The Department welcomes Carola Dell'Acqua
Iam a clinical psychologist with a background in psychophysiology and earned my Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2023 under the supervision of Prof. Messerotti Benvenuti. My research integrates clinical, behavioral, and psychophysiological measures to better understand the psychophysiological mechanisms contributing to the development of affective disorders, particularly anxiety and depression. To this end, I employ various methodologies, with a primary focus on electroencephalography (EEG) to measure neural responses to reward and threat-related stimuli. Using these methods, I have identified distinct patterns of affective dysfunction characterizing anxiety, depression, and vulnerability to these disorders. My current research focuses on vulnerability in late childhood, with a specific interest in social reward processing in adolescents at familial risk for depression. This work, conducted in collaboration with the Translational Research in Affect and Cognition Lab at McGill University (Montréal, Canada), has been awarded the MSCA Seal of Excellence and was recently funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR - Young Researchers 2024) for a three-year project.
As an expert in clinical psychophysiology, I have extensive experience analyzing EEG data and other psychophysiological measures (e.g., electrocardiogram, skin conductance, electromyography) to study emotional and cognitive processes. More recently, to achieve a more ecological and naturalistic analysis of affective experiences, I have integrated the use of wearable devices and ecological momentary assessment.
During my Ph.D. and postdoctoral training, I had the opportunity to conduct research abroad (Florida State University, McGill University) thanks to prestigious funding (Fulbright, SPR Training Grant), which allowed me to expand my network of international collaborations and further develop advanced theoretical and methodological skills. I am an active member of the Society for Psychophysiological Research (SPR) and currently chair the society’s Public Relations Committee.
Beyond research, I am a clinical practitioner at the Biofeedback and Psychophysiology Unit of the University Psychological Services Center, where I conduct multidimensional assessments for mood, anxiety, and psychosomatic disorders, as well as biofeedback and neurofeedback intervention protocols.
In my free time, I love traveling, reading, and spending time with my loved ones.
