When: 14 September 2026 at 2:00 pm

Where: Aula Magna, Istituto Teologico S. Antonio Dottore (Via San Massimo, Padova)

Abstract: How can we study consciousness in infants when no verbal report is possible? In their first months of life, human infants develop remarkably sophisticated cognitive capacities — they learn their native language, recognize their parents, refine their numerical intuitions and perception of the world. But are they aware of what they perceive?

One promising approach is to rely on the neural signatures of conscious perception established in adults: a global increase of activity in a distributed network including frontal cortex, together with top-down amplification of sensory processing. This framework offers two complementary questions. Anatomically: at what age is the developing cortical architecture mature enough to support this type of response? Functionally: can we adapt adult paradigms — masking,
attentional blink, rapid serial visual presentation — to elicit similar patterns in infants?

I will present EEG data obtained in the first months of life to illustrate this approach, and discuss its implications for our understanding of when and how conscious experience emerges in the developing brain.

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Deadline for application: 27 July 2026 at 1:00 p.m. CEST

Selection announcement

Domanda di partecipazione [italiano]

Application form [English]

Decree of Acts Approval and Ranking

The post Bando di selezione PNC2026-03 per il conferimento di n. 1 borsa di ricerca appeared first on PNC.

When: 9 July 2026 at 3:00 pm

Where: Aula Magna, Collegio G.B. Morgagni (Via San Massimo, Padova)

Abstract: Brain organoids are three-dimensional neural tissues derived from stem cells that recapitulate key structural and functional properties of the human brain in vitro, offering a powerful experimental platform for investigating neurodevelopment, disease mechanisms, and pharmacological responses. The electrophysiological signals recorded from organoids via microelectrode arrays pose significant challenges from a numerical analysis standpoint: they are high-dimensional, reflect the intricate dynamics of neuronal and synaptic networks, and exhibit substantial variability introduced by experimental conditions.

In this talk, I will present the computational framework we are developing to address these challenges, drawing on clustering algorithms and machine learning methods tailored to the specific structure of organoid electrophysiological data. I will discuss the underlying methodological choices and showcase the first results obtained on real experimental recordings.

This work is part of the 3D-BrAIn project, funded by the European Innovation Council under the Horizon EIC 2022 PathfinderOpen programme.

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When: 2 July 2026 at 3:00 pm

Where: Aula Magna, Istituto Teologico S. Antonio Dottore (Via San Massimo, Padova)

Abstract: When you order your Frutti di mare, do you wonder whether some of the species contributing to this delicious dish might have complex brains and be quite intelligent? And how might you react to the idea that 550 million years ago those brains were already present in weird, and wonderfully bizarre, segmented creatures that were very different from animals alive today? We know that is true, because some of those ancient creatures became fossilized; and so did their brains. It is the organization of those brains that informs us that their owners were early members of the group (phylum) of animals we today call ‘arthropods’, some of whose present members likely contributed to that Frutti di mare. Today, arthropods are the most species-rich group of multicellular animals whose vitality is an indicator of the health of oceans and continents on which our own existence depends.

Neuroanatomical studies of living arthropods show that despite exuberant diversification of their bodies there appears to be just one morphogenetic arrangement that defines their brains and their connections to the true segmental ganglia of the body’s nervous system. A crucial feature that is still often misunderstood today is that the brain is not segmented despite that three distinct parts, called domains, comprise its fore- and midbrain. Each domain is uniquely defined by combinatory expression of head gap genes. Each domain is served by a unique set of sensory appendages; and each domain is internally defined by a unique system of centers that together compute ecologically relevant behavioral choices and actions that typify a species.

Fossilized brains from the early Cambrian demonstrate that the constrained neurological ground pattern defining modern arthropod brains must have rapidly evolved amongst the disparate arthropods that define the renowned “Cambrian explosion.” Fossil brains of Cambrian chelicerates (ancestors of spiders, scorpions) and mandibulates (ancestors of crustaceans, insects, centipedes) support the proposition that this ground pattern is very ancient and has persisted for a vast length of geological time. This stable patterning of the cerebral nervous system applies also to hemichordates and true chordates, albeit at different scales. Identification of such correspondences across phyla has, over the last 25 years, uncovered a conserved genetic logic directing brain development in protostomes and chordates that may reflect common descent with modification. It is therefore reasonable to consider that an arthropod brain may offer as much insight into the principles of cerebral evolution and functionality, including cognition and consciousness, as would the brain of a vertebrate. The challenge is in our selection of the representative species.

