Projects
Bio-behavioral synchrony
In my research, I am fascinated by the neurophysiological processes underlying parent-child interactions. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electrocardiography (ECG), we were able to measure synchronization in brain activity and heart rhythms when caregivers interact with infants, who are as young as 4 months old. I am currently extending this research line by measuring potential outcomes and factors related to bio-behavioral synchronisation across the lifespan.
Music cognition in infancy
Music is a powerful tool of communication and infants display sensititivty to musical features from even before birth. In this line of research, I am interested in how infants process music and how caregivers can leverage infants musical abilities to communicate with them. Here, I am using behavioral paradigms, electroencephalography (EEG) and deep-learning based algorithms (DeepLabCut) to assess caregivers and infants brain signals and movements during music perception and communication.
Social Learning
Children are incredible learners, especially so, when they learn from others. During preschool age, they start to imitate actions made by others, that are beyond what is needed to reach a certain goal. For instance, if I stroke a bottle before I open it, it is very likely that a five-year old child, whom I ask to open their bottle, will do the same. This type of imitation is referred to as over-imitation and has been suggested to be a component of cultural learning. In my third line of research, I am interested as to when and why children over-imitate and in general learn from others.
