Francesca Simion is Full professor MPSI-04 (Developmental Psychology), University School of Psychology, University of Padova, Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation (DPSS)
Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and Developmental Cognitive Psychology.
Director of the Neonatal Lab, located in UOC Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal Pathology, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health Università di Padova- Azienda Ospedaliera.
Member of the Scientic Committees ERC and ANF.
Major Research interests
The focus of my research is Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, the study of functional brain development over the first years of life. The key questions concern the innate predispositions of the human system at birth and how specialized cognitive functions emerge in the brain during development.
- In the Neonatal Lab the perceptual and cognitive capabilities of the human system at birth are investigated by the use of behavioural testing methods
- In the Infant eye tracker Lab researchs are carried out on the origin and development of the social brain. The focus are the attentional mechanimsm of the human system toward social stimuli in early infancy
- In the EEG lab, through imaging (high density ERP),the neural bases of orienting toward social stimuli in early infancy are studied.