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Prof. Ignacio Moreno (UMH, ES)3/18/26, 9:00 AM
This talk will introduce optical elements displayed with liquid-crystal spatial light modulators (SLMs). These pixelated microdisplays are useful for encoding optical phase functions and controlling the polarization of light. Modern SLMs exhibit high spatial resolution and precise control of optical retardance, allowing them to display diffractive elements. They have become key components for...
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Dr Andrea Vogliardi (QTECH, UNIPD)3/18/26, 9:30 AM
Structured light has revolutionized optical beam shaping, allowing for advanced control over phase, polarization, and orbital angular momentum (OAM). However, the generation and manipulation of non -separable spin–orbit states often rely on bulky and complex optical setups. Metasurfaces overcome these limitations, offering compact, planar devices with complete control of phase and polarization...
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Prof. Annamaria Zaltron (DFA, UNIPD)3/18/26, 9:50 AM
Optical tweezers use highly focused light beams to manipulate microscopic objects and measure forces at the single-molecule level, enabling precise investigation of biomolecular structure and dynamics [1]. By applying controlled mechanical stimuli, this technique reveals elastic, kinetic, and energetic properties of DNA, RNA, and proteins as they undergo biochemical reactions. In this talk, we...
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Prof. Luca Schenato (DEI, UNIPD)3/18/26, 10:10 AM
Optical fibers can act as continuous sensors, turning guided light into a tool to measure temperature, strain, and vibration along their entire length. Originally developed for large-scale monitoring of structures and the environment, distributed fiber sensing has recently advanced to millimeter-scale spatial resolution, opening the door to high-resolution, minimally invasive measurements in...
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Prof. Audrey Denizot (INRIA, FR)3/18/26, 11:20 AM
Astrocytes are cells in the central nervous system involved in numerous functions, from the regulation of neurotransmission to the maintenance of ionic and metabolic homeostasis, as well as memory and learning[1]. However, how astrocytes contribute to these diverse processes is still only partially understood. Here, I will illustrate how computational approaches are providing novel insights...
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Dr Lorenzo Pini (DNF, UNIPD)3/18/26, 11:50 AM
Neurological diseases such as neurodegeneration, stroke, and brain tumors are often studied as separate conditions, yet they share common neuroimaging features and biological mechanisms. This talk introduces the human brain connectome as a unifying framework to explain how molecular pathology, focal lesions, and structural damage spread across large-scale brain networks. Alterations in brain...
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Dr Elisa Tentori (DSB, PNC, UNIPD), Dr Michele Allegra (DFA, UNIPD)3/18/26, 12:10 PM
A clear model - hence, a solid control - of the effects of microstimulation in neuronal networks is still lacking, hampering the great potential of this technique as a tool to probe the networks' structure and dynamics. Bridging computational modeling and an innovative experimental paradigm, we developed a model of the effects of single-site microstimulation in hippocampal cultures plated on...
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Anna Roccaforte (Department of Physics and Astronomy “G. Galilei”, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Centre, University of Padua, Padua, Italy)3/18/26, 1:35 PM
Measuring subtle variations of neurochemical concentrations in the brain is crucial to advance the diagnostic capabilities and treatments for brain disorders. Recently, nanostructured optical probes have emerged as a promising strategy to enable in situ monitoring of neurochemicals levels through surface enhanced vibrational spectroscopy [1]. We present an innovative approach for scalable...
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Benedetta Scandolara (University of Padua, Department of Physics and Astronomy “Galileo Galilei”)3/18/26, 1:40 PM
Metals are the plasmonic workhorse, but their response is largely fixed and metal/semiconductor interfaces are often defect-rich, constraining epitaxial integration. Here we demonstrate hyperdoped Ge:P as an epitaxial, semiconductor-compatible alternative whose plasma edge is dictated by the electrically active carrier density, enabling “metal-like” mid-IR reflectors with a tuneable optical...
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Ms Emanuela Beretta (Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy)3/18/26, 1:50 PM
Perinatal stroke (1:2,300 births) occurs during critical plasticity windows, disrupting neurodevelopment. While microglia-driven inflammation is well-studied in adults, its role in the developing brain remains unclear. To address this, we induced a cortical lesion (MCAO) at P14, assessing recovery via longitudinal behavioral testing. MCAO mice reveal motor deficits and reduced NeuN+ cells. To...
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Giacomo Guastella (Department of Physics)3/18/26, 2:00 PM
Microscale roughness can trigger local plastic rearrangements in soft glassy materials, effectively reducing their apparent viscosity and facilitating flow. Here we investigate how geometrically asymmetric, biomimetic surface patterns fabricated by 3D maskless photolithography can be used to control yielding and flow localization in microchannels. Two roughness geometries are considered:...
