As part of the DFG-funded project 'BounCeS', I am investigating the neural mechanisms underlying the mapping of conceptual spaces using behavioral methods. My research is specifically focused on how spatially attuned neurons in the hippocampus contribute to number representations. There are no teaching duties.

Please feel free to reach out if you are interested in BSc or MSc thesis supervision in the following areas:

1. spatial associations of conceptual knowledge (see this article) - especially number, arithmetic, semantics;

2. language-induced differences in number processing (e.g., in German vs. English)

Publications

Research Papers

Zona, C. I., & Fischer, M. H. (in prep.). Hexagonal-grid representations of conceptual spaces for number knowledge retrieval.

Zona, C. I., (under review). The temporal dynamics of incongruence resolution for situated thematic-role prediction.

Zona, C. I., & Reifegerste, J. (2024). Visual context benefits spoken sentence comprehension across the lifespan. Journal of Memory and Language, 140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2024.104576

Zona, C. I., & Felser, C. (2023). Integrating morphosyntactic and visual cues in L1 and L2 comprehension. Languages, 8(2), 111. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020111

Zona, C. I., Raab, M., & Fischer, M. H. (2019). Embodied Perspectives on Behavioral Cognitive Enhancement. Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, 3(2), 144–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41465-018-0102-3

Conferences

Zona, C. I., Disentangling visual and task effects in visually situated thematic-role comprehension. Poster, "Embodied and Situated Language Processing" (ESLP24), Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, 03-05 October 2024.

Zona, C. I., Janko, D., and Fischer, M. H. Behavioral signatures of the hexagonal mapping of conceptual spaces for number retrieval. Talk at the International Conference on Spatial Cognition (ICSC24), Universitá Europea di Roma, Italy, 09-13 September 2024.

Zona, C. I., and Viganó, S. Low-dimensional spatial mappings of conceptual knowledge in human brain and behaviour. Symposium organized at the International Conference on Spatial Cognition (ICSC24), Universitá Europea di Roma, Italy, 09-13 September 2024.

Zona, C. I., Fischer, M. H.  Mapping conceptual spaces for number retrieval. Talk at the  Experimental Psychology Society (EPS) Meeting, University of York (UK). 03-05 June 2024.

Zona, C. I., Janko, D., and Fischer, M. H. Exploring the behavioral correlates of hexagonal-grid representations of conceptual knowledge. Poster presentation at the “MindBrainBody” (MBB) Symposium, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Science, Berlin, 09 March 2024.

Zona, C. I., Visually situated thematic-role representations in L1 and L2: An individual difference study. Talk at the “Embodied and Situated Language Processing” (ESLP) Conference, University of Messina, Italy, 30 September 2023.

Zona, C. I., On-line effects of visual and syntactic cues for sentence processing: A focus on methods. Oral presentation at 'Mouse-tracking Workshop', UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 30 March 2023. (Slides)

Zona, C. I., Mouse tracking for on-line processing: A focus on data analysis. Oral presentation at 'Friday Primes', Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, 25 November 2022.

Zona, C. I. Weighting visual cues for sentence comprehension: a mouse-tracking study. Poster presentation at the 28th 'Architecture and Mechanisms of Language Processing' (AMLaP) Conference, York, UK, 7-9 September 2022.

Zona, C. I., & Reifegerste, J. Weighting visual and linguistic cues for sentence comprehension: a lifespan study. Oral presentation at the 22nd 'Conference of the European Society for Cognitive Psychology' (ESCoP), Lille, France,  29 August-1 September 2022. (Slides)

Zona, C. I., & Reifegerste, J. The weighting of visual-cue information during sentence comprehension across the lifespan. Poster presentation at the 2022 'Cognitive Aging Conference', Atlanta GA, USA, 7-10 April 2022.

Teaching and supervision

SS2021: Multilingualism and Selective Language Impairment (Master's course) - University of Potsdam

SS2023: Bachelor thesis supervision (Ms. Tews)

Education

• April 2023 - June 2026: Post-doctoral researcher, Potsdam Embodied Cognition Group, Dept. of Psychology, University of Potsdam;
• October 2019 - February 2024: Ph.D. in Cognitive Science, Potsdam Research Institute for Multilingualism, Dept. of Linguistics, University of Potsdam2017/2018: Erasmus exchange at Potsdam Embodied Cognition Group, Dept. of Psychology, University of Potsdam;
• 2016 - 2018: MSc in Cognitive Science, Umeå Universitet, Sweden;
• 2015/2016: Erasmus exchange, Dept. of Linguistics, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin;
• 2014-2018: MA in Germanistics, Uppsala Universitet, Sweden;
• 2009 - 2012: BA in Foreign Languages and Literatures, Universitá degli Studi di Milano, Italy (110/110).