Research
animal cognition, perception, predispositions, comparative psychology, precocial animals, dance science - positive psychology
Interests
The Prepared Minds Lab, led by Dr Versace, is an interdisciplinary research adventure that aims at discovering what makes human and other animals smart, adaptable, and resilient.
Early minds
We study newborn animals (such as chicks and tortoises) to discover what organisms know before learning takes place. Our research investigates early visual, tactile, and acoustic perception, cross-modal perception, and the foundations of social behaviour and cognition. Using behavioural observation, automated tracking, modelling, and AI, we ask: how much does the mind know at the very start?
Did you know that animals can match tactile and visual information the very first time they encounter an object?
youtu.be/ks1U9kRbYa0?si=PLHd-aTE8_HfQUYD We discovered this in our chick lab facilities
The fascinating intelligence of insect brains
We study insects such as bees and flies to understand the surprising abilities of tiny brains. Combining behavioural experiments with neuroscience, computer vision and automation, we explore how insects perceive the physics of the world (including time) and make decisions. Did you know that bees can distinguish different time durations? We created a dedicated setup for this
youtu.be/hsGxU65OMQk?si=5wc_geUoMbwmzOzN - CBC podcast here
www.cbc.ca/player/play/audio/9.6988438
Human and robotic perception: remote touch
We also pioneer the study of how humans and robots perceive and represent the world through touch. Did you know that humans are able to detect objects through touch even before physical contact? This is a study with robots and humans, inspired by birds!
youtu.be/6hpuLojesyQ?si=FYvzSVK97nbT45ER
Building resilient minds
Finally, we develop preventive, tailored interventions to enhance resilience and wellbeing, combining insights from psychology with in-person and digital tools.
youtu.be/f5mG_rBnymM?si=iRCi1w2b3KjpJXPTThe
More videos here
www.youtube.com/@preparedmindslab9276
Publications
Publications of specific relevance to the Centre for Brain and Behaviour
2026
Multiple weak biases support adaptive choices without prior experience: a self-supervised strategy Proceedings of The Royal Society B,
The Royal Society vol. 293 (2064)
04-02-2026 Usability testing of digitally augmented visual feedback for remote exercise rehabilitation of injured dancers and athletes: a mixed-methods feasibility study Physical Therapy in Sport,
Elsevier vol. 78
29-01-2026 Embryonic Exposure to VPA Influences Chick Vocalisations: A Computational Study In
Arxiv 18-01-2026 Reassessment confirms motivational trade-offs and modulation of nociception in bumble beesGibbons M Versace E Crump A Baran B Chittka L
Animal Behaviour,
Elsevier vol. 231
01-01-2026 2025
Duration discrimination in the bumblebee Bombus terrestrisDavidson A Nanda I Ong A Chittka L Versace E
Biology Letters,
The Royal Society vol. 21 (11)
01-11-2025 Crossmodal Pitch−Luminance Association in Tortoises Annals of The New York Academy of Sciences,
Wiley vol. 1553 (1), 233-239.
16-09-2025 Exploring Tactile Perception for Object Localization in Granular Media: A Human and Robotic Study 2025 IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL). vol. 00, 1-6.
19-01-2025 2024
Robotics for poultry farming: Challenges and opportunitiesÖzentürk U Chen Z Jamone L Versace E
Computers and Electronics in Agriculture,
Elsevier vol. 226
01-11-2024 3D Localization of Objects Buried within Granular Material Using a Distributed 3-Axis Tactile SensorChen Z Versace E Jamone L
2024 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). vol. 00, 5621-5626.
18-10-2024 Exploratory analysis of early-life chick callsTorrisi A De Almeida Nolasco IS Versace E Benetos E
4th International Workshop on Vocal Interactivity in-and-between Humans, Animals and Robots (VIHAR) Kos, Greece 6 Sep 2024.
06-09-2024 Assessing preferences for adult versus juvenile features in young animals: Newly hatched chicks spontaneously approach red and large stimuliFreeland LV Emmerson MG Vasas V Gomes J Versace E
Learning & Behavior,
Springer Nature vol. 53 (2), 145-156.
16-08-2024 Noxious stimulation induces self-protective behavior in bumblebeesGibbons M Pasquini E Kowalewska A Read E Gibson S Crump A Solvi C Versace E et al.
