Personale docente

Maria Alessandra Umilta’
Department of Food and Drug Sciences
University of Parma
Parco Area Delle Scienze 27 / A, 43124
Parma Italy
E-Mail: mariaalessandra.umilta@unipr.it
Tel. ++ 39-0521-903873
Fax: ++ 39-0521-903900

Current position: Associated Professor of General Physiology at the Department of Food and Drug Sciences of the University of Parma
Italian nationality
Civil Status: married with two children

Titles

- In July 1996 Prof. Umiltà graduated with honors in Biological Sciences at the University of Bologna
- In December 2000 Prof. Umiltà received her PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Parma
Prof. Umiltà won a scholarship to carry out research at the Institute of Human Physiology of the University of Parma from November 2001 to May 2002.
- Prof. Umiltà was (01 / 2001-08 / 2001, 04 / 2002-12 / 2002) Honorary Research Associate Fellow with the Sobell Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurology, University College London, with a Wellcome funding Trust.
-On 07 2002, Prof. Umiltà received a research grant with a duration of three years to carry out research at the Institute of Human Physiology of the University of Parma.
-From December 1, 2005 to March 1, 2015 Prof. Umiltà has held the position of Researcher of permanent Physiology (SSD BIO / 09) at the University of Parma, placed in the band of researchers confirmed from 6 February 2009 .
-From 2010 to date Professor Umilta is Adjunct Senior Research Scholar at the Department of Art History and Archeology of Columbia University, New York, USA.
-On 30th January 2014 Prof. Umiltà obtained the National Scientific Qualification as Associated Professor (05 / D1) Physiology.
-On 25 February 2014 Prof. Umiltà has obtained the National Scientific Qualification as Associated Professor (11 / E1) General Psychology, Psychobiology and Psychometrics.
- On January 29, 2015 Prof. Umiltà has obtained the National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor in the sector 11 / E1, General Psychology, Psychobiology and Psychometrics.
-April 4 April 2017 Prof. Umiltà has obtained the National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor the field of competition 05 / D1, Physiology.
-On 10 April 2017 Prof. Umiltà has obtained the National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor in the sector 11 / E1, General Psychology, Psychobiology and Psychometrics

Research topics: The role of the cortical motor system in the control of higher cognitive functions and in the mechanisms of inhibition of voluntary movement; the neural bases of social cognition.

Professor Umiltà has had the following official teaching courses
Academic years 2006/2007; 2008/2009
- Degree Course in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies: Physiology of the Nervous System (within the General Physiology Course) for a value of 4 CFU
- Degree in Pharmacy: Physiology of the Nervous System (within the General Physiology Course) for a value of 4 credits
- Degree Course in Scientific Information on Drugs: Physiology of the Nervous System (within the General Physiology Course) for a value of 4 CFU
Academic year 2009/2010:
- Degree Course in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies: Physiology of the Nervous System (within the General Physiology Course) for a value of 4 CFU
- Degree in Pharmacy: Physiology of the Nervous System (within the General Physiology Course) for a value of 4 credits
- Degree Course in Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences: Physiology of the Nervous System (within the General Physiology Course) for a value of 4 CFU
Academic years 2011/2012; 2012/2013; 2013/2014; 2014/2015
- Degree Course in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies: Physiology of the Nervous System (within the General Physiology Course) for a value of 4 CFU
- Degree in Pharmacy: Physiology of the Nervous System (within the General Physiology Course) for a value of 4 credits
Academic years 2015/2016; 2016/2017; 2017/2018; 2018/19
- Course in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies: Physiology of the Nervous System (within the General Physiology Course) for a value of 4 credits
- Course in Pharmacy: Physiology of the Nervous System (within the General Physiology Course) for a value of 4 credits Study Course in AUDIOPROTESIC TECHNIQUES (ABILITANT TO HEALTH PROFESSION OF AUDIOPROTESISTA) Physiology of the Nervous System for a value of 3 CFU

Other educational activities and participation in the University panel in PhD courses accredited by the Ministry

- July 2006: Action, Perception and Cognition: A Neuroscientific Perspective. Teaching activity carried out within the didactic program of a Higher Education University Course at the University of Bologna
-February 2009: The Neurophysiological bases of relationality. Didactic activity carried out within the didactic program of a Higher Education University Course at the University of Bologna
-Professor Umiltà Since 2007 she teaches tutoring in the PhD program in Neuroscience at the University of Parma.
-From the academic year 2013 Professor Umilta 'is a member of the Teaching Committee of the PhD Program in Neuroscience at the University of Parma.

