Dr Elia Valentini
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Email
evalent@essex.ac.uk -
Location
4.701, Colchester Campus
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Academic support hours
"open door" policy 9-18
Profile
Biography
I lead the “Threat Lab”, a laboratory dedicated to the study of how people perceive negative valence information, how they interpret both physical (i.e. sensory) and psychological (i.e. symbolic) events as threatening. Some keywords of our projects are therefore "threat", "pain", "anxiety", "emotion", "attention". I am an expert in psychophysics and electroencephalography. My past research mostly concerned the study of nociceptive representation in the brain and the experience of pain. This is still an important current research line (Valentini et al., NeuroImage 2022) and is compounded by research into social and cognitive factors affecting chronic pain patients (Valentini et al. European Journal of Pain 2020). An important part of my work as researcher is also oriented towards contributing to a better understanding of cognitive/emotional mechanisms of people's relationship with the emerging awareness of the climate and ecological emergency.
Qualifications
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PhD Sapienza University of Rome,
Appointments
University of Essex
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Member of the the Core Advisory Team at the Centre for Environment and Society, University of Essex (10/10/2023 - present)
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Member of the Environmental Sustainability Action Group, University of Essex (17/10/2019 - present)
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Environmental Representative for the University College Union, University of Essex (9/10/2019 - present)
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Postgraduate Admission selector, University of Essex (8/10/2019 - 21/7/2021)
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Departmental Research Seminar Programmes Coordinator, University of Essex (7/10/2015 - 19/7/2018)
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Departmental study abroad officer, University of Essex (14/10/2015 - 11/7/2018)
Other academic
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Lecturer, Psychology, University of Essex (2/9/2015 - present)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
Climate and ecological emergency
Emotional and cognitive factors influencing perception of the climate and ecological crises as well as impacting individual and collective (in) action. A great deal of research is attempting to understand how we process the rich information associated with dramatic changes in our whole phisical environment. We recently surveyd people the relationship between emotional states, policy support, and environmental engagement. We want to further develop this research line and attempt a longitudinal assessment of how emotional states are associated with the awareness of climate and ecological emergency (CEE), and whether these predict environmental knowledge and self-reported behaviour or are predicted by them cross-culturally in representative samples.
Existential and symbolic threats
How can symbolic threats alter our behaviour and brain activity? A long-standing theoretical and research endevour holds that reminding people of their own death leads to tremendous effects on their behaviour and even perception. However, both theoretical and methodological contributions to this field of research fall short in providing a comprehensive view of this phenomenon. For example, it is not clear to date how general is the impact of death cognition compared to other (potentially more threatening) mind-sets (e.g. becoming paralysed or being abandoned). I am fascinated by the idea of understanding the neural mechanisms underpinning such symbolic threat and explain them in a more general biological framework of anxiety and emotional appraisal.
Pain and sensory threats
The study of brain specific responses to the experience of pain. The identification of neurobiological markers that predict individual predisposition to pain is important for the development of effective pain treatments as well as for a more complete understanding of how pain originates in the brain. Our last experimental work (Valentini et al., Neuroimage 2022) showed how alpha EEG oscillations cannot index tonic pain in a specific fashion. Current and future projects will revolve around further assessing oscillatory information (e.g., frequency and phase), metanalysing previous literature, and developing robust assessment of neural responses to unpleasant sensory stimulation.
Emotional facial expressions
Are different facial expressions linked to different explicit and implicit patterns of trust? Do facial expression influence the way we experience pain or even our placebo response?
Self-harm and trauma
Self-harm, childhood trauma, and body awareness, emotional and physical pain regulation might be tied by a shared mechanism. We are currently investigating the mediating role of trauma in the relationship between self-harm behaviour and individual differences in personality measures.
