Sara Assecondi

Sara Assecondi is an Assistant Professor at the Center for Mind and Brain Sciences (CIMeC) of the University of Trento, Italy. She holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Ghent University (Belgium) and an MSc in Biomedical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Milan (Italy). Her research focuses on cognitive aging, memory, and neurostimulation, with a strong emphasis on combining EEG and neuroimaging techniques to study brain activity. She has pioneered interventions using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) paired with cognitive training to mitigate age-related cognitive decline.

Education:

• PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Ghent University, Belgium (2009)
• MSc in Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy (2004)
• Professional Practice Exam in Electronics, Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy (2004)

Research Interests:

• Memory and cognitive decline in aging
• Non-invasive brain stimulation (e.g., tDCS)
• EEG/fMRI integration and artifact correction
• Development of cognitive assessment tools (e.g., SATURN)

Awards & Grants:

• 2022 University of Trento Starting Grant (€8,000)
• 2018 Guarantors of Brain Travel Grant (£1,000)
• 2013 Guarantors of Brain Travel Grant (£500)
• 2008 Liege Image Days Poster Prize (€100)

Grants & Collaborations:

• Co-investigator on grants from the Canadian International Seed Funds (2019) and MRC Proximity to Discovery (2017)
• Editor for Frontiers in Psychology and Frontiers in Cognition
• Patent inventor (WO/2022/106850) on cognitive function improvement

Teaching & Outreach: Guest lectures on neurostimulation and EEG analysis at the University of Trento and Birmingham. Public engagement activities include talks at the University of the Third Age and media appearances on radio and TV.

Labs & Teams: Active in the CIMeC lab, focusing on cognitive neuroscience and aging research.