On this page you can find the internship projects currently available.
Apprenticeship at CIMeC
Sara Assecondi
e-mail: sara.assecondi@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Ageing, working memory, cognitive training, plasticity
Methodology: EEG, tCS, behavioural experiments, modelling, data analysis
Project description: We have several projects looking at how to promote healthy ageing. Students may be involved in literature research, experiment design, data collection and/or data analysis.
Group website
General topic: Ageing, working memory, cognitive training, plasticity
Methodology: EEG, tCS, behavioural experiments, modelling, data analysis
Project description: We have several projects looking at how to promote healthy ageing. Students may be involved in literature research, experiment design, data collection and/or data analysis.
Type of internship: Curricular
Open positions: 3
Period: All year
Open positions: 3
Period: All year
Daniel Baldauf
e-mail: daniel.baldauf@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Attention, Brain connectivity
Methodology: MEG
Project description: Functional connectivity orchestrating top-down control in cognitive tasks
Group website
General topic: Attention, Brain connectivity
Methodology: MEG
Project description: Functional connectivity orchestrating top-down control in cognitive tasks
Type of internship: Curricular; Internal TPV/Pre-graduation TPV; Post-graduate; Postgraduate TPV; Erasmus/Mobility programmes
Open positions: 3
Period: All year starting the earliest in spring 2024
Paolo Belardinelli
E-mail: paolo.belardinelli@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Real-Time Brain Stimulation
Methodology: tACS-TMS-EEG, MEG
Project description: Populations of neurons in different brain areas oscillate at different frequencies(so-called brain waves). In everyday life, different populations of neurons,depending on the brain areas, "keep active" different frequencies.
When a task arises, however, some frequencies will contribute more to the brain signal than others. As regards the sensorimotor cortex, the alpha and beta frequency bands are the most prominent, and it seems that, depending on the instantaneous state of these oscillations, the brain is more or less “ready” to receive and transfer an externally induced motor impulse. In this regard, the role that alpha and beta have in opening windows of cortical excitability is not yet clear in the literature and is still debated. The main objective of the study therefore consists in better understanding the role of the phases (negative peak vs negative peak) and power of alpha and beta in the modulation of cortical excitability in the motor network.
Group website
General topic: Real-Time Brain Stimulation
Methodology: tACS-TMS-EEG, MEG
Project description: Populations of neurons in different brain areas oscillate at different frequencies(so-called brain waves). In everyday life, different populations of neurons,depending on the brain areas, "keep active" different frequencies.
When a task arises, however, some frequencies will contribute more to the brain signal than others. As regards the sensorimotor cortex, the alpha and beta frequency bands are the most prominent, and it seems that, depending on the instantaneous state of these oscillations, the brain is more or less “ready” to receive and transfer an externally induced motor impulse. In this regard, the role that alpha and beta have in opening windows of cortical excitability is not yet clear in the literature and is still debated. The main objective of the study therefore consists in better understanding the role of the phases (negative peak vs negative peak) and power of alpha and beta in the modulation of cortical excitability in the motor network.
Type of internship: Curricular; Internal TPV/Pre-graduation TPV; Post-graduate; Postgraduate TPV; Erasmus/Mobility programmes
Open positions: 2
Period: All year
Stefania Benetti
e-mail: stefania.benetti@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Multisensory processes, Brain development and plasticity
Methodology: MRI (sMRI,fMRI, DTI), MEG, Psychophysics and Behavioural Studies
Project description: Main lines of research:
Group website
General topic: Multisensory processes, Brain development and plasticity
Methodology: MRI (sMRI,fMRI, DTI), MEG, Psychophysics and Behavioural Studies
Project description: Main lines of research:
- Audio-visual speech processing: the role of lip-reading in speech perception/production; developmental trajectories of lip-reading abilities across life-time span; learning to process speech without listening or seeing speech; audio-visual speech processing in deaf individuals with cochlear implant; the relationship between lip- and text-reading
- Combining neurobiological and behavioural indices to predict speech and language outcome after cochlear implant in deaf children and adults
- Speech representation in the brain: how ‘auditory’ is speech phonology? The role of premotor and motor cortex in speech representation and processing in hearing and deaf individuals
- Multimodal processing of face-to-face interactions: a dedicated third lateral processing pathway in the brain? An fmri study of how multisensory communicative signals are integrated in the brain using the Bayesian Causal Inference framework.
