Curriculum Vitae
Education
PhD, Computational Neuroscience and Machine Learning
- Working under the supervision of Matthias Bethge and Thomas Euler, towards neural systems identification in the retina.
- Collaborating with the Tolias lab in Stanford on the Enigma Project as part of the modelling team.
MSc, Machine Learning
- Core modules: Supervised Learning, Graphical Models, Reinforcement Learning, Natural Language Processing, Machine Vision, Applied ML, Bayesian Deep Learning.
- Working in the Neural Computation Lab (Michael Hausser) as part of the MSc Project. Building Deep Semi-Supervised models to classify cerebellar cell types from Neuropixel recordings in awake, moving animals.
BSc, Neuroscience with Cognitive Science
- Graduated with 1st Class Honours (80%), winning the School Prize for Neuroscience for best third-year performance in the school.
- Data-analysis dissertation on Collective Intelligence, incorporating statistical and tracking methods to analyse ants’ behavioural data.
- Focused on evidence- and data-driven approaches to the biological sciences.
- A selection of modules taken includes: Intelligence in Animals and Machines, Neural Circuits, Sensory Function and Computation, Techniques in Neuroscience. The degree encompassed a broad range of themes in Neuroscience and the Cognitive Sciences.
Neuromatch Academy — Computational Neuroscience
- Participated as an interactive student, attending lectures and tutorials as well as completing peer-led project work.
- Attended a Python bootcamp prior to course start.
- Solved coding exercises and challenges in Python through peer-programming.
High School Diploma
- Main subjects: Maths, Physics, Biology, Philosophy.
- Graduated with 100/100 — A levels A*-A equivalent.
Work Experience
Research Assistant — UCL Neural Computation Lab
- Collaborated with PhD students and postdoctoral researchers on the final stages of a 3-year long international project aiming at classifying cerebellar cell types from high-density Neuropixels recordings in awake mice.
- Overhauled the machine learning pipeline by introducing modern Deep Semi-Supervised methods that leveraged the abundance of unlabelled data to solve the problem with 2× less labels.
- Outperformed previous approaches adopted by the lab, finding and correcting methodological flaws in modelling practices.
Teaching Assistant — NMA Computational Neuroscience
- Actively guided a small group of students in daily peer-coding sessions in Python as part of the course curriculum.
- Advised the group in project sessions, facilitating the emergence of ideas and helping speed up their subsequent implementation.
- Collaborated with other TAs, project TAs and course organisers to exchange ideas and deliver the best possible teaching experience according to group needs and feedback.
Voluntary Work and Experience
Early Content Tester — UPenn Deep Learning Academy
- Run bi-weekly meetings with selected students around the world to test early content of the new CIS-522 UPenn course on Deep Learning, delivered on Google Colab.
- Flagged bugs and reporting issues on GitHub as part of the feedback process.
- Course run by Professors Konrad Kording and Lyle Ungar.
Website Manager — Volunteer
- Served as a front-end website manager for a non-profit cultural organisation focused on running literary prizes for the young.
- Curated page content, layout and graphical elements by cooperating with the organisation.
- Performed periodic traffic analytics as part of SEO adjustments.
President of the High School Student Council
- Held and organized events, assemblies and charities for 1080 students.
- Reported issues and suggestions directly to the School Board.
- Learnt public speaking, team-working, organisational, problem-solving, and leadership skills.
Technical Skills
Adobe Creative Cloud
I learned how to use Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Illustrator and Audition as part of free-time projects and activities with friends. Specifically, I used to run a YouTube channel and a Podcast.
R and R-Studio
I have learned R as part of University-led Statistics courses, and is the programming language I used to analyse data for my BSc dissertation project. As a proud student of Prof. Andy Field at Sussex, I have learned to work with packages of the tidyverse collection.
Python
I have started learning Python on my own in the last years of my undergraduate studies. By now it is my daily driver: I have built several projects and packages. Check out open-retina!
Miscellaneous
bash, zsh, git, docker, linux, LaTeX, markdown, Quarto,… all the essentials for PhD survival.
Languages
Italian · Native
English · Proficient
German · Basic knowledge
Serbian · Good understanding
Interests
I have been practicing mindfulness meditation on and off for around 7 years now. It helps me stay grounded and focused.
Wasn’t expecting to like it, but I do. Add me on
Productivity drain.
I have played the piano for around 10 years, and I love listening to music from all genres.
No good science can be made without a solid philosophical ground. From Plato to Nietzsche, passing by Spinoza, I love reading the philosophical works that built our culture.
I am somewhat of a Sitcom addict. Favourites include: The Office, Seinfeld, Friends.