I am full Professor of Forensic Neuropsychology at the University of Padova. I am Director of the Master in Forensic Neuropsychology since 2003. I was Director of the Specialization School in Neuropsychology, and Director of the PhD School in Brain, Mind and Computer Science up to 2019 at the same University. In 1976, I graduated magna cum laude in Experimental Psychology at University of Padua. In 1988, I was visiting Professor in University of Witswatersrand of Johannesburg and in 1990 at Melbourne University and Bochum University.
I am interested in forensic neuropsychology, malingering, semantic memory disorders, neuropsychology of vision, reading and writing disorders, brain imaging and medical decision-making.
I published more than 200 papers and book chapters in indexed, peer-reviewed national/international journals including Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Cortex, Cerebral Cortex, Cognitive Neuropsychology, Brain and Cognition, Brain and Language, Brain, Journal of Memory and Language, Neuropsychologia, Neuroimage. My works have more than 3000 citations.
From 1990, I supervised more than 200 Master Students, 10 PhD Students and 5 Postdocs, Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy. Currently, I am supervisor of 2 PhD student in Brain, Mind and Computer Science PhD School (University of Padova, Italy) and 2 Postdoc in Department of General Psychology (University of Padova, Italy).
Positions and honors:
- From 2013 – Full professor in Forensic Neuropsychology and Psychopathology – School of Psychology, University of Padova, Italy
- From 2001 – Full professor in Cognitive Neuroscience – School of Psychology, University of Padova,
Italy
- From 1980 to 2012 – Full professor in Clinical Neuropsychology – School of Psychology, University of
Padova, Italy
- From 1980 to 1990 – Full professor in Physiological psychology – School of Psychology, University of
Padova, Italy
- 1988 – Visiting professor, University of Witwatersrand (Johannesburg), South Africa
- 1990 – Visiting professor, Melbourne University, Australia
Institutional responsibilities:
- From 2014 to 2019 – Coordinator of the PhD School in Brain, Mind and Computer Science, University of
Padova, Italy
- From 2011 to 2019 – Director of the Specialization School in Neuropsychology, University of Padova, Italy
- From 2003 to date – Director of the II level master in “Psychopathology and Forensic Neuropsychology”,
Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy
- From 1999 to 2009 – Coordinator of the Advanced Course in Forensic Neuropsychology, School of Medicine, University of Siena, Italy.
Commissions of trust:
- Ad Hoc reviewer for a large number of peer-reviewed national/international journals (e.g., Biological Psychology; Cognitive Neuropsychology; Neuropsychologia; Brain; Giornale Italiano di Psicologia; Cortex)
- Associate Editor of: BCM psychology, Frontiers in Psychology (section Quantitative Psychology and Measurement), PlosOne
- Commission for Associate Professor’s Place (MPSI-02) – University of Cagliari
- Commission for Researcher's Place – University of Padova
- Commission for Researcher's Place – University of Bari
- Commission for Researcher's Place – University of Roma
Memberships of scientific societies:
- Member of the Italian Society of Neuroethics (SINe), Italy
- Member of the Italian Society of Neuropsychology (SINP), Italy
- Member of Società di Psicologia Giuridica (SPG), Italy
Contributions to Science
This is a selection of relevant publications in major international and national peer-reviewed journals in field of cognitive science and forensic neuroscience:
1. Orrù G., Monaro M., Conversano C., Gemignani A., Sartori G. (2020). Machine learning in psychometrics and psychological research. Front. Psychol. 10:2970. Doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02970
2.
Pace G., Orrù G., Monaro M., Gnoato F., Vitaliani R., Boone K.B., Gemignani A., Sartori G. (2019). Malingering Detection of Cognitive Impairment With the b Test Is Boosted Using Machine Learning. Front. Psychol. 10:1650. Doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01650
3. Sartori G, Agosta S, Zogmaister C, Ferrara SD, Castiello U. How to accurately detect autobiographical events. Psychol Sci. 2008 Aug;19(8):772-80.
4. Rigoni D, Pellegrini S, Mariotti V, Cozza A, Mechelli A, Ferrara SD, Pietrini P, Sartori G. How neuroscience and behavioral genetics improve psychiatric assessment: report on a violent murder case. Front Behav Neurosci. 2010 Oct 13;4:160.
5. Rigoni D, Kühn S, Sartori G, Brass M. Inducing disbelief in free will alters brain correlates of preconscious motor preparation: the brain minds whether we believe in free will or not. Psychol Sci. 2011 May;22(5):613-618.
6. Orrù G, Pettersson-Yeo W, Marquand AF, Sartori G, Mechelli A. Using Support Vector Machine to identify imaging biomarkers of neurological and psychiatric disease: a critical review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2012 Apr;36(4):1140-52.
7. Marini M, Rubichi S, Sartori G. The role of self-involvement in shifting IAT effects. Exp Psychol. 2012;59(6):348-54.
8. Angrilli A, Sartori G, Donzella G. Cognitive, emotional and social markers of serial murdering. Clin Neuropsychol. 2013;27(3):485-94.