Type of internship: Curricular
Open positions: 2
Period: All year
Open positions: 2
Period: All year
Yuri Bozzi
e-mail: yuri.bozzi@unitn.it
General topic: Mouse models of autism spectrum disorders
Methodology: Gene expression, neuroanatomy, pharmacology, behavior
Project description: Investigating the role of neuroimmune dysfunction in autism pathogenesis; sensory-motor deficits in mouse models of autism; gene-environment interactions in autism pathogenesis.
Methodology: Gene expression, neuroanatomy, pharmacology, behavior
Project description: Investigating the role of neuroimmune dysfunction in autism pathogenesis; sensory-motor deficits in mouse models of autism; gene-environment interactions in autism pathogenesis.
Type of internship: Curricular
Open positions: 2
Period: All year
Open positions: 2
Period: All year
Stefania Bracci
e-mail: stefania.bracci@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: In the object vision lab we investigate what are the dimensions underlying the representational space of object vision using behavioural, neuroimaging, and computational approaches. How does our brain make sense of visual information coming from the eyes and transform it into meaningful objects, places, people? Do state-of-the-art computational models for object vision mimic the way humans perceive the world at the behavioural and neural level?
Methodology: fMRI, psychophysics, deep convolutional neural networks.
Project description: Two main projects are currently ongoing:
Group website
General topic: In the object vision lab we investigate what are the dimensions underlying the representational space of object vision using behavioural, neuroimaging, and computational approaches. How does our brain make sense of visual information coming from the eyes and transform it into meaningful objects, places, people? Do state-of-the-art computational models for object vision mimic the way humans perceive the world at the behavioural and neural level?
Methodology: fMRI, psychophysics, deep convolutional neural networks.
Project description: Two main projects are currently ongoing:
- Investigating the role of goal-directed behaviour in shaping the visual cortex object space
- Testing behavioural and neural correspondence across the biological and artificial brain.
Type of internship: Curricular/Post-graduate
Open positions: 3
Periord: All year
Open positions: 3
Periord: All year
Luigi Cattaneo
e-mail: luigi.cattaneo@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Motor control
Methodology: Neuronavigated TMS (both event-related and offline), coupled with anatomical MR information on the grey matter anatomy and white matter tracts (MR-tractography)
Project description: I am carrying out 2 separate projects:
Group website
General topic: Motor control
Methodology: Neuronavigated TMS (both event-related and offline), coupled with anatomical MR information on the grey matter anatomy and white matter tracts (MR-tractography)
Project description: I am carrying out 2 separate projects:
- Description and quantification of variability motor evoked potentials and motor behavior with respect to physiological rhythmic activity (respiration-heartbeat) within an allostatic reference frame. We will investigate the reciprocal interaction between visceral and somatic actions in the framework of predictive coding, i.e. how the brain orchestrates visceral-somatic integration to minimize redundant information and to maximize motor control
- The origin of internally-generated actions in the medial frontal lobes. We will investigate how the medial premotor and posterior prefrontal cortices are the output system of motivated behavior, i.e. the product of value-based decisions.
Type of internship: Curricular/Post-graduate
Open positions: 3
Period: All year
Open positions: 3
Period: All year
Elisa Frasnelli
e-mail: elisa.frasnelli@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Animal cognition
Methodology: Behaviour
Project description: Lateralization, learning, social behaviour, concepts, emotions.
Group website
General topic: Animal cognition
Methodology: Behaviour
Project description: Lateralization, learning, social behaviour, concepts, emotions.