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When: 18 June 2026 at 3:00 pm

Where: Sala Seminari VIMM (Fondazione per la Ricerca Biomedica Avanzata Onlus, Via Orus 2, Padova)

Abstract: Understanding the organization of the human brain and its network of connections is a central goal of neuroscience. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) provides a powerful tool for studying brain activity through blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals, enabling the estimation of functional connectivity and the construction of functional connectomes. However, the high dimensionality and complexity of fMRI connectivity data pose major challenges for traditional statistical methods. Machine learning offers promising tools for identifying subtle patterns in these data, with applications ranging from clinical classification to cognitive prediction and the study of brain development. In particular, dynamic functional connectivity highlights the importance of temporal changes in brain organization, suggesting that both spatial and temporal dimensions should be considered in fMRI analysis.

In this seminar, I will discuss the use of deep learning models for neuroimaging data, focusing on how different architectures exploit the spatio-temporal structure of fMRI signals. We start from simple temporal models, such as LSTMs, and then consider GNN-based approaches designed to model the connectome’s relational structure. While GNNs can capture spatial patterns between brain regions, many existing approaches rely on static connectivity representations that may overlook the evolving nature of brain dynamics. Building on this motivation, we explore temporal graph-based models adapted to dynamic brain connectivity data. Our evaluation of predictive models from the literature shows that simple temporal architectures can outperform more recent spatial or spatio-temporal approaches. These results emphasize the central role of temporal dynamics in fMRI analysis and suggest that explicitly adding graph-based spatial information may increase model complexity without necessarily improving performance. At the same time, they underscore the need for more effective strategies to jointly integrate spatial and temporal information across different architectural paradigms.

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When: 8 June 2026, h. 4:30 pm

Where: 1A150, Torre Archimede

Abstract: A partire da gesti nello spazio che tracciano “linee senza spessore” (Euclide) fino a strutture che unificano geometria, algebra e analisi (Grothendieck) – tentativi di produrre il senso della costruzione matematica. Poi, la banalità delle medie statistiche e la massimizzazione delle correlazioni, fino a generare il male della perdita di senso, con macchine che modificano digits e pixels sulla base di ordini implementati da sistemi operativi scritti in “linguaggi imperativi”.

Attendance is free but registration is required.

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When: 4 June 2026 at 3:00 pm

Where: Sala Seminari VIMM (Fondazione Ricerca Biomedica Avanzata, Via Orus 2, Padova)

Abstract: Movement is critical for human wellbeing. Therefore, developing robotic technologies that can preserve our ability of moving as we age or restore it following an injury is a key necessity. Wearable robots, such as exoskeletons and exosuits, are rapidly evolving from assistive tools into intelligent platforms that can influence human musculoskeletal health. Recent advancements in wearable exoskeletons have demonstrated the ability to reduce metabolic cost and neuromechanical effort during locomotion.

Emerging improvements in actuation, sensing, and form factor now enable lighter, softer systems, bringing us closer to devices that can be worn continuously and unobtrusively, much like a “second skin”. As these systems become integrated into daily life across rehabilitation and occupational domains, a critical paradigm shift is needed. Rather than only assisting movement in the short term, next-generation wearable robots must interface with the neuromuscular system over extended periods to influence long-term body adaptation. This raises fundamental new questions: How do neuromuscular tissues respond to robot-induced mechanical stimuli? Can we harness these responses to reshape the human neuromuscular system for improved motor function? Answering these questions requires bridging knowledge gaps at the intersection of biomechanics, neuromechanics, and robotics.

This talk will outline ongoing work aimed at addressing these questions. Specifically, the talk will outline how we can use bioelectrical recording and numerical modelling to decode the activity of spinal motor neurons and concurrently derive the resulting force-generating musculoskeletal function in the intact moving human in vivo. The second part of the talk will briefly outline how the proposed approach can be extended to develop robotic technologies that could assist and potentially reshape the human neuromuscular system via targeted electro-mechanical stimuli delivered at extreme ends of the spatio-temporal scale, e.g., cell-to-organ growth over weeks.

Over the next decade, this framework may transform wearable robots into proactive, adaptive tools for preventing chronic musculoskeletal conditions, promoting recovery, and maintaining physical independence, ultimately improving healthspan and quality of life.

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When: 21 May 2026 at 3:00 pm

Where: Sala Seminari VIMM (Fondazione Ricerca Biomedica Avanzata, Via Orus 2, Padova)

Abstract: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are established treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity. Preclinical studies have consistently demonstrated europrotective effects of GLP-1RAs in models of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and related disorders. Epidemiological analyses further suggest a reduced incidence of PD among long-term GLP-1RA users. Building on these observations, several investigator-initiated clinical trials have been conducted in PD and related conditions. While early studies reported promising results, more recent findings have been heterogeneous. This lecture will summarize the epidemiological and preclinical evidence supporting the development of GLP-1RAs for PD and related disorders. It will also review results from recent clinical trials, examine potential reasons for their variability, and highlight the broader challenges associated with drug repurposing.

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