Conferences and presentations
Crisi climatica e salute psichica
Invited presentation, Conferenza Ordine Psicologi Veneto, online conference, 22/4/2022
Scientists on Hunger Strike for the Planet
Invited presentation, EcoFestival, Colchester, 4/9/2021
Chair of the symposium entitled Electroencephalographic advancements in the study of pain and of its cognitive and affective modulations. Talk entitled Impact of reminders of death on pain and sensory representation as measured by electroencephalographic activity in healthy individuals. The 3rd international conference of the European Society for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (ESCAN). Porto 23-26 of June 2016.
Porto, Portugal, 2016
Valentini E. Representation of potentially noxious events in the brain: quest for a preattentive nociceptive sensory trace. NEURONUS 2016 IBRO & IRUN Neuroscience Forum. Krakow, Poland. April 22-24 2016.
Krakow, Poland, 2016
Valentini E., Nicolardi V., Aglioti S.M. Pain engrams: behavioural and neural correlates of nociceptive working memory. 9th EFIC European Congress on pain. Vienna, Austria, 2-5 September 2015.
Vienna, Austria, 2015
Processing of nociceptive deviant input in the brain: is there a real preattentive nociceptive-related mismatch response? 7th Conference on the Mismatch Negativity (MMN). Leipzig, Germany. September 8-11 2015.
Leipzig, Germany, 2015
Valentini E., Nicolardi V., Koch K., Aglioti S.M. Thoughts of death modulate the cortical responses to threatening stimuli. 15th World Congress on Pain. Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 6-11, 2014.
15th World Congress on Pain, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2014
Functional significance of nociceptive event-related potentials: evidence from EEG studies of the somatosensory system. Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires, Argentina. October 14 2014.
Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2014
Repetition suppression of nociceptive event-related potentials: evidence from EEG studies of the somatosensory system. Repetition suppression summer school (RESUS). University of Jena, Germany. September 7-12 2014.
Jena, Germany, 2014
Valentini E., Koch K., Aglioti S.M. Vision analgesia and arms crossing analgesia: do they interact? Satellite meeting of 8th EFIC European Congress on pain. Neural circuits underlying nociception and pain and their plasticity. Heidelberg, Germany, 6-8 October, 2013.
Heidelberg, Germany, 2013
Valentini E., Zhao C., Peng W.W., Hu L., 2012. Mismatch responses evoked by nociceptive stimuli: a preliminary investigation. 14th IASP World Congress on pain. Milan, Italy, August 26-31, 2012.
Milan, Italy, 2012
Attentional modulations of pain: evidence from laser evoked EEG potentials. Southwest University, Chongqing, China, June 29th 2012.
Chongqing, China, 2012
Valentini E., Torta D., Mouraux A, Iannetti G. Determinants of laser evoked EEG responses: effect of predictable and unpredictable changes in stimulus modality. 13th IASP World Congress on Pain. Montreal, Canada, August 29th - September 2nd, 2010.
Montreal, Canada, 2010
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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Brain and Behaviour (PS411)
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Psychology of Global Challenges (PS424)
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Body, Senses and Existence (PS502)
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Believing is Seeing. The power of belief and suggestion on the mind and brain (PS508)
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Thinking Green: Introduction to the Psychology of Pro-environmental Behaviour (PS517)
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Advanced Brain and Behaviour (PS943)
Current supervision
Previous supervision
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 8/4/2025
Degree subject: Computer Science
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 13/6/2024
