Academic career

I am currently a Lecturer at the School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Ireland, where I teach Research Design and Methods in Psychology at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

I completed a B.Sc. in Cognitive Psychology and Psychobiology (2007) and a M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology (2009) at the University of Padua (Italy), where I focused my studies on ageing processes (topics ranging from neurodegenerative disorders to place attachment in older age).

I then completed a PhD by Research (Applied Psychology) at University College Cork (UCC), Ireland (2013-2017). Here, I explored geographical variations in cognitive health in ageing using data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

During my PostDoctoral experience, I expanded my research on environments and health/behaviour to investigate the optimisation of health service delivery for older adults (School of Allied Health, University of Limerick, 2018-2019), I also applied my ecological approach to synthesise the evidence on individual and environmental factors of accident risk in young drivers (School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, 2017, https://tinyurl.com/ybo63ldp), and further developed my work on environmental restoration in younger and older adults as a member of the ACME lab (www.acmelab.science, UCC).

Community work

Across the years, I have been involved in projects to identify environmental resources supporting healthy and independent living in older age both in care and community settings , including:

• Aug-2011/Aug-2012: Volunteering experience at St. Laurence Cheshire Home, Co. Cork (Ireland), promoting mental stimulation and social engagement for adult service users with sensory and physical disabilities;
• Jan-2010/Jul-2011: Project coordinator, Department of Social Protection, Padua, Italy, promoting ageing in place initiatives;
• Dec-2009/Nov-2010: Internship in Psychology at the Istituto di Riposo per Anziani Nursing Home, Padua, Italy, promoting social-environmental support for older people with neurodegenerative conditions;
• Feb-2008/Feb-2009: National Volunteering Service, Department of Social Protection, Padua, Italy, providing homecare and support for disadvantaged young and older individuals.