Type of internship: Curricular/Post-graduate
Open positions: 2
Period: All year
Open positions: 2
Period: All year
Albrecht Haase
e-mail: albrecht.haase@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Neuronal coding, Neural network dynamics, Connectivity, Olfaction, Learning & Memory, Magnetoreception, Sleep, Neurophysics, Neuroactive substances, Neurotoxins
Methodology: Two-photon microscopy, Calcium imaging, Optogenetics, Data analysis, Machine Learning, Neural network models
Project description: We offer an involvement in different projects on the above-mentioned topics. Our core facility is a two-photon in vivo imaging platform, our standard models are honeybees, fruit flies, ants. Students will receive training in the required techniques, like in vivo morphological and functional imaging, advanced image analysis, Machine learning, Automatized behavioural assays, Statistical data analysis, Genetic engineering, Beekeeping. Programming platforms: MATLAB, Python.
Group website
General topic: Neuronal coding, Neural network dynamics, Connectivity, Olfaction, Learning & Memory, Magnetoreception, Sleep, Neurophysics, Neuroactive substances, Neurotoxins
Methodology: Two-photon microscopy, Calcium imaging, Optogenetics, Data analysis, Machine Learning, Neural network models
Project description: We offer an involvement in different projects on the above-mentioned topics. Our core facility is a two-photon in vivo imaging platform, our standard models are honeybees, fruit flies, ants. Students will receive training in the required techniques, like in vivo morphological and functional imaging, advanced image analysis, Machine learning, Automatized behavioural assays, Statistical data analysis, Genetic engineering, Beekeeping. Programming platforms: MATLAB, Python.
Type of internship: Curricular/Post-graduate
Open positions: 4
Period: All year
Open positions: 4
Period: All year
Christoph Huber-Huber
e-mail: christoph@huber-huber.at
General topic: Visual perception and attention
Methodology: MEG, EEG, eye-tracking, behaviour
Project description: Internships are offered for all stages of the full research cycle within three lines of research:
Methodology: MEG, EEG, eye-tracking, behaviour
Project description: Internships are offered for all stages of the full research cycle within three lines of research:
- the link between gaze behaviour, brain oscillations, and memory/hippocampal activity,
- naturalistic and trans-saccadic visual perception, including reading,
- neural correlates of conscious vision.
Type of internship: Curricular
Open positions: 2
Period: All year
Open positions: 2
Period: All year
Uwe Mayer
e-mail: uwe.mayer@unitn.it
General topic: Neurobiology of Comparative Cognition
Methodology: Animal behavior measurements in combination with neurobiological, neurophysiological and neuroanatomical methods
Project description: We are interested in the study of brain functions from a comparative perspective using birds as animal models. We are currently running various projects investigating the neurobiological basis of spatial and social cognition, visual system and taste perception in domestic chicks. Please write us an email for more details.
Methodology: Animal behavior measurements in combination with neurobiological, neurophysiological and neuroanatomical methods
Project description: We are interested in the study of brain functions from a comparative perspective using birds as animal models. We are currently running various projects investigating the neurobiological basis of spatial and social cognition, visual system and taste perception in domestic chicks. Please write us an email for more details.
Type of internship: Curricular
Open positions: 4
Period: All year
Open positions: 4
Period: All year
Veronica Mazza
e-mail: veronica.mazza@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Attention, Perception, Aging, Visual working memory, Plasticity
Methodology: EEG and behavioral measures
Project description: Please consult the group's website for further details.
Type of internship: Curricular/Post-graduate/Tirocinio Pratico Valutativo
Open positions: 2
Period: All year
Carlo Miniussi
e-mail: carlo.miniussi@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Non-invasive transcranial brain stimulation / Open science
Methodology: TMS, tES (tDCS, tACS, tRNS), TMS-EEG coregistration
Project description: It will be possible to learn more about the applications of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, and in particular transcranial electrical brain stimulation (tES) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Practical guidance will be provided on the use of tES and TMS, also in combination with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG coregistration). Trainees will be involved in the collection of experimental data, selection of participant samples and data analysis. Attendance at Lab Meetings and participation in any seminars organised by the CIMeC is also planned.
