Linacre JRF, Leonardo Bonetti, has been awarded the esteemed Marco Capogna Young Neuroscientist Prize for “excellent research, outstanding breath of academic activities and high productivity” at Aarhus University where he is an Associate Professor of the Center for Music in the Brain (MIB).
The prestigious prize, which was awarded at Aarhus University’s annual Neuroscience Day, was established in memory of Professor Marco Capogna who dedicated his research to understanding the circuitry underlying emotionally dependent behaviours with specific focus on GABAergic neurons in the hippocampus and amygdala.
Leonardo said of the award; “I am deeply honoured to receive this prize, and I would like to express my gratitude to the Neurocampus Board, the Faculty of Health at Aarhus University, and all my colleagues at the Center for Music in the Brain. This prize holds great significance for me because I personally knew Marco. Over the years, we engaged in conversations about neuroscience, during which he provided me with enlightening advice on investigating memory in the brain, particularly focusing on neural rhythms and the role of the hippocampus.
Marco was not only a dedicated scientist but also a passionate classical guitarist. On a few occasions, he sought my advice on playing the guitar, and we even had the opportunity to play together a couple of times. In return, he invited me to visit his laboratory and introduced me to the fascinating research he was conducting with his students. Moving forward, I aspire to emulate Marco’s exemplary guidance and keep his memory alive.”
Leonardo has conducted research as a Carlsberg Foundation Fellow at the Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing at Linacre. His studies involved more than 300 people listening to music, primarily excerpts from Bach compositions, while their brain activity was measured using advanced neuroimaging techniques. You can learn more about his research from the following short film.
