معرفی
Marco Dadda is an Associate Professor at the Department of General Psychology, University of Padova. His research focuses on the evolution of behavioral asymmetries and lateralized brain functions in vertebrates, alongside studies on animal cognition. He investigates mechanisms underlying perception, learning, and decision-making in species like zebrafish, guppies, and plants. Key interests include lateralization costs/benefits, numerical cognition in fish, and environmental enrichment effects.
Research highlights include groundbreaking work on plant communication via volatile compounds and perceptual completion in pea plants. His studies on zebrafish explore early learning, anxiety modulation through environmental factors, and operant conditioning methodologies. He also examines laterality's role in spatial navigation and simultaneous task performance across species.
Publications consistently bridge behavioral biology with neuroethology, emphasizing cross-species comparisons (e.g., plant-fish cognition parallels). Ongoing work investigates how developmental experiences (light exposure, predation cues) shape lateralization patterns and cognitive capabilities. His lab employs innovative tools like automated behavioral tracking systems and minimally invasive testing protocols for neonatal fish.
