Team & Culture
Dr. Silvia Seghezzi
Head of the Brain in Action Lab
Dr Silvia Seghezzi is a Lecturer in the School of Psychological Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London, where she founded the Brain in Action Lab in January 2024. Her research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying voluntary action, decision-making, and counterfactual thinking, using a combination of behavioural paradigms, EEG, and fMRI.
She previously held a Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCL’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (2021—2023), supported by both a John Templeton Foundation Fellowship and an EPS Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Dr Seghezzi trained at the University of Milano-Bicocca, where she obtained a BSc in Psychological Sciences (2014) and an MSc in Clinical and Neuropsychology (2016). In 2017, she qualified as a Clinical Psychologist and began her PhD in Neuroscience, jointly conducted between Milano-Bicocca and UCL’s Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging.
Maia Armstrong
PhD Candidate
Maia is a second-year PhD candidate on the BBSRC London Interdisciplinary Biosciences Consortium (LIDo) Doctoral Training Programme, funded by Birkbeck, University of London. Her research investigates the neurocognitive and computational mechanisms underlying counterfactual thinking and false memories, using novel behavioural paradigms alongside neuroimaging methods including fMRI and EEG.
Her PhD is primarily supervised by Dr Silvia Seghezzi at Birkbeck, with secondary supervision from Professor Patrick Haggard (University College London) and Dr Daniel Yon (Birkbeck).
Prior to starting her PhD, Maia completed an MSci in Neuroscience at University College London (2020—2024), graduating with First Class Honours.
Mahnoor Tariq
PhD Candidate
Mahnoor Tariq is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London. Her research investigates how different sensory modalities---visual, auditory, and haptic---interact to shape action planning in children.
Using a combination of EEG, motion tracking, eye tracking, video capture, and novel smart object-based tasks, she examines how the source and type of sensory information influence processes of information gathering and action planning.
Mahnoor is primarily supervised by Dr Ori Ossmy, with secondary supervision from Dr Silvia Seghezzi.
She holds an MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology from Birkbeck, University of London.
Weronika Domagala
Research Assistant
Weronika Domagala is a Research Assistant in the Brain in Action Lab, funded by an EPS grant awarded to Dr Silvia Seghezzi. She is currently completing her BSc in Psychological Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London.
What We Value
The Brain in Action Lab aims to create an intellectually ambitious, collaborative, and supportive environment, where people feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, and developing as independent researchers.
Think deeply and question everything
We encourage critical thinking at all stages of research. You should feel comfortable questioning assumptions, proposing new ideas, and challenging interpretations. Good science begins with curiosity and is sustained by engagement with the literature and ongoing discussion.
Be rigorous and transparent
Scientific integrity is central to our work. We value openness, honesty, and reproducibility. Mistakes are part of the process, but transparency is non-negotiable. Dr Silvia Seghezzi is the Birkbeck representative for the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN), and our lab plays an active role in promoting open and reproducible science. These principles are embedded throughout our research, from study design and pre-registration to data sharing and transparent reporting.
Be collaborative
Research is a collective effort. We expect lab members to support one another, whether through feedback, sharing methods, or contributing to joint projects. A strong lab culture is built on mutual respect and generosity.
Diversity and Inclusion
Our commitment to diversity is shaped by lived experience.
As a first-generation academic who grew up in Italy in a family where higher education was not part of the immediate environment, Dr Silvia Seghezzi is particularly aware of the barriers that can shape access to academia. This perspective informs our commitment to building a lab environment where talent is recognised independently of background, and where different paths into science are valued.
We recognise that academic trajectories are not always linear, and that students from underrepresented or non-traditional backgrounds may face additional challenges. We aim to create a space where individuals feel supported, respected, and able to contribute their perspectives.
We actively promote an inclusive research environment by:
- Supporting students from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds
- Encouraging different perspectives and ways of thinking
- Making expectations clear and accessible
- Providing mentorship tailored to individual needs
We believe that diversity strengthens science, not only by broadening participation, but by enriching the questions we ask and the ways we approach them.
Lab Life
We value a positive and respectful working environment. Collaboration, discussion, and informal interactions are an important part of scientific life.
We do not measure success by hours spent in the lab, but by engagement, responsibility, and contribution. We encourage a healthy balance between work and personal life, and we recognise that sustained, high-quality research requires well-being.