INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY IN TOULOUSE
Understanding behaviors & cultures
IAST's scientific program involves ten disciplines: anthropology, biology, economics, history, law, mathematics, philosophy, political science, psychology and sociology.
My research
focuses on the evolutionary roots of human judgment and decision-making, by comparing how humans and other primates acquire and process information, and, ultimately, make decisions. In doing so, I aim to elucidate which aspects of decision-making are unique to humans, as well as how species’ differences in life history, ecology and social structure account for differences in their decision strategies.
The evolution of decision-making strategies
Why have humans evolved irrational decision-making biases, even when they are skilled at weighing costs and benefits accurately in a variety of other contexts?..... read more
Evolutionary variation in judgment and decision-making
Which factors are responsible for interspecific differences in cognitive skills?..... read more
The development of decision strategies during the lifespan
How do decision strategies change over human development?..... read more
The evolution of money
The use of money is evolutionarily unique to humans, so why is our species so motivated to obtain money?..... read more
About me
I come from a small rural village in the south of Italy. Currenlty, I am a Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse in France. I received my PhD in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, with a focus on Anthropology, from the University of Rome in 2016.
I then completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. Alexandra Rosati, based first at Harvard University and then at University of Michigan.
For more information about me you can access my CV here.
Affiliations
My research sites
Trentham Monkey Forest
A Great Day Out For All The Family
Monkey Forest is home to 140 free-ranging Barbary macaques. Visitors walk along the 3/4 of a mile pathway. Walk, watch and be AMAZED as the endangered monkeys live as they would in the wild.
Duke Lemur Center
world leader in the study, care, and protection of lemurs
Earth’s most threatened group of mammals. With more than 200 animals across 14 species, the DLC houses the world’s largest and most diverse population of lemurs outside their native Madagascar.
The Primate Center - CNR
comparative studies of cognition and behavior
Our research group puts special emphasis on examining the processes by which primates acquire and process information coming from physical and social stimuli.
Keep in Touch
Send me an e-mail, a mail or a postcard. I love them all.
Find me at the office
Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse
Université Toulouse 1 Capitole
1, esplanade de l'Université
31080 Toulouse Cedex 06
FRANCE