General topic: Non-invasive transcranial brain stimulation / Open science
Methodology: TMS, tES (tDCS, tACS, tRNS), TMS-EEG coregistration
Project description: It will be possible to learn more about the applications of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, and in particular transcranial electrical brain stimulation (tES) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Practical guidance will be provided on the use of tES and TMS, also in combination with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG coregistration). Trainees will be involved in the collection of experimental data, selection of participant samples and data analysis. Attendance at Lab Meetings and participation in any seminars organised by the CIMeC is also planned.
Type of internship: Curricular/Tirocinio Pratico Valutativo
Open positions: 2
Period: All year
Open positions: 2
Period: All year
Simona Monaco
e-mail: simona.monaco@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Action and Perception
Methodology: Behavioural and neuroimaging (fMRI, MEG) methods
Project description:
Group website
General topic: Action and Perception
Methodology: Behavioural and neuroimaging (fMRI, MEG) methods
Project description:
- We investigate how we use vision and touch to perceive objects and guide actions
- We examine the role of human brain areas in anticipating the sensory consequences of our actions.
Type of internship: Curricular/Post-graduate/ Tirocinio Pratico Valutativo
Open positions: 2
Period: All year
Period: All year
Eugenio Parise
e-mail: eugenio.parise@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Infant Cognitive Development
Methodology: Behavioural/EEG
Project description:
Group website
General topic: Infant Cognitive Development
Methodology: Behavioural/EEG
Project description:
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Cognitive basis of social communication in infants
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Language development and understanding of words
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Core physic knowledge.
Type of internship: Curricular/Post-graduate
Open positions: 3
Period: All year
Open positions: 3
Period: All year
Orsola Rosa Salva
e-mail: orsola.rosasalva@unitn.it
General topic: The general aim is to investigate fundamental cognitive mechanisms, present already in the early post-natal development of different species, that allow the development of sophisticated cognitive skills. This is approached using the hatchlings of a precocial avian species (domestic chicks) as animal models. Within the field of animal/comparative cognition, I am currently focusing on the following areas:
General topic: The general aim is to investigate fundamental cognitive mechanisms, present already in the early post-natal development of different species, that allow the development of sophisticated cognitive skills. This is approached using the hatchlings of a precocial avian species (domestic chicks) as animal models. Within the field of animal/comparative cognition, I am currently focusing on the following areas:
- numerical cognition and abstraction of regularities from the environment, allowing flexible and adaptive behaviour
- structural and functional lateralization in the avian brain (and its contribution to cognitive development)
Most research lines are designed to be interpreted in a comparative perspective to the human developmental literature (comparable tasks studied in human infants).
Methodology: Behavioural experiments with domestic chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus). Tests of spontaneous preferences between different visual or auditory stimuli in naive animals. Imprinting experiments (learning by exposure through filial imprinting, followed by recognition and generalisation tests). Methodologies for the automated tracking and measurements of animal behaviour
Project description: Students can be assigned to one of the following projects:
Methodology: Behavioural experiments with domestic chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus). Tests of spontaneous preferences between different visual or auditory stimuli in naive animals. Imprinting experiments (learning by exposure through filial imprinting, followed by recognition and generalisation tests). Methodologies for the automated tracking and measurements of animal behaviour
Project description: Students can be assigned to one of the following projects:
- crossmodal transfer of numerical information (e.g., experiencing one numerosity in the visual modality and recognising it when presented acoustically)
- acoustical imprinting studies on numerical stimuli
- lateralisation studies (visual functional lateralisation or structural lateralization of neural responses/neuroanatomical features).
Type of internship: Curricular and Tirocinio Pratico Valutativo (one semester per student only, for the professional training)
Open positions: 4
Period: All year
Open positions: 4
Period: All year
Paolo Rota
E-mail: paolo.rota@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Temporal Modeling in Vision and Language Models
Methodology: Computational modeling
Project description:The latest vision and language models show promising results in many applications, however, they still have room for improvement in understanding and managing temporal relations. The purpose of this project is to research the challenges these models encounter when processing the temporal dimension of video data. This will involve a detailed review of current methods for addressing temporal compositionality, learning objectives, and text/visual prompts. The project seeks to establish the features and constraints of these methods, providing a foundation for the creation of a robust learning framework for videos. Importantly, this future learning model should be able to accurately interpret temporal relationships and provide high levels of interpretability to shed light on how it arrived at its conclusions.
