Independently designed and conducted clinical research studies using neuroimaging techniques to investigate the brain of healthy volunteers and children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Led a multidisciplinary team and managed all aspects of protocol implementation.
Provided neuroimaging expertise. Contributed to the formulation of studies involving a neuroimaging component, including a proposal that was selected for the Bench-to-Bedside Award. Provided training and guidance on neuroimaging data acquisition, retention, and analysis and developed written guidelines for behavioral and biomedical data handling.
Trained, managed, and mentored postbaccalaureate trainees and summer interns. Participated in the recruitment and training of new personnel.
Coordinated and led lab meetings, meetings with collaborators, and talks from internal and external speakers.
Developed and strengthened collaborations with research groups inside and outside the NIH.
Assessed extent and location of brain damage in a large group of Vietnam Veterans from the Vietnam Head Injury Study and demonstrated how lesions to specific brain areas are associated with changes in judgment and psychosocial functioning. Designed social cognitive tasks for the Warfighter Head Injury Study to be conducted on Iraqi-Afghan warfighters with penetrating head injury.
Investigated psychological structure and neural correlates of political beliefs in healthy volunteers.
FY 2011 Bench-to-Bedside Award for the project Near Infra-Red Functional Imaging in Autistic Spectrum Disorder Patients
Research Fellowship, National Institutes of Health (2010 – 2012)
Postdoctoral and Predoctoral Visiting Fellowships, National Institutes of Health (2006 – 2010)
PhD scholarship, Italian Ministry of University and Research (2004 – 2008)
Travel Award, NIH Graduate Partnerships Program (2008)
Travel Award, Emotional and Cognitive Aspects in Clinical and Economic Decisions, Italy (2006)
Young Researcher Award, Italian Association of Psychologists Annual Meeting, Italy (2005)
Scholarship for Academic Achievement, Domenico Tardini Foundation (2002 -2004)
I have authored 11 peer-reviewed original research papers, 6 of which as first author. One of these papers is attached as writing sample. Copies of the other papers are available upon request.
I have also presented my work at a number of national and international conferences in both oral and poster format.
International Society for Autism Research
Society for Neuroscience
Organization for Human Brain Mapping
Social and Affective Neuroscience Society
Italian Psychologists Association, Registration in the Professional Registry
Companies Worked For:
School Attended
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