Prof Elisa Raffaella Ferrè
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Overview
Overview
Biography
I completed a BSc and a MSc in Psychology at the Università degli Studi di Pavia (Italy). I obtained a PhD in Psychology at the Università degli Studi di Pavia in 2012 for the investigation of multisensory integration between vestibular, somatosensory and visual function in humans. I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London (UK) from 2012 to 2015.
I took up my first faculty position at Royal Holloway University of London (UK) in 2015.
In September 2021, I joined Birkbeck University of London (UK), where I established the Vestibular Neuroscience Laboratory.
As of October 2023, I hold the position of Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience.
Highlights
My research focuses on how the human brain represents Earth gravity and adapts to non-terrestrial gravitational environments, such as weightlessness or the partial gravity on the Moon or Mars.
“This is your brain on space: how gravity influences your mental abilities” – BBC Science Focus featuring my research.
"The next small step" - my New Scientist comment on the importance of understanding human psychology and cognition for the success of space exploration.
“What does art mean outside planet Earth?” – Our artistic and scientific project, The Zero-Gravity Band, aims to reflect and theorize on how artistic production and aesthetic perception are influenced by gravity.
Recent Publication Highlights:
- Systematic Underestimation of Human Hand Weight in Current Biology.
- Vestibular Contribution to Spatial Encoding in European Journal of Neuroscience.
- Gravitational and Retinal Reference Frames Shape Spatial Memory in Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.
- A Spontaneous Gravity Prior: Newborn Chicks Prefer Stimuli that Move against Gravity in Biology Letters.
- Where is my hand in space? The internal model of gravity influences proprioception in Biological Letters.
Office hours
Please email to book an appointment.
Qualifications
- PhD, Università degli Studi di Pavia, 2012
- BSc, Università degli Studi di Pavia, 2005
- MSc, Università degli Studi di Pavia, 2007
Professional activities
Coordinator of the UK Space Life and Biomedical Sciences Association (UK SpaceLABS).
Elected Secretary of the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA).
Professional memberships
British Neuroscience Association (BNA).
Experimental Psychology Society (EPS).
European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA).
UK Space Life and Biomedical Sciences Association (UKSpaceLABS).
Honours and awards
- Research Prize, European Low Gravity Research Association, August 2017
ORCID
0000-0002-0643-848X -
Research
Research
Research interests
- Vestibular Neuroscience.
- Vestibular/Gravitational contribution to Perception and Cognition.
- Vestibular-Multisensory Integration.
Research overview
The main focus of my research is to empirically identify the contribution of the vestibular system to human cognition.
The vestibular system originates with a sophisticated set of sensory transducer organs in the inner ear. It comprises three orthogonal semicircular canals that sense rotational acceleration of the head in three-dimensional space, and two otolith organs (the utricle and saccule) that jointly sense translational acceleration, including the orientation of the head relative to gravity. Traditionally, vestibular information has been considered an essential cue for low-level reflex behaviours, such as eye movement control, postural control, balance and orientation. However, the vestibular inputs turn out to be involved in almost all our interactions with the external world in ways that go far beyond these reflexes. My work has demonstrated that vestibular signals are crucial for a surprising range of cognitive functions, from sensorimotor control to the highest levels of perception and consciousness.
My research extends to the space sector, investigating the role played by vestibular/gravitational signals in human behaviour. I combine experimental psychology, cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, vestibular physiology and space science methods to understand how gravity shapes behaviour and, in a more forward-looking way, how non-terrestrial gravities may impact cognition and performance during spaceflight.
My work is supported by project grants from the UK British Academy, UK Royal Society, UK Meniere's Society, Japan National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, BIAL Foundation, European Low Gravity Research Association and European Space Agency. -
Supervision and teaching
Supervision and teaching
Supervision
I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students who are interested in undertaking research in any of my areas of research interest.
Current doctoral researchers
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HELENE GRANDCHAMP DES RAUX
Teaching
Teaching modules
- Introduction to Neuroscience (PSYC048H4)
- Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (PSYC069H6)
- Neuroscience (P) (SCPS208H7)
- Neuropsychology (SCPS227H6)
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Publications
Publications
Article
- Tucciarelli, Raffaele and Ferre, Elisa Raffaella and Amoruso, Elena and Azanon Gracia, Elena and Longo, Matthew (2023) Gravitational and Retinal Reference Frames Shape Spatial Memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General ISSN 0096-3445.
- Ferre, Elisa and Joel, Jonathan and Cadete, Denise and Longo, Matthew (2023) Systematic Underestimation of Human Hand Weight. Current Biology 33 (14), pp. R758-R759. ISSN 0960-9822.