Iscience,
Elsevier vol. 27 (8)
02-07-2024 Spontaneous biases enhance generalization in the neonate brainWang S Vasas V Freeland L Osorio D Versace E
Iscience,
Elsevier vol. 27 (7)
07-06-2024 Reproductive isolation arises during laboratory adaptation to a novel hot environmentHsu S-K Lai W-Y Novak J Lehner F Jakšić AM Versace E Schlötterer C
Genome Biology,
Springer Nature vol. 25 (1)
28-05-2024 First-sight recognition of touched objects shows that chicks can solve Molyneux's problemVersace E Freeland L Emmerson MG
Biology Letters,
The Royal Society vol. 20 (4)
01-04-2024 2023
Robotics for poultry farming: challenges and opportunitiesOzenturk U Chen Z Jamone L Versace E
In
Arxiv 09-11-2023Learning to detect an animal sound from five examplesNolasco I Singh S Morfi V Lostanlen V Strandburg-Peshkin A Vidaña-Vila E Gill L Pamuła H et al.
Ecological Informatics,
Elsevier vol. 77
01-11-2023 Crossmodal association between visual and acoustic cues in a tortoise (Testudo hermanni)Loconsole M Stancher G Versace E
Biology Letters,
The Royal Society vol. 19 (7)
01-07-2023 A spontaneous gravity prior: newborn chicks prefer stimuli that move against gravityBliss L Vasas V Freeland L Roach R Ferrè ER Versace E
Biology Letters,
The Royal Society vol. 19 (2)
01-02-2023 2022
Joint Scattering for Automatic Chick Call RecognitionWang C Benetos E Wang S Versace E
2022 30th European Signal Processing Conference (EUSIPCO)., 195-199.
20-12-2022 MotionPerfection: An agile tool for the visualisation, analysis, annotation, and record of motor practiceGallo V Zhou X Abdallah D Angioi M Redding E Ackroyd B Galvan C Versace E
Softwarex,
Elsevier vol. 20
01-12-2022 Motivational trade-offs and modulation of nociception in bumblebeesGibbons M Versace E Crump A Baran B Chittka L
Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America,
Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences vol. 119 (31)
26-07-2022 Light-induced asymmetries in embryonic retinal gene expression are mediated by the vascular system and extracellular matrixVersace E Sgadò P George J Loveland JL Ward J Thorpe P Jensen LJ Spencer KA et al.
Scientific Reports,
Springer Nature vol. 12 (1)
15-07-2022 Young domestic chicks spontaneously represent the absence of objectsSzabó E Chiandetti C Téglás E Versace E Csibra G Kovács ÁM Vallortigara G
Elife,
Elife vol. 11
11-04-2022 Recognition of rotated objects and cognitive offloading in dogsLonardo L Versace E Huber L
Iscience,
Elsevier vol. 25 (2)
26-01-2022 Filial ImprintingVallortigara G Versace E
In
Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior,
Springer Nature 2726-2728.
01-01-2022 2021
Visual Field Analysis: A reliable method to score left and right eye use using automated trackingJosserand M Rosa-Salva O Versace E Lemaire BS
Behavior Research Methods,
Springer Nature vol. 54 (4), 1715-1724.
08-10-2021 Joint Scattering for Automatic Chick Call RecognitionWang C Benetos E Wang S Versace E
In
Arxiv 08-10-2021 Attraction for familiar conspecifics in young chicks (Gallus gallus): An interbreed studyVersace E Ragusa M Pallante V Wang S
Behavioural Processes,
Elsevier vol. 193
06-09-2021 Using RoboChick to Identify the Behavioral Features Promoting Social InteractionsSlonina Z Bonzini AA Brown J Wang S Farkhatdinov I Althoefer K Jamone L Versace E
