About Giorgio
I am a cognitive neuroscientist with international recognition in the fields of visual and social cognition, with expertise in a range of brain imaging techniques (EEG/ERPs, fMRI, fNIRS) and brain stimulation methods (including TMS and, more recently, TUS).
I earned my PhD in Cognitive Science from the University of California at San Diego and subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship and held a faculty position at Harvard University, before moving to my current position at the University of Plymouth.
A central theme in my research is the interaction between bottom-up (stimulus-driven) and top-down (knowledge-driven) processes in both visual and social cognition as such interactions are critical for normal perception and cognition. In visual neuroscience, my work has included pioneering ERP studies on how scene context affects object recognition and the first fMRI study to quantify the similarity between visual imagination and perception. In social neuroscience, I conducted one of the earliest fMRI studies on deception and was the first to systematically differentiate types of lies within a structured neurocognitive framework. I also carried out the first fMRI investigation into the effects of countermeasures in studies of concealed information.
My long-term goals include developing testable neurocognitive theories of these processes by integrating complementary brain imaging and stimulation techniques. More broadly, I aim to understand how human behavior emerges from specific brain networks, and how the neurophysiological properties of these networks shape sensorimotor and cognitive performance. These efforts are reflected in a substantial body of peer-reviewed research and reviews.
Teaching
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Social Neuroscience
- Visual Neuroscience
- Neuroethics
- Neurotechnologies
