STEFANO FERRAINA

Prof. Stefano Ferraina is the Director of the Motor control and Cognition (MCC_Lab) at University of Rome
(UOR). MCC is expert in the behavioral analysis of motor control in humans and non-human primates used as
models. Parallel to this expertise is the multiscale approach to the analysis of neural signals obtained from
(multiple) cortical areas using invasive electrophysiological approaches (single and multi electrodes arrays).
The MCC_Lab was the first describing the role of premotor cortex in the cognitive control of movement using
a countermanding task as a probe (Mirabella et al., 2011) and to show evidence of local attractor dynamics in
vivo supporting decision time in a motor control task (Mattia et al.,2013). The study of motor decision in
reaching movements was the main argument of many experiments, combining anatomical and physiological
approaches, performed at UOR and has significantly contributed the conceptualization on the functional
architecture of the parieto-frontal system underlying cognitive-motor function, as currently accepted. Recently
the MCC_Lab started describing neural dynamics from data obtained in epileptic patients during cognitive
task solutions.

Education
1990 MD – University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’
1996-2000: PhD in Neurophysiology - University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’.

Training
1991-1992: Resident Neurology University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’
1992-1993: Research Fellow in computational neuroscience – Universitè ‘Pierre et Marie Curie’ – Paris France (Mentor Yves Burnod)
1993-1995: Resident Neurology University of Ancona
1994 Short term visit (2 months; neuroanatomy) – University North Carolina – Chapell Hill USA (Mentor Paul B Johnson)
1996-2000: PhD student University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’ (Mentor Roberto Caminiti)
1998-1999: Visiting scientist Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research – NEI – NIH - Bethesda USA (Mentor Robert H Wurtz)

Academic appointments:
2000-2002 Assistant Professor, Dept of Human Physiology, Univ of Rome ‘La Sapienza’
2002-2005 Associate Professor, Dept of Human Physiology, Univ of Rome ‘La Sapienza’
2005 - Full Professor, Dept of Physiology and Pharmacology, Univ of Rome ‘La Sapienza’

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6100-2438

Prof. Stefano Ferraina is the Director of the Motor control and Cognition (MCC_Lab) at University of Rome (UOR). MCC is expert in the behavioral analysis of motor control in humans and non-human primates used as models. Parallel to this expertise is the multiscale approach to the analysis of neural signals obtained from (multiple) cortical areas using invasive electrophysiological approaches (single and multi electrodes arrays).
The MCC_Lab was the first describing the role of premotor cortex in the cognitive control of movement using a countermanding task as a probe (Mirabella et al., 2011) and to show evidence of local attractor dynamics in vivo supporting decision time in a motor control task (Mattia et al.,2013). The study of motor decision in
reaching movements was the main argument of many experiments, combining anatomical and physiological approaches, performed at UOR and has significantly contributed the conceptualization on the functional architecture of the parieto-frontal system underlying cognitive-motor function, as currently accepted. Recently the MCC_Lab started describing neural dynamics from data obtained in epileptic patients during cognitive task solutions.