Franco Pestilli

Franco Pestilli is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, where he has been since 2020. Previously, he served as an Associate Professor at Indiana University. His research focuses on brain networks, white matter, and the development of open-science technologies, including the cloud platform brainlife.io, which supports neuroscience education, transparency, and data standardization.

He earned a Ph.D. in Psychology from New York University, a B.A. from the University of Rome La Sapienza, and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University and Columbia University. His work integrates computational neuroscience, neuroimaging, and data science to address challenges in brain research and promote FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles.

Recent publications highlight his leadership in advancing decentralized data management, brain imaging standards (BIDS), and reproducible neuroimaging analysis. His lab develops tools like ezBIDS and Neurodesk, emphasizing open-source platforms and collaborative frameworks for global neuroscience communities. Despite his focus on technological innovation, no scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in the text.

Dr. Pestilli collaborates with international researchers and accepts graduate students for the 2025–2026 academic year. He drives initiatives to democratize access to neuroimaging infrastructure, aiming to accelerate brain health discovery through technology and data science integration.