David Sastre Yague

David's academic journey began at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, where he earned his degree in molecular neurobiology. During his studies, he spent a year at Aarhus University in Denmark, investigating social immunity mechanisms in spiders. He then pursued an MSc in Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, where he investigated how maternal immune alterations might contribute to autism in humans. Following this, David moved to Vienna, Austria, where he contributed to a large-scale fMRI study examining the effects of violent video games on brain networks. Alongside his research, he worked as an adjunct professor at Webster University, teaching Neuroscience to undergraduate students. Driven by a passion for science, David embarked on a PhD at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) and the University of Trento in Rovereto, Italy. His doctoral research focused on unraveling how neocortical excitability influences large-scale network connectivity. David is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Functional Neuroimaging Lab at IIT, under the leadership of Alessandro Gozzi. His work focuses on advancing our understanding of the neuronal mechanisms that organize and maintain the large-scale functional architecture of the mammalian brain. To achieve this, he employs cutting-edge techniques, including optogenetics, chemogenetics, fMRI, and multielectrode electrophysiology.