Name: Michael De Pretto
Research Area: Motor control and beat processing
Departments: Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh and Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg,
Email: Michael.DePretto@ed.ac.uk
Biography
I am currently visiting the University of Edinburgh from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. During my time in Edinburgh, I will be working on the response of the motor system to groove.
After studying Psychology at Lausanne and Geneva Universities, Switzerland, I completed a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Geneva in 2011. During my PhD, I working on neural correlated of beat processing and sensorimotor synchronisation under Prof. Claude-Alain Hauert.
In 2012, I started a postdoc on long-term follow-up of patients who suffered severe traumatic brain injury at the Geneva University Hospitals with MD Bernhard Walder
In 2015 I started a postdoc on spatiotemporal brain dynamics of motor inhibitory control at the University of Fribourg with Dr Lucas Spierer.
In the first half of 2017, I collaborated on an EEG study evaluating the response to treatment of patients suffering from alcohol addiction.
Research Interests
Beat processing
Groove perception
Sensorimotor synchronisation
Motor control
Neuroimaging (EEG, fMRI)
Publications
De Pretto, M., Rochat, L., & Spierer, L. (2017). Spatiotemporal brain dynamics supporting the immediate automatization of inhibitory control by implementation intentions. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 10821. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-10832-x
Haller, C. S., Delhumeau, C., De Pretto, M., Schumacher, R., Pielmaier, L., Rebetez, M. M. L., Haller, G., Walder, B. (2017). Trajectory of disability and quality-of-life in non-geriatric and geriatric survivors after severe traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury, 31(3), 319–328. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2016.1255777
De Pretto, M., Sallard, E., & Spierer, L. (2016). State dependency of inhibitory control performance: an electrical neuroimaging study. European Journal of Neuroscience, 44(2), 1826–1832. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.13265
De Pretto, M., & James, C. E. (2015). Principles of parsimony: fMRI correlates of beat-based versus duration-based sensorimotor synchronization. Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, 25(4), 380–391. https://doi.org/10.1037/pmu0000122
Barral, J., De Pretto, M., Debû, B., & Hauert, C.-A. (2010). Activation and inhibition of bimanual movements in school-aged children. Human Physiology, 36(1), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119710010068
Pourtois, G., De Pretto, M., Hauert, C.-A., & Vuilleumier, P. (2006). Time course of brain activity during change blindness and change awareness: performance is predicted by neural events before change onset. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 18(12), 2108–2129. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2006.18.12.2108
Invited Lectures & Conference Presentations
De Pretto, M. (2015, June). Motor control: From timing to inhibition. Presented at the Perceptual Networks Unit, University of Fribourg.
De Pretto, M. (2014, December). Long-term outcome after severe traumatic brain injury. Presented at the Center for Cognition, Learning and Memory, University Hospital Inselspital Bern.
De Pretto, M. (2013, May). Le traumatisme crânio-cérébral sévère en suisse: une étude longitudinale sur le devenir. Presented at the monthly neuropsychology colloquium: Actualités en Neuropsychologie, Geneva University Hospitals.
De Pretto, M. (2011, December). In quest of an internal timekeeper: How the brain deals with rhythmical behaviours. Presented at the Persönlichkeitspsychologie und Diagnostik Labmeeting (Prof. Ruch), Zürich, Switzerland.
De Pretto, M. (2011, June). In quest of an internal timekeeper: Contribution to the understanding of how the brain deals with rhythmical behaviours. Presented at the Music Cognition and Action Labmeeting (prof. Keller), Leipzig, Germany.
De Pretto, M. (2010, March). Neural correlates of sensorimotor synchronisation. Presented at the BBL/CIBM Research Day, Geneva, Switzerland.
De Pretto, M. (2009, July). Corrélat neuronaux de la production d’un rythme moteur simple. Presented at the BBL/CIBM Project Presentation Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland.
Poster Presentations
De Pretto, M., & James, C. E. (2017, July). Duration-based timing induced neuronal entrainment during sensorimotor synchronization to irregular stimuli. Poster presented at 16th Rhythm Perception and Production Workshop, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
De Pretto, M., Sallard, E., & Spierer, L. (2016, January). State-dependency of inhibitory control proficiency: an electrical neuroimaging study. Poster presented at the 18th Annual Meeting of the Swiss Society for Neuroscience, Lausanne, Switzerland.
De Pretto, M., & Hauert, C.-A. (2015, July). Neuronal entrainment during self-paced finger tapping and sensorimotor synchronization. Poster presented at the 15th Rhythm Perception and Production Workshop, Amsterdam, Nederlands.
De Pretto, M., Haller, C. S., & Walder, B. (2014, July). Long-term outcomes after severe traumatic brain injury: A prospective study. Poster presented at the 9th FENS Forum of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy.
De Pretto, M., & James, C. E. (2014, May). Principles of Parsimony: fMRI Correlates of Beat-Based versus Duration-Based Sensorimotor Synchronization. Poster presented at the Neurosciences and Music – V: Cognitive Stimulation and Rehabilitation, Dijon, France.
De Pretto, M., & Hauert, C.-A. (2012, January). Sensorimotor synchronization to regular or irregular stimuli: An fMRI study. Poster presented at the 7th Alpine brain imaging meeting, Champéry, Switzerland.
De Pretto, M., & Hauert, C.-A. (2011, July). fMRI study of sensorimotor synchronisation when stimuli induce internal pulsation or not. Poster presented at the 13th Rhythm Perception and Production Workshop, Leipzig, Germany.
De Pretto, M., Cojan, Y., Posada, A., & Hauert, C.-A. (2010, June). Rhythm production: Cerebral activity related to self-paced finger tapping versus sensorimotor synchronisation. Poster presented at the 16th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping, Barcelona, Spain.
De Pretto, M., Posada, A., & Hauert, C.-A. (2009, July). Rhythm production: Cerebral activity related to self-paced finger tapping versus sensorimotor synchronisation. Poster presented at the 11th Rhythm Perception and Production Workshop, Lille, France.
De Pretto, M., & Hauert, C.-A. (2009, January). Cerebral activity related to timing using sensorimotor synchronization. Poster presented at the 4th Alpine brain imaging meeting, Champéry, Switzerland.
De Pretto, M., & Hauert, C.-A. (2008, September). Cerebral activity related to timing using sensorimotor synchronization. Poster presented at the 5th annual meeting of the Lemanic neuroscience programs, Les Diablerets, Switzerland.
De Pretto, M., Pourtois, G., Hauert, C.-A., & Vuilleumier, P. (2005, September). To see or not to see: EEG of change blindness. Poster presented at the 9e Congrès de la Société Suisse de Psychologie, Geneva, Switzerland.
Teaching
Rhythm Perception in Music lesson of the Neuropsychology of Music course (2016, 2017), Masters of Science in Psychology, Lecturer, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Introduction to Research in Sciences of Education (2016, 2017), Bachelor, Instructor, University of Teacher Education, Lausanne, Switzerland
Research in Sciences of Education, Master (2016, 2017), Instructor, University of Teacher Education, Lausanne, Switzerland