Group website
General topic: Temporal Modeling in Vision and Language Models
Methodology: Computational modeling
Project description:The latest vision and language models show promising results in many applications, however, they still have room for improvement in understanding and managing temporal relations. The purpose of this project is to research the challenges these models encounter when processing the temporal dimension of video data. This will involve a detailed review of current methods for addressing temporal compositionality, learning objectives, and text/visual prompts. The project seeks to establish the features and constraints of these methods, providing a foundation for the creation of a robust learning framework for videos. Importantly, this future learning model should be able to accurately interpret temporal relationships and provide high levels of interpretability to shed light on how it arrived at its conclusions.
Type of internship: Curricular
Open positions: 1
Period: All year
Selene Schintu
e-mail: selene.schintu@unitn.it
General topic: Attention, learning, plasticity and interhemispheric interaction
Methodology: fMRI, TMS, TMS-EEG, behavioral measures, and virtual reality
Project description: We have different projects concerning the topics mentioned above. Those include working with healthy and/or brain-damaged populations. Students may be involved in data collection and/or data analysis. Contact us to evaluate possibilities to contribute.
Methodology: fMRI, TMS, TMS-EEG, behavioral measures, and virtual reality
Project description: We have different projects concerning the topics mentioned above. Those include working with healthy and/or brain-damaged populations. Students may be involved in data collection and/or data analysis. Contact us to evaluate possibilities to contribute.
Type of internship: Curricular
Open positions: 3
Period: All year
Open positions: 3
Period: All year
Valeria Anna Sovrano
e-mail: valeriaanna.sovrano@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Animal cognition
Methodology: Behavioral observation, visual discrimination test, operant conditioning, drug administration
Project description: Studying fish, as animal cognition's model; spatial representation, objects categorization, visual and extra-visual perception, brain lateralization, biological basis of social behavior, numerical skills.
Group website
General topic: Animal cognition
Methodology: Behavioral observation, visual discrimination test, operant conditioning, drug administration
Project description: Studying fish, as animal cognition's model; spatial representation, objects categorization, visual and extra-visual perception, brain lateralization, biological basis of social behavior, numerical skills.
Type of internship: Curricular/Post-graduate/Tirocinio Pratico Valutativo
Open positions: 7
Period: All year
Open positions: 7
Period: All year
Luca Turella
e-mail: luca.turella@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Control of movements - Understanding of actions and intentions
Methodology: fMRI/MEG/behavioral
Project description: The student can be involved in two different types of projects: the first project aims to characterize the neural representations of the actions we perform in everyday life; the second project aims to characterize the neural networks underlying the understanding of the action and the intentions of others.
Group website
General topic: Control of movements - Understanding of actions and intentions
Methodology: fMRI/MEG/behavioral
Project description: The student can be involved in two different types of projects: the first project aims to characterize the neural representations of the actions we perform in everyday life; the second project aims to characterize the neural networks underlying the understanding of the action and the intentions of others.
Type of internship: Curricular/Post-graduate/Tirocinio Pratico Valutativo
Open positions: 4
Period: All year
Open positions: 4
Period: All year
Moritz Wurm
e-mail: moritz.wurm@unitn.it
Group website
General topic: Localize and characterize the neural processes of action understanding, from perceptual analysis to conceptual access
Methodology: fMRI, MEG, psychophysics
Project description: Please consult the group's website for further details of the research projects. Students will be offered the opportunity to be involved in various experimental phases (from literature research to experiment design, data collection and data analysis).
Group website
General topic: Localize and characterize the neural processes of action understanding, from perceptual analysis to conceptual access
Methodology: fMRI, MEG, psychophysics
Project description: Please consult the group's website for further details of the research projects. Students will be offered the opportunity to be involved in various experimental phases (from literature research to experiment design, data collection and data analysis).
Type of internship: Curricular/Post-graduate
Open positions: 2
Period: All
Open positions: 2
Period: All