Luca Francesco Ticini

Luca Francesco Ticini, brain scientist, initially studied paleontology and paleoanthropology, then switched to biology and physiopathology at the University of Trieste (Italy). Under the guidance of Professor Semir Zeki (University College London), he became interested in the brain and in neuroaesthetics. With Prof Zeki, he worked on a joint project on the neural correlates of facial emotion discrimination.

For his PhD studies he joined the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (Tuebingen, Germany). There, he investigated brain-damaged patients with disorders of perception and action in space by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. He is currently working at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences of Leipzig (Germany). There, he investigates the functional and neurophysiological basis of action representation, brain plasticity and self/other action attribution. He is also conducting experiments on the relationship between motor resonance and aesthetic appreciation, as well as of action involvement in aesthetic appreciation and artistic creativity.

He is President of the Italian Society of Neuroesthetics "Semir Zeki", representative of the Institute of Neuroesthetics (London, U.K. and Berkeley, CA) and invited member of the group Italian leaders abroad - Aspen Institute Italia (Chariman Giulio Tremonti, Minister of Economy and Finance in the Italian government). Consultant for numerous projects, his activities cover seminars and plenary lectures at universities, foundations, scientific and artistic associations, as well as articles and essays or well-known artists and designers.

He has been scientific advisor and curator of numerous exhibitions on Art and Science sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Research, expert consultant for numerous scientific and artistic initiatives and member of the Jury of the GASAG Art Price 2012 (promoting artistic and scientific creativity, Berlinische Galerie, Berlin).

He has have been interviewed by major newspapers such as Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica.
He is creator and curator of Genialmente, l'Arte del Cervello. For this project, which involved scientists of the highest calibre, such as Semir Zeki, Manfredo Massironi and the designer Ottavio Missoni, Ticini has been praised for his originality and the scientific content of his work by the President of the Italian Republic.