Lab Team

Manuela Lavelli - PhD

Former Professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology

Her research focuses on the co-regulated processes organizing early mother-infant communication, which are foundation for infant emotional development. She also investigates the effects of parent/teacher’s input and support for language acquisition during interaction with young children with at-risk or atypical language development.

Marinella Majorano - PhD

Associate Professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology

Her studies are focused on infants/children with language and communication difficulties or other special educational needs. In the last years, the interaction between individual and environmental factors is one of her main research focus. The development and implementation of intervention program for parents, educators and teachers is one of her main contributions in the applied research

Elena Florit - PhD

Assistant Professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology

Her research interests concern language and literacy acquisition. In particular, she is interested in individual (e.g., cognitive skills) and contextual factors (e.g., home language and literacy environment) accounting for language acquisition in monolingual and bilingual children; children’s comprehension of oral and written texts (printed and digital texts; multiple texts); intervention studies for supporting language development in at risk populations.

Valentina Persici - PhD

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Developmental and Educational Psychology

Her work investigates monolingual and bilingual language and literacy development and the relationship between language and rhythm in children with typical and atypical development (dyslexia, developmental language disorder, cochlear implants). Her research interests also include the development of assessment tools and the implementation of intervention programs that promote children’s language and literacy development. Her research combines behavioural and electrophysiological methods (EEG).

Tamara Bastianello - PhD

PhD student- Programme in Human Sciences-Psychology

Tamara Bastianello is a third-year PhD student in Psychology. Her PhD project regards the role played by multi sensoriality and attentional mechanisms in language acquisition and development. She is also interested in developing tools and programmes using innovative technologies for parents and teachers to support children’s language and early literacy skills. She is a co-author of papers on developmental psychology and education.

Beatrice Andalò - PhD

PhD student- Programme in Human Sciences-Psychology

She graduated in Pedagogical Sciences and in Motor Sciences, too. Her main research interests relate to the relationship between gross-motor development and language development in children from 0 to 6, and the teaching of motor activities. She has several years of experience working as a pedagogist in nursery schools with a specific educational project based on motor experience.

Chiara Barachetti - PhD

Teaching Assistant- Developmental and Educational Psychology

Her research focuses on the communication and language development of children with at-risk or atypical language development. In particular, she is interested in the effects of parent/teacher’s input on the language acquisition of children with primary language impairment and of children from low-income family.

Michela Santangelo

PhD student- Programme in Human Sciences-Psychology

Michela Santangelo is a third-year PhD student in Psychology (37th cycle). Her research project focuses on an online music program for toddlers with cochlear implants and their mothers aimed at supporting toddlers’ language and communication skills. She is also interested in parent-child synchrony and quality of interaction. She is a psychologist and has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy.

Ambra Natati

PhD student- Programme in Human Sciences-Psychology

Ambra Natati is a first-year PhD student in Psychology. Her research project is about the role of music in the education of children aged between 0 and 6 years. During her Master’s degree in Philosophy, she developed an interest in Psychoanalysis and in the relationships between mother and child and between individuals and society.

Irene Redondi

Research scholarship holder

She has a degree in Speech and Language Therapy. She is interested in human interaction, particularly how speech, language and social communication develop in typical and atypical populations. Her research project investigates the impact of parent-child interaction and music on early language development. She also studies the emergence of phonetic and phonological skills in children with cochlear implants.

Menu