9. Scarpazza C, Sartori G, De Simone MS, Mechelli A. When the single matters more than the group: very high false positive rates in single case Voxel Based Morphometry. Neuroimage. 2013 Apr 15;70:175-88.
Cona G, Scarpazza C, Sartori G, Moscovitch M, Bisiacchi PS. Neural bases of prospective memory: a meta-analysis and the "Attention to Delayed Intention" (AtoDI) model. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015 May;52:21-37.
11. Scarpazza C, Tognin S, Frisciata S, Sartori G, Mechelli A. False positive rates in Voxel-based Morphometry studies of the human brain: should we be worried? Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015 May;52:49-55. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.02.008.
12. Scarpazza C, Nichols TE, Seramondi D, Maumet C, Sartori G, Mechelli A. When the Single Matters more than the Group (II): Addressing the Problem of High False Positive Rates in Single Case Voxel Based Morphometry Using Non-parametric Statistics. Front Neurosci. 2016 Jan 25;10:6.
13. Cona G, Bisiacchi PS, Sartori G, Scarpazza C. Effects of cue focality on the neural mechanisms of prospective memory: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. Sci Rep. 2016 May 17;6:25983. doi: 10.1038/srep25983.
14. Sartori G, Scarpazza C, Codognotto S, Pietrini P. An unusual case of acquired pedophilic behavior following compression of orbitofrontal cortex and hypothalamus by a Clivus Chordoma. J Neurol. 2016 Jul;263(7):1454-5.
15. Monaro M, Gamberini L, Sartori G. The detection of faked identity using unexpected questions and mouse dynamics. PLoS One. 2017 May 18;12(5):e0177851.
16. Mameli F, Scarpazza C, Tomasini E, Ferrucci R, Ruggiero F, Sartori G, Priori A. The guilty brain: the utility of neuroimaging and neurostimulation studies in forensic field. Rev Neurosci. Review.
17. Monaro M, Toncini A, Ferracuti S, Tessari G, Vaccaro MG, De Fazio P, Pigato G, Meneghel T, Scarpazza C, Sartori G. The Detection of Malingering: A New Tool to Identify Made-Up Depression. Front Psychiatry. 2018 Jun 8;9:249.
18. Monaro M, Gamberini L, Zecchinato F, Sartori G. False Identity Detection Using Complex Sentences. Front Psychol. 2018 Mar 6;9:283. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00283
19. Scarpazza C, Pennati A, Sartori G. Mental Insanity Assessment of Pedophilia: The Importance of the Trans-Disciplinary Approach. Reflections on Two Cases. Front Neurosci. 2018 May 16;12:335. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00335.
20. Monaro M, Galante C, Spolaor R, Li QQ, Gamberini L, Conti M, Sartori G. Covert lie detection using keyboard dynamics. Sci Rep. 2018 Jan 31;8(1):1976.
21. Monaro M, Toncini A, Ferracuti S, Tessari G, Vaccaro MG, De Fazio P, Pigato G, Meneghel T, Scarpazza C, Sartori G. The Detection of Malingering: A New Tool to Identify Made-Up Depression. Front Psychiatry. 2018 Jun 8;9:249. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00249.
22. Scarpazza C, Ferracuti S, Miolla A, Sartori G. The charm of structural neuroimaging in insanity evaluations: guidelines to avoid misinterpretation of the findings. Transl Psychiatry. 2018 Oct 26;8(1):227. doi: 10.1038/s41398-018-0274-8. Review.
Research Support and funds
Research grants
- Back-UP: Personalised Prognostic Models to Improve Well-being and Return to Work After Neck and Low Back Pain. From 2018-01-01 to 2020-12-31, ongoing. Funded under: H2020-EU.3.1.5. - Methods and data. Project ID: 777090. Role: co-applicant. - IOT "Sistema Domotico Iot Integrato Ad Elevata Sicurezza Informatica Per Smart Building", internal project, code: 10066183. From 7.11.2017 to 6.11.2020 - PD_PAL "Palliative Care In Parkinson’S Disease" Funded under: H2020 project code: 825785 from 1.1.2019 to 1.7.2022
- Neuromarketing e Cluster Analysis: Nuove Tecniche Di Marketing Al Servizio Delle Aziende. FSE, Regione Veneto. 2009.
- NEW IMPLEMENTATION "Nightlife Empowerment And Well-Being Implementation Project", progetto EI, codice progetto: 20101207. From 1.1.2011 to 1.1.2014
- CultAR (http://www.cultar.eu/). VII pq. European Union. From 2013 to 2015. Project title: “ICT for access to cultural resources”. Ref. 601139
- CEEDs (https://ceeds-project.eu/) VII pq. From 2010 to 2015. Project title: “FET proactive human computer confluence”. Ref. 258749
- MindSee (http://mindsee.eu/) From 2013 to 2016. Project title: “Symbiotic mind computer interaction for information seeking”. Ref. 611570