- Pavlidou, A. and Lange, J. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2022) Human movements don’t look the same in a tilted world: gravitational constraints influence the perception of biological motion. European Journal of Neuroscience ISSN 0953-816X.
- Arshad, I. and De Mello, P. and Ender, M. and McEwen, J. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2022) Reducing cybersickness in 360-degree virtual reality. Multisensory Research 35 (2), pp. 203-219. ISSN 2213-4808.
- De Maio, G. and Bottini, G. and Ferré, Elisa Raffaella (2021) Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation influences risk-taking behaviour. Neuropsychologia 160, pp. 107965. ISSN 0028-3932.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Alsmith, A.J.T. and Haggard, P. and Longo, Matthew (2021) The vestibular system modulates the contributions of head and torso to egocentric spatial judgements. Experimental Brain Research 239, pp. 2295-2302. ISSN 0014-4819.
- Gallagher, M. and Kearney, B. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2021) Where is my hand in space? The internal model of gravity influences proprioception. Biology Letters 17 (6), pp. 20210115. ISSN 1744-9561.
- Longo, Matthew R. and Rajapakse, S.S. and Alsmith, A.J.T. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2020) Shared contributions of the head and torso to spatial reference frames across spatial judgments. Cognition 204 (104349), ISSN 0010-0277.
- Gallagher, M. and Choi, R. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2020) Multisensory interactions in Virtual Reality: optic flow reduces vestibular sensitivity, but only for congruent planes of motion. Multisensory Research 33 (6), pp. 625-644. ISSN 2213-4808.
- Beck, B. and Saramandi, A. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Haggard, P. (2020) Which way is down? Visual and tactile verticality perception in expert dancers and non-experts. Neuropsychologia 146, pp. 107546. ISSN 0028-3932.
- Gallagher, M. and Torok, A. and Klaas, J. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2020) Gravity prior in human behaviour: a perceptual or semantic phenomenon?. Experimental Brain Research 238 (9), pp. 1957-1962. ISSN 0014-4819.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Haggard, P. (2020) Vestibular cognition: state-of-the-art and future directions. Cognitive Neuropsychology 37 (7-8), pp. 413-420. ISSN 0264-3294.
- Gallagher, M. and Dowsett, R. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2019) Vection in virtual reality modulates vestibular‐evoked myogenic potentials. European Journal of Neuroscience 50 (10), pp. 3557-3565. ISSN 0953-816X.
- Cataldo, A. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and di Pellegrino, G. and Haggard, P. (2019) Why the whole is more than the sum of its parts: salience-driven overestimation in aggregated tactile sensations. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 72 (10), pp. 2509-2526. ISSN 1747-0218.
- Pavlidou, A. and Gallagher, M. and Lopez, C. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2019) Let's share our perspectives, but only if our body postures match. Cortex 119, pp. 575-579. ISSN 0010-9452.
- Torok, A. and Gallagher, M. and Lasbareilles, C. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2019) Getting ready for Mars: how the brain perceives new simulated gravitational environments. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 72 (9), pp. 2342-2349. ISSN 1747-0218.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Frett, T. and Haggard, P. and Longo, Matthew R. (2019) A gravitational contribution to perceived body weight. Scientific Reports 9 (11448), ISSN 2045-2322.
- Cataldo, A. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Haggard, P. (2019) Thermonociceptive interaction: interchannel pain modulation occurs before intrachannel convergence of warmth. Journal of Neurophysiology 121 (5), pp. 1798-1808. ISSN 0022-3077.
- Gallagher, M. and Arshad, I. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2019) Gravity modulates behaviour control strategy. Experimental Brain Research 237 (4), pp. 989-994. ISSN 0014-4819.
- Gallagher, M. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2018) The aesthetics of verticality: a gravitational contribution to aesthetic preference. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 71 (12), pp. 2655-2664. ISSN 1747-0218.
- Sadibolova, Renata and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Linkenauger, S.A. and Longo, Matthew R. (2018) Distortions of perceived volume and length of body parts. Cortex 111, pp. 74-86. ISSN 0010-9452.
- Abekawa, N. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Gallagher, M. and Gomi, H. and Haggard, P. (2018) Disentangling the visual, motor and representational effects of vestibular input. Cortex 104, pp. 46-57. ISSN 0010-9452.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Iannetti, G.D. and van Dijk, J.A. and Haggard, P. (2018) Ineffectiveness of tactile gating shows cortical basis of nociceptive signaling in the Thermal Grill Illusion. Scientific Reports 8 (1), ISSN 2045-2322.
- Pavlidou, A. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Lopez, C. (2018) Vestibular stimulation makes people more egocentric. Cortex 101, pp. 302-305. ISSN 0010-9452.
