Senior Scientist

03.2020 – present

Senior Scientist, Technische Universität München, Germany 

MIRMI - Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence

09.2011 – 02.2019

Postdoc, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany 

Institute for Computational Neuroscience

01.2008 – 08.2011

Postdoc in Bioengineering, Bologna University, Italy

Department of Electronics, Computer Science and Systems

04.2008

PhD in Bioengineering, Bologna University, Italy

Department of Electronics, Computer Science and Systems

Thesis: Models for the study of neuronal activity during cognitive tasks

10.2004

Master degree in Biomedical Engineering, Bologna University, Italy

Thesis: Analysis of neuronal connectivity with mathematical models Degree: 110/110 cum laude

10.2002

Bachelor degree in Biomedical Engineering, Bologna University, Italy

Thesis: Methods for the analysis of the Electroencephalogram in the epileptic patient

Degree: 110/110 cum laude

Selected Publications on international journals

1. M. Zavaglia, L. Astolfi, F. Babiloni, M. Ursino, "A neural mass model for the simulation of cortical activity estimated from high resolution EEG during cognitive or motor tasks", Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 2006 Oct;157( 2):317-329.

2. M. Ursino, M. Zavaglia, L. Astolfi, F. Babiloni, "Use of a neural mass model for the analysis of effective connectivity among cortical regions based on high resolution EEG recordings", Biological Cybernetics, 2007 Mar;96(3):351-65.

3. M. Ursino and M. Zavaglia, "Modeling analysis of the relationship between rhythms and connectivity among different neural populations", Journal of Integrative Neuroscience, 2007 Dec;6(4):597-623.

4. M. Zavaglia, L. Astolfi, F. Babiloni and M. Ursino, "The effect of connectivity on EEG rhythms, power spectral density and coherence among coupled neural populations: analysis with a neural mass model", IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 2008 Jan;55(1):69-77.

5. M. Zavaglia, L. Astolfi, F. Babiloni, M. Ursino, "A model of rhythm generation and functional connectivity during a simple motor task: preliminary validation with real scalp EEG data", International Journal of Bioelectromagnetism, IJBEM, 2008;10(1):68-75.

6. E. Magosso, M. Zavaglia, A. Serino, G. di Pellegrino M. Ursino, "Visuotactile representation of peripersonal space: a neural network study", Neural Computation, 2010 Jan;22(1):190-243.

7. F. Cona, M. Zavaglia, L. Astolfi, F. Babiloni, and M. Ursino, “Changes in EEG power spectral density and cortical connectivity in healthy and tetraplegic patients during a motor imagery task”, Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience, published online 2009 June 24,  doi: 10.1155/2009/279515.

8. M. Zavaglia, F. Cona, M. Ursino. “A neural mass model to simulate different rhythms in a cortical region”, Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience, published online 2009 December 1, doi: 10.1155/2010/456140.

9. M. Ursino, F. Cona, M. Zavaglia. “Rhythms generation in a cortical region simulated by an original neural mass model”, Neuroimage, 2010 Sep; 52(3):1080-1094.

10. F. Cona, M. Zavaglia, M. Massimini, M. Rosanova, M. Ursino. “A neural mass model of interconnected regions simulates rhythm propagation observed via TMS-EEG”, Neuroimage, 2011 Aug 1; 57(3):1045-1058.

11. M. Zavaglia, R.T. Canolty, T.M. Schofield, A.P. Leff, M. Ursino, R.T. Knight and W.D. Penny. “A Dynamical Pattern Recognition Model of Gamma Activity in Auditory Cortex”, Neural Networks, 2012 Apr; 28:1-14.

12. F. Cona, M. Zavaglia, M. Ursino. “Binding and segmentation via a neural mass model trained with hebbian and anti-hebbian mechanisms”, International Journal of Neural Systems, 2012 Vol. 22, No. 2.

13. B. Cheng, N.D. Forkert, M. Zavaglia, C. Hilgetag, A. Golsari, S. Siemonsen, J. Fiehler, S. Pedraza, T.H. Cho, J. C. Baron, L. Ostergaard, C. Gerloff, G. Thomalla, “Influence of stroke infarct location on functional outcome measured by the modified rankin scale“, Stroke. 2014 Jun;45(6):1695-702.

14. M. Zavaglia, C.C. Hilgetag. ‘’Causal functional contributions and interactions in the attention network of the brain: an objective multi-perturbation analysis’’. Brain Structure and Function, 2016 Jun; 221(5):2553-68.

15. M. Zavaglia, N.D. Forkert, B. Cheng, C. Gerloff, G. Thomalla, C.C. Hilgetag. ‘’Mapping causal functional contributions derived from the clinical assessment of brain damage after stroke’’, Neuroimage clinical, 2015 Aug 1;9:83-94.

16. M. Zavaglia, N.D. Forkert, B. Cheng, C. Gerloff, G. Thomalla, C.C. Hilgetag. ‘’Technical considerations of a game-theoretical approach for lesion symptom mapping’’. BMC Neuroscience, 2016 Jun 27;17(1):40.

17. M.N. Toba* & M. Zavaglia*, F. Rastelli, R. Valabregue, P. Pradat-Diehl, A. Valero-Cabré & C.C. Hilgetag. ‘’Game theoretical mapping of causal interactions underlying visuo-spatial attention in the human brain based on stroke lesions’’. Human Brain Mapping, 2017 Apr. doi: 10.1002/hbm.23601. (*both first authors)

18. C. Malherbe, R. M. Umarova, M. Zavaglia, C.P. Kaller, L. Beume, G. Thomalla, C. C. Hilgetag. ‘’Neural correlates of visuospatial bias in patients with left hemisphere stroke: a causal functional contribution analysis based on game theory’’. Neuropsychologia, 2018 Jul 115: 142-153.