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Mariateresa Panarelli (University of Padua)3/18/26, 2:10 PM
Glioblastoma (GBM) remains a devastating malignancy with limited therapeutic options. Emerging evidence highlights the role of connexins in tumor progression. In this study, we investigate the therapeutic potential of abEC1.1, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits connexin hemichannels (HCs), addressing the need for targeted therapies for GBM.
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To evaluate the effects of abEC1.1 on... -
Francesco Colussi (University of Padova)3/18/26, 2:20 PM
The spectral exponent (SE) describes the aperiodic, $1/f$-like background of the electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum. This study investigates the usefulness of the SE in establishing a normative maturation trajectory to track healthy brain development. Using EEG data from 97 infants aged 0–5 years, we analyzed the $1/f$ power distribution across age groups. We found that a cubic...
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Beatrice Crestani (University of Padova)3/18/26, 2:25 PM
Optofluidic technologies integrate optics into microfluidics for applications like refractive index (RI) sensing, but current platforms often demand complex optics limiting scalability and restricting them to monophasic flows. We introduce RIOD, a simple optical detector for RI measurement in sub millimetric capillaries supporting both monophasic and droplet-based flows. RIOD uses flexible...
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Prof. Daniel Razansky (ETH, CH)3/18/26, 2:30 PM
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Prof. Judit Gervain (PNC, UNIPD)3/18/26, 3:00 PM
The brain undergoes radical changes during the first years of life, which lay the foundations for many essential perceptual and cognitive abilities, such as language use or face perception. Imaging these neural changes is thus highly relevant, but not easy, as infants are challenging research participants. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a relatively new brain imaging technique, which is...
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Dr Michela Rossini (DiBio, UNIPD)3/18/26, 3:40 PM
The coordination of cellular activities relies on the close positioning of intracellular organelles at membrane contact sites (MCSs), which has been found altered in several diseases. However, MCS study has been hampered by the lack of tools allowing to track membrane proximity with high spatial and temporal resolution. To address this limitation, we developed reversible fluorescent probes...
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Dr Chiara Guidolin (DFA, UNIPD)3/18/26, 4:00 PM
Brain disease is a major global health challenge, calling for new tools to probe the interplay between neural activity, neuromodulator dynamics, and molecular alterations. Understanding brain mechanisms requires both functional and biochemical measurements, yet current approaches largely rely on optical methods using genetically encoded reporters, which limit translational potential....
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Dr Giulia Favetta (DiBio, UNIPD)3/18/26, 4:20 PM
The development and function of neuronal circuits depend on the precise organization of neuronal morphology and synaptic architecture. These processes are shaped by intercellular communication mechanisms, including astrocyte-derived signals influencing neuronal growth, branching and synapse formation[1]. Although advanced microscopy provides detailed structural information, extracting robust...
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Dr Marica Albanesi (DSB, UNIPD)3/18/26, 4:40 PM
Neural circuits underpin behavior, yet dissecting their function at single-cell resolution remains challenging due to complexity and inaccessibility in vivo. In this talk, I will show how larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) enables optical approaches that connect brain-wide activity to circuit organization and behavior. Leveraging volumetric calcium imaging, I will present experiments probing...
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3/18/26, 5:00 PM
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Mr Alessandro Andreetto (Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131, Italy)
Cold atmospheric plasma (CAPs) are a promising tool for many applications ranging from materials processes to plasma medicine [1]. We investigated how a nanopulse APPJs influences the self-assembly of EAK16-IV at varying salt concentrations. Atomic Force Microscopy revealed that the nanopulse plasma induces ribbon-like nanostructures, compared to spherical shapes under control conditions at...
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LUCA BORTOT
ABSTRACT
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Two-photon lithography (TPL) enables true 3D micro- and nanofabrication with sub-diffraction resolution through nonlinear absorption confined to the focal volume. This ongoing project explores the potential of a custom TPL platform based on a picosecond pulsed laser, investigating whether this regime can represent a practical alternative to the femtosecond standard. The current... -
GIORGIA CACCARO (Department of Physics and Astronomy “G. Galilei”, University of Padua, Padua, Italy)
ABSTRACT
Brain functioning is linked to blood oxygenation levels, as localized neural activation triggers an increase in oxygen supply. This coupling enables the reconstruction of cerebral activity by monitoring fluctuations in blood oxygen levels, for example via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a label-free optical method that measures the differential absorption of...
