Profili

I am currently a Ph.D. student in Physics at the University of Pisa. My research focuses on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) applied to neurodevelopmental disorders and on the use of Artificial Intelligence, particularly Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), to study the human brain through its functional and structural connectivity.
I obtained my B.Sc. in Physical Sciences from the University of Palermo, where I first developed an interest in Medical Physics and, in particular, MRI. My bachelor’s thesis explored the physical principles underlying advanced MRI techniques, sparking a lasting curiosity about this field. Driven by the desire to deepen my knowledge, I moved to Pisa to pursue an M.Sc. in Physics at the University of Pisa.
During my Master’s studies, I expanded my expertise in MRI and its applications and in multiparametric and multimodal imaging. At the same time, I became increasingly interested in Artificial Intelligence, especially machine learning and neural networks, for applications in medical physics. Combining these interests, my Master’s thesis, “Human Connectome Analysis with Graph Neural Networks: The Autism Spectrum Disorder Case Study,” supervised by Prof. Alessandra Retico and Prof. Piernicola Oliva, investigated how GNNs can be used to analyze the human connectome in Autism Spectrum Disorder, developing a model that integrates both structural and functional MRI data.
After completing my degree, I joined Prof. Paola Binda’s research group (Pisa Vision Lab) in collaboration with the IMAGO7 research centre in Calambrone, where I work on the processing of ultra-high-field (UHF) laminar functional MRI data. This experience has allowed me to further pursue my interests in ultra-high-field MRI and neuroscience, with a particular focus on the visual system.