Laura Miola

I am a psychologist with a degree in Neuroscience and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, a master’s degree in Psychology of Ageing and a PhD in Psychological Sciences from the
University of Padua.
My main research interests lie in the fields of spatial cognition and environmental psychology, areas of research that help to understand the complex interaction between the individual and the environment. Specifically, I am interested in how people learn, orient themselves and move in the environments that surround them.
In my studies I have mainly explored individual and gender differences in the ability to orient and navigate in space. I study the role of visuospatial abilities, such as mental rotation ability and visuospatial working memory, and beliefs about one's spatial abilities, such as self-efficacy in learning both real and virtual environments.
Furthermore, I am interested in understanding how the characteristics of environments, such as the field of view and navigability of buildings, interact with our ability to orient ourselves in space, in order to apply this knowledge to improve navigation in cities and complex buildings such as residential care homes.
More recently, I have been studying the role of prolonged use of automatic navigation systems (GPS) on orientation ability and spatial learning.
In my spare time, my favourite place is the dance studio where I practise modern and contemporary dance. I am a graduate of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) and have experience in teaching children, girls and adults. Now, I dedicate myself to dancing as a student and spectator, spending my free time between classes and theatre performances.