Participation in international and national research projects admitted to financing based on competitive calls

- Prof. Umilta 'has been a member of the European project as a researcher:
NEUROBOTICS, the fusion of NEUROscience and roBOTICS (Project No. 001917) Integrated Project, IST / FET.
- Prof. Umilta 'has been a member of the European project as a researcher: NeuroProbes, development of multifunctional microprobe arrays for cerebral applications (Project No. 027017) Integrated Project, IST.
- Prof. Umilta 'was a member of the PRIN 2006: Motor and cognitive functions of the "mirror" system, lasting 24 months.
- Prof. Umilta 'was National Scientific Coordinator of PRIN 2008 entitled
"Motor cognition" (duration 24 months)

Assignment of research positions at foreign research institutes

- Prof. Umilta 'was (01/2001-08/2001, 04/2002-12/2002)Honorary Research Associate Fellow with the Sobell Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurology, University College London, with Wellcome Trust.
-From 2010 to date Professor Umilta is Adjunct Senior Research Scholar at the Department of Art History and Archeology of Columbia University, New York, USA.

Results obtained in the technological transfer
A project funded by the European Grant NeuroProbe CE 027017 has led to an effective technological transfer and the development of a new type of electrodes for neuronal registration. On this basis, two consortium groups (IMTEK, Freiburg and imec, Leuven) founded ATLAS neuro (http://www.atlasneuro.com/en/), a company that manufactures and markets this type of electrodes.

List of publications

Journals
1) Umilta’ M.A., Kohler E., Gallese V., Fogassi L., Fadiga L., Keysers C. and Rizzolatti G. (2001) “I know what you are doing”: a neurophysiological study. Neuron, 31, 155-165.

2) Gallese V. and Umiltà, M.A. From self-modeling to the self model: agency and the representation of the self. Neuro-Psychoanalysis. (2002) vol. 4, No. 2: 35-40,

3) Gallese V., Ferrari P.F., and Umiltà M.A. (2002) The mirror matching system: a shared manifold for intersubjectivity. Behavioral Brain Sciences,25: 35-36.

4) Kohler E., Keysers, C., Umiltà M.A., Fogassi L., Gallese V. and Rizzolatti G. (2002) Hearing sounds, understanding actions: action representation in mirror neurons. Science, 297: 846-848.

5) Keysers C., Kohler E., Umiltà M.A., Nanetti L., Fogassi L., and Gallese V. (2003) Audio-visual mirror neurones and action recognition. Exp. Brain Res.,153:628 –636.

6) Umiltà M.A. (2004) Frontal Cortex: Goal-Relatedness and the Cortical Motor System. Current Biology, 14: 204-206.

7) Brochier T., Spinks R.L., Umilta’ M.A. and Lemon R.N. (2004) Patterns of muscle activity underlying object-specific grasp in the macaque monkey. Journal of Neurophysiology 92(3):1770-1782.

8) Raos V., Umiltà M.A., Gallese V., Fogassi L. (2004) Functional properties of grasping-related neurons in the dorsal premotor area F2 of the macaque monkey. Journal of Neurophysiology, 92(4):1990-2002.

9) Raos V., Umiltà, M.A., Murata A., .Fogassi L., Gallese V. (2006) Functional properties of grasping-related neurons in the ventral premotor area F5 of the macaque monkey. Journal of Neurophysiology, 95(2):709-29

10) Gallese V., Umilta’ M.A. (2006). Cognitive continuity in primate social cognition. BIOLOGICAL THEORY. vol. 1, pp. 25-30 ISSN: 1555-5542

11) Umilta M.A, Brochier T., Spinks R.L.,. and Lemon R.N (2007) Simultaneous recording of macaque premotor and primary motor cortex neuronal populations reveals different functional contributions to visuomotor grasp. Journal of Neurophysiology. 98(1):488-501

12) Brochier T, Umilta’ M.A. (2007). Cortical control of grasp in non-human primates. Current Opinion in Neurobiology. 17, pp. 637-643

13) Kisban S, Herwik S, Seidl K, Rubehn B, Jezzini A, Umiltà MA, Fogassi L, Stieglitz T, Paul O, Ruther P. (2007) Microprobe array with low impedance electrodes and highly flexible polyimide cables for acute neural recording. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc;2007:175-8.

14) Umiltà MA, Escola L, Intskirveli I, Grammont F, Rochat M, Caruana F, Jezzini A, Gallese V, Rizzolatti G. (2008) When pliers become fingers in the monkey motor system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U SA. 105(6):2209-13

15) Spinks R, Kraskov A, Brochier T., Umilta M.A. and Lemon R. (2008) Selectivity for grasp in local field potential and single neuron activity recorded simultaneously from M1 and F5 in the awake macaque monkey Journal of Neuroscience 22;28(43):10961-71

16) Rochat MJ, Caruana F, Jezzini A, Escola L, Intskirveli I, Grammont F, Gallese V, Rizzolatti G, Umiltà MA (2010) Responses of mirror neurons in area F5 to hand and tool grasping observation Exp Brain Res. 204(4):605-16.