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Anna Sedazzari (DFA, UNIPD)
Ophthalmic spectroscopy has recently opened promising avenues for early and non-invasive diagnosis of pathological brain conditions [1]. Notably, Raman spectroscopy has been explored for traumatic brain injury detection, while hyperspectral imaging has shown potential in the assessment of Alzheimer’s disease in humans [2][3]. Although the eye provides an optimal optical window for such...
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Emanuela Beretta (Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche)
Perinatal stroke (1:2,300 births) occurs during critical plasticity windows, disrupting neurodevelopment. While microglia-driven inflammation is well-studied in adults, its role in the developing brain remains unclear. To address this, we induced a cortical lesion (MCAO) at P14, assessing recovery via longitudinal behavioral testing. MCAO mice reveal motor deficits and reduced NeuN+ cells. To...
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Gaia Lucarini (DPSS, University of Padua)
Newborns show sophisticated speech perceptual abilities already at birth, especially for speech over other sounds. But how does the brain process cries, the only vocalizations newborns can produce? We tested 70 newborns and 38 adults using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), measuring their brain activation in the bilateral temporal, frontal, and parietal areas while they were...
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Alberto Lucchin (Department of Physics and Astronomy “G. Galilei”, University of Padua, Padua, Italy)
Owing to the global increase in life expectancy, neurodegenerative disorders currently represent a significant challenge both in terms of diagnosis and treatment. Specifically, Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by the gradual loss of dopaminergic neurons, resulting in the onset of symptoms such as muscle rigidity and coordination difficulties. Unfortunately, these clinical...
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Chuchu Jia (Università degli Studi di Padova)
The integration of affective information across sensory modalities is fundamental for early social-emotional development. In everyday interactions, emotions are communicated through both facial and vocal cues, yet the neural mechanisms supporting audiovisual emotion integration in infancy remain insufficiently understood. This study examines neural responses to congruent and incongruent...
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Zeynep AYDIN (University of Padova)
Abstract
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Infants possess sophisticated abilities for interpreting events and generating expectations. Recent evidence suggests that logical reasoning may play an important role in how infants learn and understand (Cesana-Arlotti et al., 2018; Bohus et al., 2023, Current Biology, 33, 4014-4020.e5). However, the computations that ground such abilities and their neural bases still need to be... -
Jessica Gemignani (Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation)
Abstract:
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Human speech has a prosodic structure that fetuses can hear in the last trimester of gestation. We tested whether full-term newborns show neural sensitivity to speech compared to non-human vocalizations using concurrent functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG). Fifty-six full-term newborns listened to Italian sentences (Speech) and baboon... -
Enzo Cancedda (PNC - DSB)
OptoAnalyzer is a MATLAB-based toolbox for semi-automated analysis of fluorescence microscopy images of mouse brain sections. It supports (i) registration of individual slices to reference templates/atlases using rigid alignment with optional non-rigid refinement, (ii) definition and editing of discrete anatomical ROIs, and (iii) extraction of quantitative signals, including mean intensity in...
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Mr Francesco Giuseppe D'Aloia (UNIPD)
Human midbrain organoids (hMOs) have recently emerged as 3D in vitro systems capable of self-organizing in complex structures. They can recapitulate key features of the human midbrain, providing a physiologically and pathologically relevant model to investigate Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study aimed to compare the morphology of the dopaminergic neuronal network in midbrain organoids...
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Anna Roccaforte (Department of Physics and Astronomy “G. Galilei”, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Centre, University of Padua, Padua, Italy)
Abstract
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Measuring subtle variations of neurochemical concentrations in the brain is crucial to advance the diagnostic capabilities and treatments for brain disorders. Recently, nanostructured optical probes have emerged as a promising strategy to enable in situ monitoring of neurochemicals levels through surface enhanced vibrational spectroscopy [1].
We present an innovative approach... -
Francesca Terrin (Università di Padova - Dipartimento di Biologia)
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP) is a CNS disorder characterized by limb spasticity and movement impairment, due to degeneration of spinal motor neurons. A rare HSP form, associated with spastic gait, cerebellar atrophy and peripheral neuropathy, is caused by mutations in the GBA2 gene. Given that GBA2 regulates lipid homeostasis, its deficiency may affect neuronal development and...
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Giorgia Zilio (CIMeC- Università di Trento)
ABSTRACT:
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The mechanisms underlying magnetoreception remain unresolved, although several theoretical models are considered plausible. In the honeybee (Apis mellifera), an especially suitable model system due to the scale and complexity of its navigational behavior, two mechanisms are potentially involved: the Radical Pair Model (RPM) and the Magnetite-Based Model (MBM). These mechanisms are...
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