2021 IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL). vol. 00, 1-6.
26-08-2021 Resurgence of an Inborn Attraction for Animate Objects via Thyroid Hormone T3Lorenzi E Lemaire BS Versace E Matsushima T Vallortigara G
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience,
Frontiers vol. 15
19-04-2021 Stability and individual variability of social attachment in imprintingLemaire BS Rucco D Josserand M Vallortigara G Versace E
Scientific Reports,
Springer Nature vol. 11 (1)
12-04-2021 Young chicks quickly lose their spontaneous preference to aggregate with femalesPallante V Rucco D Versace E
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology,
Springer Nature vol. 75 (5)
12-04-2021 Sensitive periods for social development: Interactions between predisposed and learned mechanismsRosa-Salva O Mayer U Versace E Hébert M Lemaire BS Vallortigara G
Cognition,
Elsevier vol. 213
02-01-2021 2020
Early preference for face-like stimuli in solitary species as revealed by tortoise hatchlingsVersace E Damini S Stancher G
Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America,
Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences vol. 117 (39), 24047-24049.
14-09-2020 Individual, but not population asymmetries, are modulated by social environment and genotype in Drosophila melanogasterVersace E Caffini M Werkhoven Z de Bivort BL
Scientific Reports,
Springer Nature vol. 10 (1)
11-03-2020 Rapid sex-specific adaptation to high temperature in DrosophilaHsu S-K Jakšić AM Nolte V Lirakis M Kofler R Barghi N Versace E Schlötterer C
Elife,
Elife vol. 9
21-02-2020 2019
A transient time window for early predispositions in newborn chicksVersace E Ragusa M Vallortigara G
Scientific Reports,
Springer Nature vol. 9 (1)
10-12-2019 Inexperienced preys know when to flee or to freeze in front of a threatHébert M Versace E Vallortigara G
Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America,
Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences vol. 116 (46), 22918-22920.
28-10-2019 Positional encoding in cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus)Versace E Rogge JR Shelton-May N Ravignani A
Animal Cognition,
Springer Nature vol. 22 (5), 825-838.
01-07-2019 Embryonic Exposure to Valproic Acid Affects Social Predispositions for Dynamic Cues of Animate Motion in Newly-Hatched ChicksLorenzi E Pross A Rosa-Salva O Versace E Sgadò P Vallortigara G
Frontiers in Physiology,
Frontiers vol. 10
30-04-2019 2018
Priors in Animal and Artificial Intelligence: Where Does Learning Begin?Versace E Martinho-Truswell A Kacelnik A Vallortigara G
Trends in Cognitive Sciences,
Elsevier vol. 22 (11), 963-965.
07-08-2018 Spontaneous Learning of Visual Structures in Domestic ChicksRosa-Salva O Fiser J Versace E Dolci C Chehaimi S Santolin C Vallortigara G
Animals,
Mdpi vol. 8 (8)
06-08-2018 Corrigendum to “Evolutionary compromises to metabolic toxins: Ammonia and urea tolerance in Drosophila suzukii and Drosophila melanogaster” [Physiol. Behav. 191, 1 July 2018, 146–154]Belloni V Galeazzi A Bernini G Mandrioli M Versace E Haase A
Physiology & Behavior,
Elsevier vol. 194
24-05-2018 Evolutionary compromises to metabolic toxins: Ammonia and urea tolerance in Drosophila suzukii and Drosophila melanogasterBelloni V Galeazzi A Bernini G Mandrioli M Versace E Haase A
Physiology & Behavior,
Elsevier vol. 191, 146-154.
19-04-2018 Embryonic Exposure to Valproic Acid Impairs Social Predispositions of Newly-Hatched ChicksSgadò P Rosa-Salva O Versace E Vallortigara G
Scientific Reports,
Springer Nature vol. 8 (1)
12-04-2018 Born to be asocial: newly hatched tortoises avoid unfamiliar individualsVersace E Damini S Caffini M Stancher G
Animal Behaviour,
Elsevier vol. 138, 187-192.
01-04-2018 Filial ImprintingVallortigara G Versace E
In
Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior,
Springer Nature 1-4.
01-01-2018 2017
Spontaneous generalization of abstract multimodal patterns in young domestic chicksVersace E Spierings MJ Caffini M ten Cate C Vallortigara G
Animal Cognition,
Springer Nature vol. 20 (3), 521-529.