Degree subject: Neuropsychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 21/6/2022
Degree subject: Neuropsychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 4/10/2021
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Master of Science (by Dissertation)
Awarded date: 19/4/2021
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 18/11/2020
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 27/5/2020
Publications
Publications (3)
Valentini, E. and Hanel, PHP., (2025). Adaptation to the climate and ecological emergency: motivational factors predict policy support and behavioural engagement
Hignell, B., Bakaki, Z. and Valentini, E., (2024). Emotional predictors of environmental policy support and opposition
Hignell, B., Bakaki, Z. and Valentini, E., (2024). Emotional predictors of environmental policy support and opposition
Journal articles (45)
Valentini, E., Halder, S. and Romei, V., (2024). The independence and predictivity of resting pain-free slow alpha frequency as a biomarker of pain: A reply to Mazaheri et al.. NeuroImage. 296, 120681-120681
Van Der Biest, M., Cracco, E., Riva, P. and Valentini, E., (2023). Should I trust you? Investigating trustworthiness judgements of painful facial expressions. Acta Psychologica. 235, 103893-103893
Gyimes, IL. and Valentini, E., (2023). Reminders of Mortality: Investigating the Effects of Different Mortality Saliences on Somatosensory Neural Activity. Brain Sciences. 13 (7), 1077-1077
Valentini, E., Shindy, A., Witkovsky, V., Stankewitz, A. and Schulz, E., (2023). Interindividual variability and individual stability of pain- and touch-related neuronal gamma oscillations. Journal of Neurophysiology. 129 (6), 1400-1413
Valentini, E., (2022). Neurological Markers of Maladaptive Brain Activity in Fibromyalgia and their Relationship with Treatment Effectiveness. Journal of Trial and Error. 2 (1), 92-98
Valentini, E., Halder, S., McInnerney, D., Cooke, J., Gyimes, IL. and Romei, V., (2022). Assessing the specificity of the relationship between brain alpha oscillations and tonic pain. NeuroImage. 255, 119143-119143
Racimo, F., Valentini, E., Rijo De León, G., Santos, TL., Norberg, A., Atmore, LM., Murray, M., Hakala, SM., Olsen, FA., Gardner, CJ. and Halder, JB., (2022). The biospheric emergency calls for scientists to change tactics.. eLife. 11, e83292-
Ronga, I., Galigani, M., Bruno, V., Castellani, N., Rossi Sebastiano, A., Valentini, E., Fossataro, C., Neppi-Modona, M. and Garbarini, F., (2021). Seeming confines: Electrophysiological evidence of peripersonal space remapping following tool-use in humans. Cortex. 144, 133-150
Liebisch, AP., Eggert, T., Shindy, A., Valentini, E., Irving, S., Stankewitz, A. and Schulz, E., (2021). A novel tool for the removal of muscle artefacts from EEG: Improving data quality in the gamma frequency range.. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 358, 109217-109217
Valentini, E., Fetter, E. and Orbell, S., (2020). Treatment preferences in fibromyalgia patients: A cross‐sectional web‐based survey. European Journal of Pain. 24 (7), 1290-1300
Stefanics, G., Heinzle, J., Czigler, I., Valentini, E. and Stephan, KE., (2020). Timing of repetition suppression of event-related potentials to unattended objects. European Journal of Neuroscience. 52 (11), 4432-4441
Valentini, E. and Schulz, E., (2020). Automatised application of pinprick-evoked potentials improves investigation of central sensitisation in humans.. Clinical Neurophysiology. 131 (10), 2482-2483
Valentini, E. and Gyimes, IL., (2018). Visual cues of threat elicit greater steady-state electroencephalographic responses than visual reminders of death. Biological Psychology. 139, 73-86
Torta, DM., Legrain, V., Mouraux, A. and Valentini, E., (2017). Attention to pain! A neurocognitive perspective on attentional modulation of pain in neuroimaging studies. Cortex. 89, 120-134
Valentini, E., Nicolardi, V. and Aglioti, SM., (2017). Painful engrams: Oscillatory correlates of working memory for phasic nociceptive laser stimuli. Brain and Cognition. 115, 21-32