19. Dong Li, M. Zavaglia, Guangyu Wang, Hong Xie, Yi Hu, R. Werner, Ji-Song Guan & C. C. Hilgetag  ‘Discrimination of the hierarchical structure of cortical layers in 2-photon microscopy data by combined unsupervised and supervised machine learning’’. Scientific Reports, volume 9, Article number: 7424 (2019).

20. M. N. Toba, O. Godefroy, R. J. Rushmore, M. Zavaglia, R. Maatoug, C. C. Hilgetag, A. Valero-Cabré. ‘’Revisiting ‘brain modes’ in a new computational era: ‘’Approaches for the characterization of brain-behavioural associations’’. Brain, 2020 Apr; 143 (4):1088-1098.

21. M.N. Toba* & M. Zavaglia*, C. Malherbe, T. Moreau, F. Rastelli, A. Kaglik, Valabregue, P. Pradat-Diehl, C.C. Hilgetag & A. Valero-Cabré &. ‘’Game theoretical mapping of white matter contributions to visuo-spatial attention in stroke patients with hemineglect’’. Human Brain Mapping, 2020 Apr 3 2020 Apr 3. doi: 10.1002/hbm.24987 (*both first authors)

22. M.N. Toba, C. Malherbe, O. Godefroy, R. J. Rushmore, M. Zavaglia, R. Maatoug, E. Mandonnet, A. Valero-Cabré, C. C. Hilgetag. ‘’Reply: Inhibition between human brain areas or methodological artefact?’’ Brain, Volume 143, Issue 5, May 2020, Page e39.

Selected Publications on international books

1. M. Zavaglia, E. Magosso, L. Astolfi, F. Babiloni, M. Ursino. “A model of power spectral density in cortical EEG, for the study of cortical connectivity”, in Modelling in Medicine and Biology VI (Vol. 8 of WIT Transactions on Biomedicine and Health), ed. by M. Ursino, C.A. Brebbia, G. Pontrelli, E. Magosso, pp. 203-212, WIT press, Southampton, 2005.

2. M. Ursino, F. Cona, M. Zavaglia. “Modelli di popolazioni e strutture neuronali, aree funzionali e loro connettività”, in Bioingegneria per le neuroscienze cognitive, ed. by F. Babiloni, G. Baselli, A. Bertoldo, E. Biondi, C. Cobelli, pp. 129-152, Patron editore, Bologna 2009.

3. F. Cona, M. Zavaglia, M. Massimini, M. Rosanova, M. Ursino. “Computational study of rhythm propagation induced by TMS stimuli in different brain regions”, in: Computational Intelligence. Revised and selected Papers of the International Joint Conference IJCCI 2010 Valencia, Spain, October 2010. STUDIES IN COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, p. 1-16, NEW YORK:Springer-Verlag, ISSN: 1860-949X

Selected Publications on conference proceedings

1. M. Zavaglia, E. Magosso, L. Astolfi, F. Babiloni, M. Ursino. “Simulation of functional connectivity among brain cortical areas using a neural mass model”. Proceedings of the 3rd European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference (EMBEC’05), 20-25 November 2005, Prague (Czech Republic), CD-ROM (ISSN: 1727-1983).
2. M. Zavaglia,  L.Astolfi. F. Babiloni, M. Ursino. “Assessment of effective connectivity among cortical regions based on a neural mass model”, Proceedings of the 28th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society 2006 (IEEE EMBS 2006), August 30-September 3 2006, New York City (USA), pp. 590-594, The Printing House, Inc. (CD-ROM, ISBN 14244-0033-03).
3. M. Ursino, M. Zavaglia, E. Magosso, A. Serino, G. di Pellegrino, "A neural network model of multisensory representation of peripersonal space: effect of tool use", Proceedings of the 29th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society 2007 (EMBC 2007), 23-26 August 2007, Lyon (France), pp. 2735-2739, The Printing House, Inc. (CD-ROM, ISBN 1-4244-0788-05).
4. M. Zavaglia, L. Astolfi, F. Babiloni, M. Ursino, "A model of rhythm generation and functional connectivity during a simple motor task: preliminary validation with real scalp EEG data", Proceedings of the Neuromath Workshop 2007, 4-5 December 2007, Rome (Italy), pp. 125-132. 
5. E. Magosso, M. Zavaglia, A. Serino, G. di Pellegrino, M. Ursino  “A Neural Network Model of Peri-Hand Space Representation and its Plastic Properties Related to Tool Use”  Proceedings of the 8th IEEE International Conference on BioInformatics and BioEngineering (BIBE 2008), 8-10 October 2008, Athens (Greece), (CD-ROM, ISBN 978-1-4244-2845-8). 
6. M. Zavaglia, F. Cona, M. Ursino. “Rhythms generation  in a population of neurons simulated by a neural mass model”, Proceedings of 7th International Symposium on Noninvasive Functional Source Imaging of the Brain and Heart & 7th International Conference on Bioelectromagnetism, 29-31 May 2009, Rome (Italy).
7. F. Cona, M. Zavaglia, M. Ursino, M. Rosanova. “Cortical rhythms induced by tms stimulation: analysis with a neural mass model”, Proceedings of the International Conference on Fuzzy Computation and 2nd International Conference on Neural Computation, 24-26 October 2010, Valencia (Spain), pp 205-211, DOI: 10.5220/0003080402050211 Copyrightc SciTePress.