About

Hello! Here follows a brief presentation of my academic path and interests.

Academic trajectory 🎓

I completed my Ph.D. in Bioengineering in February 2020 under the supervision of Laura Astolfi at the University of Rome La Sapienza. In those years I mostly focused on studying methods and concepts of network science and validating them on brain networks.

I had a postdoc position lined up at Indiana University Bloomington to work in the laboratory of Olaf Sporns, but pandemic hit right after graduation (UGH!), so I had to wait a while before officially moving to the USA. But eventually, I made it! During my postdoc, I initiated several lines of research: I explored the relationship between brain topology, brain volume, and brain phylogeny in an extensive mammalian dataset; I investigated the relationship between the brain’s structural and functional architectures through the lens of network modularity and network communication; I put my hands on a non-human, non-MRI-based, complete (!) connectome and inferred how its topology underpins neurobiology at the cellular level. Last but not least, I incorporated Network Control Theory and Information Theory in my suite of analytic tools to investigate brain networks!

Throughout my training, I had the opportunity to investigate lifespan data, establishing age-related trends in the reorganization of the human connectome. I also focused on identifying subject-specific features of brain topological organization and hope to link these findings to cognitive functions and behavior in future research.

Other interests I have 🌻

If I am not working, you’ll probably find me running (I have run a few half-marathons!!), roasting coffee with a popcorn machine, or daydreaming about having a yellow house with a cat!