Sabrina Pitzalis

Sabrina Pitzalis is an Associate Professor at the University of Rome 'Foro Italico', Department of Human Motor Sciences and Health. She serves as Delegate for Gender Budget and Head of the SACS (Student Counselling and Help Desk). Her research focuses on cognitive neuroscience, functional neuroimaging, and brain mapping, with specializations in neural mechanisms of perception, sensorimotor functions, and brain plasticity induced by motor activity. She leads projects like the 2019 study on neuromuscular electrical stimulation effects. Her work integrates neuroimaging techniques to explore topics such as anticipatory brain activity and motion perception. Pitzalis teaches courses in sport psychology, neuroscience, and pedagogy, emphasizing the interplay between cognitive and motor systems. Her research highlights neural adaptations to sensory and motor interventions, including multifocal contact lenses and exoskeleton-assisted rehabilitation.

Research Themes:

• Neural basis of perceptual and sensorimotor functions
• Brain plasticity and motor learning
• Anticipatory neural processing during action preparation
• Integration of visual and motor signals in spatial navigation

Recent Contributions: Her articles (2022–2025) reveal insights into how brain circuits process self-motion, adapt to sensory interventions, and modulate during complex cognitive-motor tasks. These studies use advanced neuroimaging and electrophysiological methods to map functional brain dynamics. Ongoing work explores neurocognitive trade-offs in dual-task scenarios and the role of parietal cortex in visuomotor integration.

Teaching and Leadership: Pitzalis contributes to degree programs in Sports Sciences (L22), Preventive Motor Activities (LM67), and Sports Technology (LM68). She promotes interdisciplinary approaches, combining neuroscience with sport pedagogy. Her leadership roles emphasize institutional quality assurance and student support initiatives.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates within university labs specializing in motor neuroscience and neuroimaging, contributing to projects on neural adaptation mechanisms and clinical applications in rehabilitation.