I am a Researcher at the Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR). I hold a PhD in Cognitive Sciences (University of Siena, 2006) and a Degree in Philosophy (University of Siena, 2001).
My research interests lie in the study of brain and behavior principally through computational (and robotic) modeling but also trough empirical experiments and theory. In particular, I have been working on the evolution of communication and language, the role of language as a cognitive tool, the biological bases of motivations and emotions, the role of intrinsic motivations in cumulative learning and the role of representations in Cognitive Science. Recently, I have been working on the relationships between the Mind and the Body and on Mindfulness.