- Cabolis, K. and Steinberg, A. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2018) Somatosensory modulation of perceptual vestibular detection. Experimental Brain Research 236 (3), pp. 859-865. ISSN 0014-4819.
- Ganos, C. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Marotta, A. and Kassavetis, P. and Rothwell, J. and Bhatia, K. and Haggard, P. (2018) Cortical inhibitory function in cervical dystonia. Clinical Neurophysiology 129 (2), pp. 466-472. ISSN 1388-2457.
- Gallagher, M. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2018) Cybersickness: a multisensory integration perspective. Multisensory Research 31 (7), pp. 645-674. ISSN 2213-4808.
- Alsmith, A.J.T. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Longo, Matthew R. (2017) Dissociating contributions of head and torso to spatial reference frames: the misalignment paradigm. Consciousness and Cognition 53, pp. 105-114. ISSN 1053-8100.
- Kao, C.-L. and Török, Á. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Kokkinara, E. and Csépe, V. and Swapp, D. and Haggard, P. (2017) Up, down, near, far: an online vestibular contribution to distance judgement. PLoS One 12 (1), pp. e0169990. ISSN 1932-6203.
- Cataldo, A. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and di Pellegrino, G. and Haggard, P. (2016) Thermal referral: evidence for a thermoceptive uniformity illusion without touch. Scientific Reports 6 (1), ISSN 2045-2322.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Sahani, M. and Haggard, P. (2016) Subliminal stimulation and somatosensory signal detection. Acta Psychologica 170, pp. 103-111. ISSN 0001-6918.
- Kaliuzhna, M. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Herbelin, B. and Blanke, O. and Haggard, P. (2016) Multisensory effects on somatosensation: a trimodal visuo-vestibular-tactile interaction. Scientific Reports 6 (1), ISSN 2045-2322.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Haggard, P. (2016) The vestibular body: vestibular contributions to bodily representations. Cognitive Neuropsychology 33 (1-2), pp. 67-81. ISSN 0264-3294.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Haggard, P. and Bottini, G. and Iannetti, G.D. (2015) Caloric vestibular stimulation modulates nociceptive evoked potentials. Experimental Brain Research 233 (12), pp. 3393-3401. ISSN 0014-4819.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Haggard, P. (2015) Vestibular–somatosensory interactions: a mechanism in search of a function?. Multisensory Research 28 (5-6), pp. 559-579. ISSN 2213-4794.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Harris, L. (2015) Introduction to Vestibular Cognition Special Issue: Progress in Vestibular Cognition. Multisensory Research 28 (5-6), pp. 393-396. ISSN 2213-4808.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Walther, L.E. and Haggard, P. (2015) Multisensory interactions between vestibular, visual and somatosensory signals. PLoS One 10 (4), pp. e0124573. ISSN 1932-6203.
- Marotta, A. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Haggard, P. (2015) Transforming the Thermal Grill Effect by crossing the fingers. Current Biology 25 (8), pp. 1069-1073. ISSN 0960-9822.
- Ferre, Elisa Raffaella and Berlot, E. and Haggard, P. (2015) Vestibular contributions to a right-hemisphere network for bodily awareness: combining galvanic vestibular stimulation and the “Rubber Hand Illusion”. Neuropsychologia 69, pp. 140-147. ISSN 0028-3932.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Ganos, C. and Bhatia, K. and Haggard, P. (2015) Feedforward somatosensory inhibition is normal in cervical dystonia. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders 21 (3), pp. 266-270. ISSN 1353-8020.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Lopez, C. and Haggard, P. (2014) Anchoring the self to the body: vestibular contribution to the sense of self. Psychological Science 25 (11), pp. 2106-2108. ISSN 0956-7976.
- Fiori, F. and Sedda, A. and Ferre, Elisa Raffaella and Toraldo, A. and Querzola, M. and Pasotti, F. and Ovadia, D. and Piroddi, C. and Dell'Aquila, R. and Redaelli, T. and Bottini, G. (2014) Motor imagery in spinal cord injury patients: moving makes the difference. Journal of Neuropsychology 8 (2), pp. 199-215. ISSN 1748-6645.
- Canzoneri, E. and Ferre, Elisa Raffaella and Haggard, P. (2014) Combining proprioception and touch to compute spatial information. Experimental Brain Research 232 (4), pp. 1259-1266. ISSN 0014-4819.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Kaliuzhna, M. and Herbelin, B. and Haggard, P. and Blanke, O. (2014) Vestibular-somatosensory interactions: effects of passive whole-body rotation on somatosensory detection. PLoS One 9 (1), pp. e86379. ISSN 1932-6203.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Arthur, K. and Haggard, P. (2013) Galvanic vestibular stimulation increases novelty in free selection of manual actions. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience 7, ISSN 1662-5145.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Longo, M. and Fiori, F. and Haggard, P. (2013) Vestibular modulation of spatial perception. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 7, ISSN 1662-5161.