17) Brain response to a humanoid robot in areas implicated in the perception of human emotional gestures. Chaminade T, Zecca M, Blakemore SJ, Takanishi A, Frith CD, Micera S, Dario P, Rizzolatti G, Gallese V, Umiltà MA. (2010) PLoS One. Jul 21;5(7)

18) Time course and specificity of sensory-motor alpha modulation during the observation of hand motor acts and gestures: a high density EEG study. (2010) Streltsova A, Berchio C, Gallese V, Umilta' MA. Exp Brain Res.205(3):363-73.

19) Carpaneto J, Umiltà MA, Fogassi L, Murata A, Gallese V, Micera S, Raos V. (2011) Decoding the activity of grasping neurons recorded from the ventral premotor area F5 of the macaque monkey. Neuroscience;188:80-94.

20) Ahmadian P, Sanei S. , Mussi L., Ascari L., and M.A. Umilta’. (2013) Constrained Blind Source Extraction of Readiness Potentials from EEG. IEEE in Transactions on Neural Systems & Rehabilitation Engineering; 21(4): 567-575

21) Umilta' M.A, Berchio C., SestitoM., Freedberg D. and Gallese V. (2012).Abstract Art and Cortical Motor Activation: an EEG study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience; 16 November 2012 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00311

22) Ardizzi M, Martini F, Umiltà MA, Sestito M, Ravera R, Gallese V. When early experiences build a wall to others' emotions: an electrophysiological and autonomic study. PLoS One. 2013 Apr 10;8(4):e61004. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061004. Print 2013.

23) Sestito M, Umiltà MA, De Paola G, Fortunati R, Raballo A, Leuci E, Maffei S, Tonna M, Amore M, Maggini C, Gallese V. Facial reactions in response to dynamic emotional stimuli in different modalities in patients suffering from schizophrenia: a behavioral and EMG study. Front Hum Neurosci. 2013;7:368. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00368.

24) Heimann K, Umilta MA, Gallese V. How the motor-cortex distinguishes among letters, unknown symbols and scribbles. A high density EEG study. Neuropsychologia. 2013 Nov;51(13):2833-40. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.07.014. Epub 2013 Aug 2.

25) Ishida H, Fornia L, Grandi LC, Umiltà MA, Gallese V. Somato-motor haptic processing in posterior inner perisylvian region (SII/pIC) of the macaque monkey. PLoS One. 2013 Jul 30;8(7):e69931. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069931. Print 2013.

26) Berchio C, Rihs TA, Michel CM, Brunet D, Apicella F, Muratori F, Gallese V, Umiltà MA. Parieto-Frontal Circuits During Observation of Hidden and Visible Motor Acts in Children. A High-density EEG Source Imaging Study. Brain Topogr. 2013 Sep 12.

27) Impact of civil war on emotion recognition: the denial of sadness in Sierra Leone. Umiltà MA, Wood R, Loffredo F, Ravera R, Gallese V. Front Psychol. 2013 Sep 3;4:523. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00523.

28) Sbriscia-Fioretti B, Berchio C, Freedberg D, Gallese V, Umiltà MA. ERP Modulation during Observation of Abstract Paintings by Franz Kline. PLoS One. 2013 Oct 9;8(10):e75241.

29) Moving mirrors: a high-density EEG study investigating the effect of camera movements on motor cortex activation during action observation. Heimann K, Umiltà MA, Guerra M, Gallese V. J Cogn Neurosci. 2014 Sep;26(9):2087-101. doi: 10.1162/jocn_a_00602. Epub 2014 Mar 25.

30) When age matters: differences in facial mimicry and autonomic responses to peers' emotions in teenagers and adults. Ardizzi M, Sestito M, Martini F, Umiltà MA, Ravera R, Gallese V. PLoS One. 2014 Oct 22;9(10):e110763. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110763. eCollection 2014.

31) Mirroring the self: testing neurophysiological correlates of disturbed self-experience in schizophrenia spectrum. Sestito M, Raballo A, Umiltà MA, Leuci E, Tonna M, Fortunati R, De Paola G, Amore M, Maggini C, Gallese V. Psychopathology. 2015;48(3):184-91. doi: 10.1159/000380884. Epub 2015 Apr 15.