Valentini, E., Nicolardi, V. and Aglioti, SM., (2017). Visual reminders of death enhance nociceptive–related cortical responses and event-related alpha desynchronisation. Biological Psychology. 129, 121-130
Nicolardi, V. and Valentini, E., (2016). Commentary: Top-down and bottom-up modulation of pain-induced oscillations. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 10 (APR2016), 1-3
Valentini, E., Koch, K. and Aglioti, SM., (2015). Seeing One's Own Painful Hand Positioned in the Contralateral Space Reduces Subjective Reports of Pain and Modulates Laser Evoked Potentials. The Journal of Pain. 16 (6), 499-507
Valentini, E., Koch, K., Nicolardi, V. and Aglioti, SM., (2015). Mortality salience modulates cortical responses to painful somatosensory stimulation: Evidence from slow wave and delta band activity. NeuroImage. 120, 12-24
Martini, M., Lee, MCH., Valentini, E. and Iannetti, GD., (2015). Intracortical modulation, and not spinal inhibition, mediates placebo analgesia. European Journal of Neuroscience. 41 (4), 498-504
Zhao, C., Valentini, E. and Hu, L., (2015). Functional features of crossmodal mismatch responses. Experimental Brain Research. 233 (2), 617-629
Porciello, G., Crostella, F., Liuzza, MT., Valentini, E. and Aglioti, SM., (2014). rTMS-induced virtual lesion of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) alters the control of reflexive shifts of social attention triggered by pointing hands. Neuropsychologia. 59 (1), 148-156
Valentini, E., Koch, K. and Aglioti, SM., (2014). Thoughts of Death Modulate Psychophysical and Cortical Responses to Threatening Stimuli. PLoS ONE. 9 (11), e112324-e112324
Valentini, E., Martini, M., Lee, M., Aglioti, SM. and Iannetti, G., (2014). Seeing facial expressions enhances placebo analgesia. Pain. 155 (4), 666-673
Hu, L., Valentini, E., Zhang, ZG., Liang, M. and Iannetti, GD., (2014). The primary somatosensory cortex contributes to the latest part of the cortical response elicited by nociceptive somatosensory stimuli in humans. NeuroImage. 84, 383-393
Martini, M., Valentini, E. and Aglioti, SM., (2013). Emotional conflict in a model modulates nociceptive processing in an onlooker: a laser-evoked potentials study. Experimental Brain Research. 225 (2), 237-245
Valentini, E., Betti, V., Hu, L. and Aglioti, SM., (2013). Hypnotic modulation of pain perception and of brain activity triggered by nociceptive laser stimuli. Cortex. 49 (2), 446-462
Ronga, I., Valentini, E., Mouraux, A. and Iannetti, GD., (2013). Novelty is not enough: laser-evoked potentials are determined by stimulus saliency, not absolute novelty. Journal of Neurophysiology. 109 (3), 692-701
Hu, L., Zhao, C., Li, H. and Valentini, E., (2013). Mismatch responses evoked by nociceptive stimuli. Psychophysiology. 50 (2), 158-173
Hu, L., Peng, W., Valentini, E., Zhang, Z. and Hu, Y., (2013). Functional Features of Nociceptive-Induced Suppression of Alpha Band Electroencephalographic Oscillations. The Journal of Pain. 14 (1), 89-99
Wang, WY., Hu, L., Valentini, E., Xie, XB., Cui, HY. and Hu, Y., (2012). Dynamic characteristics of multisensory facilitation and inhibition. Cognitive Neurodynamics. 6 (5), 409-419
Valentini, E., Liang, M., Aglioti, SM. and Iannetti, GD., (2012). Seeing touch and pain in a stranger modulates the cortical responses elicited by somatosensory but not auditory stimulation. Human Brain Mapping. 33 (12), 2873-2884
Valentini, E. and Koch, K., (2012). Fine-grained analysis of shared neural circuits between perceived and observed pain: implications for the study of empathy for pain. Journal of Neurophysiology. 108 (7), 1805-1807
Legrain, V., Mancini, F., Sambo, CF., Torta, DM., Ronga, I. and Valentini, E., (2012). Cognitive aspects of nociception and pain. Bridging neurophysiology with cognitive psychology. Neurophysiologie Clinique/Clinical Neurophysiology. 42 (5), 325-336
Torta, DM., Liang, M., Valentini, E., Mouraux, A. and Iannetti, GD., (2012). Dishabituation of laser-evoked EEG responses: dissecting the effect of certain and uncertain changes in stimulus spatial location. Experimental Brain Research. 218 (3), 361-372
