:
- BIAL Foundation Grant (2021-2024): €50k
- Human Brain Project MoDeM (2020-2023): €600k (Co-I)
- AIP Best PhD Thesis Award (2019): €500
Advising & Collaborations: Francesca collaborates with institutions like the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institut des Sciences Cognitives (France), and the University of Geneva. She co-organizes major conferences such as the European Meeting of Human Fear Conditioning and leads science communication initiatives like the European Researcher’s Night.
Labs & Teams: She is part of the MoDeM research group and the Neuroscience of Motivation, Decision, and Learning team at the University of Bologna, focusing on motor-cognitive interactions in decision-making.
