Francesca Fiori

I received a Master of Science degree in Psychology from the "Sapienza" University of Rome in 2011 and a PhD in Psychology and Social Neuroscience from the same university in 2015. I then worked at London City University and the "Alma Mater" University of Bologna before moving to Milan's Bicocca University in 2019. My research interests include embodiment, neuroplasticity, and brain connectivity, and I'm currently working at the NeXT lab in projects involving embodiment and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques.

Academic positions:

Università Campus Bio-Medico, Roma

2019-11-15 -now | Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Medicine (Physiology).

Neurophysiology and Neuroengineering of Human-Technology Interaction Research Unit (NeXT Lab)

Milano “Bicocca” University, Milan

2019-01-01 -2019-10-31 | Post-Doctoral Fellow (Department of Psychology)

"Alma Mater Studiorum" University of Bologna, Department of Psychology

2017-01-16 to 2018-12-31 | Post-doctoral fellow (Psychology)

"Sapienza" University of Rome, Department of Psychology

2015-12-01 to 2016-11-30 | Post-doctoral fellow (Psychology)

“City” University of London, Department of Psychology

2014-04-01 to 2014-12-01 | Phd visiting student (Psychology)

"Sapienza" University of Rome, Department of Psychology

2011-11-01 to 2014-10-30 | Phd student (Psychology)

Teaching:

Academic year 2022-2023: Campus Bio-Medico University

Integrated Degree Course in Medicine and Biomedical Engineering 1 year: Medical Humanities/Social Psychology.

Academic qualifications:

9th February 2015: International Phd in Psychology and Social Neuroscience with honours, curriculum “Cognitive Social and Affective Neuroscience”. Supervisor: Prof. Salvatore Maria Aglioti, co-supervisor Dr. Matteo Candidi, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Italy. Title of the thesis: “Embodying the Self”.

27th October 2011: MSc in “Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychological Rehabilitation” 110/110 cum laude, Psychology Department of "La Sapienza" University of Rome. Dissertation on “Development of audio-visual cross modal integration”. Thesis advisor Dr. M. Martelli, mark 110/110 cum laude.

July 2008: BSc in “Experimental Psychology”, University of Florence. Dissertation on “The role of experience in assessing the size of objects: the haptic sense”. Thesis advisor: Dr. M. M. Del Viva

July 2008: certificate of professional qualification “Expert technician in assessment, optimization and rehabilitation of cognitive processes. European qualification level, IV.c released by University of Florence and Tuscany Region.

1. Turrini, S., Bevacqua, N., Cataneo, A., Chiappini, E., Fiori, F., Candidi, M., Avenanti, A. Transcranial cortico-cortical Paired Associative Stimulation (ccPAS) over ventral premotor-motor pathways enhances action performance and corticomotor excitability in young more than elderly adults (2023). Frontiers in Ageing Neuroscience. Accepted.

2. Turrini, S., Fiori, F., Chiappini, E., Santarnecchi, E., Romei, V., & Avenanti, A. (2022). Gradual enhancement of corticomotor excitability during cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1-8.

3. Fiori, F., Ciricugno, A., Rusconi, M. L., Slaby, R. J., & Cattaneo, Z. (2022). How Untidiness Moves the Motor System. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 00315125221086254.

4. Fiori, F., Plow, E., Rusconi, M. L., & Cattaneo, Z. (2020). Modulation of corticospinal excitability during paintings viewing: a TMS study. Neuropsychologia, 149, 107664

5. Ferrari, C., Fiori, F., Suchan, B., Plow, E. B., & Cattaneo, Z. (2020). TMS over the posterior cerebellum modulates motor cortical excitability in response to facial emotional expressions. European Journal of Neuroscience, 00, 1-11.

6. Fiori, F., Chiappini, E., & Avenanti, A. (2018). Enhanced action performance following TMS manipulation of associative plasticity in ventral premotor-motor pathway. NeuroImage, 183, 847-858.

7. Fiori, F., Chiappini, E., Candidi, M., Romei, V., Borgomaneri, S., & Avenanti, A. (2017). Long-latency interhemispheric interactions between motor-related areas and the primary motor cortex: a dual site TMS study. Scientific reports, 7(1), 14936.

8. Fiori, F., Aglioti, S. M., & David, N. (2017). Interactions between body and social awareness in yoga. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 23(3), 227-233.

9. Fiori, F., Chiappini, E., Soriano, M., Paracampo, R., Romei, V., Borgomaneri, S., & Avenanti, A. (2016). Long-latency modulation of motor cortex excitability by ipsilateral posterior inferior frontal gyrus and pre-supplementary motor area. Scientific reports, 6, 38396.

10. Fiori, F., Candidi, M., Acciarino, A., David, N., & Aglioti, S. M. (2015). The right temporoparietal junction plays a causal role in maintaining the internal representation of verticality. Journal of neurophysiology, 114(5), 2983-2990.

11. Fiori, F., David, N., & Aglioti, S. M. (2014). Processing of proprioceptive and vestibular body signals and self-transcendence in Ashtanga yoga practitioners. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 8, 734.

12. David, N., Fiori, F., & Aglioti, S. M. (2014). Susceptibility to the rubber hand illusion does not tell the whole body-awareness story. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 14(1), 297-306.