Francesco Sella

I am a cognitive psychologist working in the field of numerical and mathematical cognition. My research focuses on symbolic numerical processing, mathematical learning, and individual differences across development.

I completed my undergraduate and Master’s studies in Clinical Psychology at the University of Padova. In 2013, I obtained my PhD at the Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation under the supervision of Professors Daniela Lucangeli and Carlo Umiltà. I then continued at the Department of General Psychology as a postdoctoral researcher under the supervision of Professor Patrizio Tressoldi. I later moved to the University of Oxford, where I worked as a postdoctoral researcher on an ERC-funded project led by Professor Roi Cohen Kadosh investigating the neurocognitive foundations of mathematical learning. I subsequently joined the Department of Psychology at the University of Sheffield as a Lecturer and later moved to Loughborough University, where I became Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Cognition and was a member of the Centre for Mathematical Cognition and the Centre for Early Mathematics Learning. Throughout these stages of my career, I have maintained a long-standing collaboration with Professor Marco Zorzi at the Department of General Psychology in Padova, and I am pleased to join the Department as Associate Professor in September 2026.

My research focuses on several areas of numerical cognition, including symbolic numerical processing, the spatial representation and ordering of numbers, and the grounding of numerical symbols during development. I also study numerical skills across typical and atypical populations, including individuals with developmental dyscalculia or Down syndrome and adults with high levels of mathematical expertise. A more applied strand of my work concerns the assessment and support of mathematical learning, including the development of early numeracy measures and interventions using digital games and structured play.

Most of my time is taken up by work and family life. When I do find some free time, I particularly enjoy reading historical fiction and keeping active, especially through swimming and hiking.