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Work experience

Postdoctoral research assistant (current)

Human Cognitive Neuroscience

Psychology department

​​I'm currently working with Professor Sharon Abrahams as a Principal Investigator in a project with the aim of understanding the relationship between cognitive abilities and decisional capacity over assisted dying.

Research assistant (10/2023 – 01/2024)

Assisting with research design, implementation, data collection and analysis, and assistance with writing up project results to be included in a scoping review

Co-supervision of students

I co-supervised the final-year thesis dissertation of 12 students (two in 2020-21, two in 2021-22, three in 2022-23 and five in 2024-25) and one MSc student (2024-25)

Higher Education

Lecturer, Paulista University, Sao Paulo, Brazil (2013 – 2022)

Supervised undergraduate final-year dissertations (7th–10th semesters) using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

Led programme development, teaching, and assessment for core modules, including Introduction to Psychology, Basic Psychological Processes, Introduction to Psychometrics and Intelligence Assessment.

Organised and delivered extra-curricular academic activities, including seminars and skills-based workshops.

Visiting Lecturer & Clinical Supervisor (Neuropsychology specialization courses), Brazil

Permanent Education School (Medicine School – University of Sao Paulo), 2015-2019

Neurological Institute of São Paulo (INESP), 2014-2018

Post-Graduation Institute, 2018-2019

Teaching Awards

Honoured Lecturer, Paulista University, Brazil (Jan 2020, Jan 2022, Aug 2022)

Elected three times by graduating cohorts as “Honoured Teacher”, recognising excellence in teaching, professionalism, mentorship, and communication across the five-year psychology programme.

Clinical Experience

Neurology department, Clinical Hospital, University of São Paulo, Brazil (2013 – 2019)

Perform neuropsychological assessments

Experience with different neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease, Stroke, healthy ageing.

Clinical neuropsychologist and psychotherapist, private practice (2008 – 2018)

Neuropsychological assessments

Psychotherapy

Clinical neuropsychologist and psychotherapist, Reference Centre for the Elderly (2009 – 2012)

Responsible for neuropsychological assessments

Assisting in the differential diagnosis of healthy ageing and dementia

Psychotherapist

Other

Associate Editor, Dementia & Neuropsychologia (Jan 2020–present)

Associate Editor for the official journal of the Cognitive Neurology and Ageing Department of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology and the Brazilian Association of Geriatric Neuropsychiatry.

Oversee peer review, editorial decisions, and manuscript development in the areas of dementia, neuropsychology, and ageing.

Education

PhD

MSc

Specialization

BSc

Doctoral Research | Psychology (2020-25)

The University of Edinburgh

Supervisor: Sergio Della Sala

Co-supervisor: Robert Logie

My doctoral research focused on two cognitive tasks that are studied as an earlier marker of Alzheimer's disease: the short-term conjunctive memory binding test and subjective measures of memory.

Publications from my PhD can be found here:

Masters degree | Sciences (2014-17)

University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Supervisor: Mônica Sanches Yassuda

During my Master’s training, I investigated two versions of the short-term conjunctive memory binding test (free recall and change detection). I tested cognitively unimpaired participants, patients with Alzheimer’s disease and patients with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. The main findings of this work were published in:

Specialization in Neuropsychology (2010-11)

Neurological Institute of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Specialization in Neuropsychology. This course involved one year of theoretical coursework and one year of clinical training performing neuropsychological assessments with supervision. 

Thesis: Neuropsychological assessment of a patient with histrionic personality disorder symptoms: a case study. Supervisor: Marina von Zuben de Arruda Camargo, Ph.D.

Bachelor in Psychology

Paulista University, São Paulo, Brazil (2003-07)

In Brazil, undergraduate psychology training spans five years. The first three years focus on theoretical coursework, while the final two years include supervised clinical training with direct patient experience.

Email

mario dot cecchini at ed.ac.uk

Online profiles

  • Lattes
  • Google Scholar
  • ResearchGate
  • LinkedIn
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