- Bottini, G. and Gandola, M. and Sedda, A. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella (2013) Caloric vestibular stimulation: interaction between somatosensory system and vestibular apparatus. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience 7, ISSN 1662-5145.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Day, B. and Bottini, G. and Haggard, P. (2013) How the vestibular system interacts with somatosensory perception: A sham-controlled study with galvanic vestibular stimulation. Neuroscience Letters 550, pp. 35-40. ISSN 0304-3940.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Vagnoni, Eleonora and Haggard, P. (2013) Vestibular contributions to bodily awareness. Neuropsychologia 51 (8), pp. 1445-1452. ISSN 0028-3932.
- Sedda, A. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Striemer, C. and Bottini, G. (2013) Neglect’s perspective on the Ponzo illusion. Experimental Brain Research 227 (4), pp. 487-496. ISSN 0014-4819.
- Fiori, F. and Sedda, A. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Toraldo, A. and Querzola, M. and Pasotti, F. and Ovadia, D. and Piroddi, C. and Dell’Aquila, R. and Lunetta, C. and Corbo, M. and Bottini, G. (2013) Exploring motor and visual imagery in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Experimental Brain Research 226 (4), pp. 537-547. ISSN 0014-4819.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Bottini, G. and Iannetti, G.D. and Haggard, P. (2013) The balance of feelings: vestibular modulation of bodily sensations. Cortex 49 (3), pp. 748-758. ISSN 0010-9452.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Vagnoni, E. and Haggard, P. (2013) Galvanic vestibular stimulation influences randomness of number generation. Experimental Brain Research 224 (2), pp. 233-241. ISSN 0014-4819.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Bottini, G. and Haggard, P. (2012) Vestibular inputs modulate somatosensory cortical processing. Brain Structure and Function 217 (4), pp. 859-864. ISSN 1863-2653.
- Gandola, M. and Invernizzi, P. and Sedda, A. and Ferre, Elisa Raffaella and Sterzi, R. and Sberna, M. and Paulesu, E. and Bottini, G. (2012) An anatomical account of somatoparaphrenia. Cortex 48 (9), pp. 1165-1178. ISSN 0010-9452.
- Arduino, L.S. and Marinelli, C.V. and Pasotti, F. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Bottini, G. (2012) Representational neglect for words as revealed by bisection tasks. Journal of Neuropsychology 6 (1), pp. 43-64. ISSN 1748-6645.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Bottini, G. and Haggard, P. (2011) Vestibular modulation of somatosensory perception. European Journal of Neuroscience 34 (8), pp. 1337-1344. ISSN 0953-816X.
- Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Sedda, A. and Gandola, M. and Bottini, G. (2011) How the vestibular system modulates tactile perception in normal subjects: a behavioural and physiological study. Experimental Brain Research 208 (1), pp. 29-38. ISSN 0014-4819.
- Bottini, G. and Sedda, A. and Ferrè, Elisa Raffaella and Invernizzi, P. and Gandola, M. and Paulesu, E. (2009) Productive symptoms in right brain damage. Current Opinion in Neurology 22 (6), pp. 589-593. ISSN 1350-7540.
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Business and community
Business and community
Media
I am happy to receive enquiries from the media on the following topics:
- Human Space Exploration.
- Human brain and behaviour in non-terrestrial gravity.
- Vestibular System, Vertigo, Balance.
Outreach
Art/Science Project: VESTIBULAR_1
Education: ESA/ELGRA Gravity Related Research Summer School
Art/Science Project: The Zero Gravity Band
Media: This is your brain on space: how gravity influences your mental abilities - BBC Science Focus
Media: The Psychologist "Understanding gravity’s brain effects key to human space success"
Media: Birkbeck Explains: What happens to the brain in space?
Media: What happens to the brain in space? - BBC Science Focus Podcast
Media: The next small step - New Scientist
Public Engagement Project: SPACE YOGA by Guerilla Science
Public Engagement Project: Neuroscience for Kids @Neuromatch 4.0
Public Engagement Project: The Future of Space Medicine
Public Engagement Project: UN Office for Outer Space Affairs - Webinar Life Science Physiology
Article: Astronauts on Mars missions could soffer cognitive and emotional problems - new research
Article: Europe is recruiting astronauts: here's what it takes to become one