Handedness in Animals and Plants

Umberto Castiello is a Full Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of General Psychology at the University of Padua. He worked for about sixteen years (1988-2004) abroad at various universities such as the University of Lyon, the University of Arizona, the University of Melbourne, and the University of London. He became a Full Professor at the University of Padua in 2004. He is a member of various scientific societies including the Beniamino Segre Center at the Accademia dei Lincei. He was awarded the Doctorate of Science by the University of Melbourne. His research activity is focused on the use of three-dimensional movement analysis and neuroimaging techniques for the study of the mechanisms linked to the organization of movement. Among his most important results is the demonstration that plants, even in the absence of a brain, can perceive and evaluate the physical characteristics of external elements to "plan" a functional movement to achieve a goal. This research opens a new vision for the study of cognitive abilities, approached from both an animal and plant perspective (neural and non-neural), which offers a more integrated view of the evolution of cognitive processes and the ecological interactions that contribute to creating them. His research has been funded by various international and national programs and foundations.