32) Motor Inhibition during Overt and Covert Actions: An Electrical Neuroimaging Study. Angelini M, Calbi M, Ferrari A, Sbriscia-Fioretti B, Franca M, Gallese V, Umiltà MA. PLoS One. 2015 May 22;10(5):e0126800. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126800. eCollection 2015.

33) Anomalous echo: Exploring abnormal experience correlates of emotional motor resonance in Schizophrenia Spectrum. Sestito M, Raballo A, Umiltà MA, Amore M, Maggini C, Gallese V. Psychiatry Res. 2015 Jun 15. pii: S0165-1781(15)00313-3. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.05.038.

34) Impact of Childhood Maltreatment on the Recognition of Facial Expressions of Emotions. Ardizzi M, Martini F, Umiltà MA, Evangelista V, Ravera R, Gallese V. PLoS One. 2015 Oct 28;10(10):e0141732. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141732

35) Proactive Control Strategies for Overt and Covert Go/NoGo Tasks: An Electrical Neuroimaging Study. Angelini M, Calbi M, Ferrari A, Sbriscia-Fioretti B, Franca M, Gallese V, Umiltà MA.bPLoS One. 2016 Mar 24;11(3):e0152188. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152188. eCollection 2016. Erratum in: PLoS One. 2016;11(5):e0155007.

36) Futurist Art: Motion and Aesthetics As a Function of Title. Mastandrea S, Umiltà MA. Front Hum Neurosci. 2016 May 17;10:201. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00201. eCollection 2016.

37) Less Empathic and More Reactive: The Different Impact of Childhood Maltreatment on Facial Mimicry and Vagal Regulation. Ardizzi M, Umiltà MA, Evangelista V, Di Liscia A, Ravera R, Gallese V. PLoS One. 2016 Sep 29;11(9):e0163853. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163853. eCollection 2016.

38) "Cuts in Action": A High-Density EEG Study Investigating the Neural Correlates of Different Editing Techniques in Film. Heimann KS, Uithol S, Calbi M, Umiltà MA, Guerra M, Gallese V. Cogn Sci. 2017 Aug;41(6):1555-1588. doi: 10.1111/cogs.12439. Epub 2016 Nov 24.

39) Evidence for Anger Saliency during the Recognition of Chimeric Facial Expressions of Emotions in Underage Ebola Survivors.Ardizzi M, Evangelista V, Ferroni F, Umiltà MA, Ravera R, Gallese V.Front Psychol. 2017 Jun 23;8:1026. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01026. eCollection 2017.

40) "Embodied Body Language": an electrical neuroimaging study with emotional faces and bodies. Calbi M, Angelini M, Gallese V, Umiltà MA. Sci Rep. 2017 Jul 31;7(1):6875. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-07262-0.

41) How Context Influences Our Perception of Emotional Faces: A Behavioral Study on the Kuleshov Effect. Calbi M, Heimann K, Barratt D, Siri F, Umiltà MA, Gallese V. Front Psychol. 2017 Oct 4;8:1684. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01684. eCollection 2017.

42) Beholders' sensorimotor engagement enhances aesthetic rating of pictorial facial expressions of pain. Ardizzi M, Ferroni F, Siri F, Umiltà MA, Cotti A, Calbi M, Fadda E, Freedberg D, Gallese V. Psychol Res. 2018 Aug 3. doi: 10.1007/s00426-018-1067-7.

Books
1) Brochier, T., Spinks, R. L., Umilta, M. A. & Lemon R. N. (2009) Recording of EMG activity in the monkey during skilled grasping. In: Sensorimotor Control of Grasping: Physiology and Pathophysiology" (eds Hermsdoerfer J. and Nowak, D.) Cambridge University Press

2) Van Dijck, G., Jezzini, A., Herwik, S., Kisban, S., Seidl, K., Paul, O., Ruther, P., Serventi, F.U., Fogassi, L., Van Hulle, M.M., Umiltà, M.A.: Toward automated electrode selection in the electronic depth control strategy for multi-unit recordings. In: Wong, K.W., Sumudu U. Mendis, B., Bouzerdoum, A. (eds.) ICONIP 2010. LNCS, vol. 6444, pp. 17-25. Springer, Heidelberg (2010).

3) Rizzolatti G. and Umilta’ M.A. Action Control. (2013) Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions. Anne L. C. Runehov and Lluis Oviedo Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions 10.1007/978-1-4020-8265-8_8© Springer Science and Business Media Dordrecht

4) Theatre and Cognitive Neuroscience (2016) Editor(s): Clelia Falletti, Gabriele Sofia, Victor Jacono Series Editor(s): Nicola Shaughnessy, John Lutterbie. Bloomsbury ISBN: 9781472584809