04-03-2017 Newborn chicks show inherited variability in early social predispositions for hen-like stimuliVersace E Fracasso I Baldan G Dalle Zotte A Vallortigara G
Scientific Reports,
Springer Nature vol. 7 (1)
24-01-2017 2016
Lateralized antennal control of aggression and sex differences in red mason bees, Osmia bicornisRogers LJ Frasnelli E Versace E
Scientific Reports,
Springer Nature vol. 6 (1)
08-07-2016 2014
Experimental evolution reveals habitat‐specific fitness dynamics among Wolbachia clades in Drosophila melanogasterVersace E Nolte V Pandey RV Tobler R Schlötterer C
Molecular Ecology,
Wiley vol. 23 (4), 802-814.
29-01-2014 Duration discrimination in the bumblebee Bombus terrestrisDavidson A Nanda I Mun AOL Chittka L Versace E
In
Biorxiv Crossmodal pitch-luminance association in tortoisesLoconsole M Malaman B Stancher G Versace E
In
Biorxiv Sex, not familiarity, shapes social interactions in adult tortoises (Testudo hermanni)Damini S Versace E Stancher G
In
Biorxiv Programming of Embryonic Blood Brain Barrier and Neurovascular Transcriptome by an Anticipatory Acoustic Signal of Heat in the Zebra Finch In
Biorxiv Light-induced asymmetries in the embryonic retina are mediated by the vascular system and extracellular matrixVersace E Sgadò P George J Loveland JL Ward J Thorpe P Jensen LJ Spencer KA et al.
In
Biorxiv Motivational trade-offs in bumblebeesGibbons M Versace E Crump A Baran B Chittka L
In
Biorxiv Two different adaptive speciation mechanisms operate during adaptation to a novel hot environmentHsu S-K Lai W-Y Novak J Lehner F Jakšić AM Versace E Schlötterer C
In
Biorxiv Visual Field Analysis: a reliable method to score left- and right eye-use using automated trackingJosserand M Rosa-Salva O Versace E Lemaire BS
In
Biorxiv Recognition of familiar objects in tortoise hatchlings (Testudo spp.)Damini S Stancher G Versace E
In
Biorxiv Young domestic chicks spontaneously represent the absence of objectsSzabó E Chiandetti C Téglás E Versace E Csibra G Kovács ÁM Vallortigara G
In
Biorxiv Resurgence of a perinatal attraction for animate objects via thyroid hormone T3Lorenzi E Lemaire BS Versace E Matsushima T Vallortigara G
In
Biorxiv Young chicks quickly lose their spontaneous preference to aggregate with femalesPallante V Rucco D Versace E
In
Biorxiv Stability and individual variability of social attachment in imprintingLemaire BS Rucco D Josserand M Vallortigara G Versace E
In
Biorxiv Conserved abilities of individual recognition and genetically modulated social responses in young chicks (Gallus gallus)Versace E Ragusa M Pallante V
In
Biorxiv Individual, but not population asymmetries, are modulated by social environment and genotype in Drosophila melanogasterVersace E Caffini M Werkhoven Z de Bivort BL
In
Biorxiv A transient time window for early predispositions in newborn chicksVersace E Ragusa M Vallortigara G
In
Biorxiv Embryonic Exposure to Valproic Acid impairs Social Predispositions for Dynamic Cues of Animate Motion in Newly-Hatched ChicksLorenzi E Pross A Rosa-Salva O Versace E Sgadò P Vallortigara G
In
Biorxiv Newborn chicks prefer stimuli that move against gravityBliss L Vasas V Freeland L Roach R Ferrè ER Versace E
In
Biorxiv First-sight recognition of touched objects shows that chicks can solve the Molyneux’s problemVersace E Freeland L Wang S Emmerson MG
In
Biorxiv Assessing preferences for adult vs juvenile features in young animals: newly-hatched chicks spontaneously approach red and large stimuliFreeland L Vasas V Gomes J Versace E
In
Biorxiv Pitch-size crossmodal correspondence in tortoises (Testudo hermanni)Loconsole M Stancher G Versace E
In
Biorxiv Spontaneous biases enhance generalisation in the neonate brainWang S Vasas V Freeland L Osorio D Versace E
In
Biorxiv Noxious stimulation induces self-protective behaviour in bumblebeesGibbons M Pasquini E Kowalewska A Read E Gibson S Crump A Solvi C Versace E et al.
In
Biorxiv