Valentini, E., Hu, L., Chakrabarti, B., Hu, Y., Aglioti, SM. and Iannetti, GD., (2012). The primary somatosensory cortex largely contributes to the early part of the cortical response elicited by nociceptive stimuli. NeuroImage. 59 (2), 1571-1581
Valentini, E., (2011). The Role of Perceptual Expectation on Repetition Suppression: A Quest to Dissect the Differential Contribution of Probability of Occurrence and Event Predictability. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 5, 143-
Valentini, E., Torta, DME., Mouraux, A. and Iannetti, GD., (2011). Dishabituation of Laser-evoked EEG Responses: Dissecting the Effect of Certain and Uncertain Changes in Stimulus Modality. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 23 (10), 2822-2837
Valentini, E., Ferrara, M., Presaghi, F., De Gennaro, L. and Curcio, G., (2011). Republished review: Systematic review and meta-analysis of psychomotor effects of mobile phone electromagnetic fields. Postgraduate Medical Journal. 87 (1031), 643-651
Valentini, E., Ferrara, M., Presaghi, F., Gennaro, LD. and Curcio, G., (2010). Systematic review and meta-analysis of psychomotor effects of mobile phone electromagnetic fields. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 67 (10), 708-716
Valentini, E., (2010). The Role of Anterior Insula and Anterior Cingulate in Empathy for Pain. Journal of Neurophysiology. 104 (2), 584-586
Curcio, G., Valentini, E., Moroni, F., Ferrara, M., De Gennaro, L. and Bertini, M., (2008). Psychomotor performance is not influenced by brief repeated exposures to mobile phones. Bioelectromagnetics. 29 (3), 237-241
Curcio, G. and Valentini, E., (2008). Response to comments by Balzano and Swicord on “neurophysiological effects of mobile phone electromagnetic fields on humans: A comprehensive review”. Bioelectromagnetics. 29 (5), 411-411
Valentini, E., Curcio, G., Moroni, F., Ferrara, M., De Gennaro, L. and Bertini, M., (2007). Neurophysiological effects of mobile phone electromagnetic fields on humans: A comprehensive review. Bioelectromagnetics. 28 (6), 415-432
Dorigo, P., Ceroni, G., Giacometti, A., Valentini, E., Gaion, RM. and Maragno, I., (1988). The response of isolated guinea‐pig aorta to amrinone. Journal of Autonomic Pharmacology. 8 (1), 19-28
Book chapters (1)
Valentini, E., Vaughan, S. and Clauwaert, A., (2023). Qualia, Brain Waves, and Spinal Reflexes: The Study of Pain Perception by Means of Subjective Reports, Electroencephalography, and Electromyography. In: Neuromethods. Springer US. 129- 159. 9781071630679
Conferences (2)
Han, Y., Valentini, E. and Halder, S., (2023). Validation of Cross-Individual Pain Assessment with Individual Recognition Model from Electroencephalogram.
Han, Y., Valentini, E. and Halder, S., (2022). Classification of Tonic Pain Experience based on Phase Connectivity in the Alpha Frequency Band of the Electroencephalogram using Convolutional Neural Networks.
Reports and Papers (4)
Hignell, B., Saleemi, Z. and Valentini, E., (2022). The role of emotions on policy support and environmental engagement
Liebisch, AP., Eggert, T., Shindy, A., Valentini, E., Irving, S., Stankewitz, A. and Schulz, E., (2021). A Novel Tool for the Removal of Muscle Artefacts from EEG: Improving Data Quality in the Gamma Frequency Range
Valentini, E., Halder, S., McInnersey, D., Cooke, J. and Romei, V., (2019). Assessing the specificity of the relationship between brain alpha oscillations and tonic pain
valentini, E., Fetter, E. and Orbell, S., (2019). Treatment preferences in fibromyalgia patients: A cross-sectional web-based survey
Grants and funding
2021
August International KTP 3 Application (2021)
Innovate UK (formerly Technology Strategy Board)
2017
The painful awareness of death: influence of thoughts of death on behavioural and cerebral activity associated with painful nociceptive stimuli
Bial Foundation
Contact
Academic support hours:
"open door" policy 9-18
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