Romain di Stasi, Ph.D.

Introductory course on Bayesian Statistics [in French]

This course introduced Bayesian statistics to master's students and was structured in three parts. First, we covered Bayes' theorem, its reformulation by Laplace, and the role of priors in Bayesian statistics. Second, we introduced likelihood and maximum-likelihood estimation for linear and generalized linear regression and contrasted it with Bayesian inference using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) to estimate a posterior distribution rather than a single point estimate. Third, I illustrated the Bayesian approach using a simple example based on the binomial distribution.

Research and Clinical Interviewing Methods [in French]

This course aimed to introduce students to various interview techniques, including clinical and research interviews, as well as methods to foster a strong therapeutic alliance. I introduced fundamental concepts essential for building this alliance, such as empathy, and presented research defining cognitive and affective empathy, as well as cognitive and affective theory of mind. To provide students with practical tools for conducting effective interviews, I covered various probing techniques, including Cunji's '4 R's.' We also discussed the distinctions between clinical and research interviews.

As part of this course, I supervised second-year psychology students on a research project. Working in groups of four or more, they were tasked with conducting multiple interviews, including exploratory and semi-structured interviews, followed by content analysis. Finally, they submitted a scientific report detailing the findings from these interviews.

Observation Methodology (Human and Non-Human Ethology) [in French]

The objective of this course was to guide first-year psychology students (L1) through an observational project. At the end of the semester, they were required to submit a scientific report in the format of an academic article, including an Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion sections. Students were free to choose their own topic but were required to design a coherent ethogram to address their hypothesis/hypotheses. In their introduction, they were expected to present both their general and operational hypotheses, as well as their results and interpretations. Additionally, they had to calculate an inter-observer reliability score to validate their ethogram. The observational project could focus on either human or non-human animals and had to be presented in a 15-page document, including the bibliography.

Before submitting their final report, students delivered an oral presentation of their project, allowing me to provide guidance on writing their report. My role was to support them throughout the project, explain the differences between dependent and independent variables, as well as between general and operational hypotheses. I also provided theoretical lessons to clarify the requirements for each section of the report and directed them toward feasible observational protocols that could be completed within a four-month period.

Infant Developmental Psychology [in French]

During these courses, I supervised a developmental psychology research project for several groups, each composed of two second-year undergraduate students, over 12 sessions of 1.5 hours each. The students were required to recruit an infant for two sessions, design an experimental protocol including an ethogram, and analyze their results.

Subsequently, they were tasked with producing a 25-page report (including an introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, and conclusion) and presenting their findings to me. I provided step-by-step guidance throughout the process, as they had to submit four intermediate reports before the final version. For each of these submissions, I provided detailed feedback to ensure they could complete their final report under optimal conditions.

Adolescent Developmental Psychology [in French]

The course focused on adolescent development, with discussions based on academic texts. I enriched the students' reflections by providing complementary theoretical insights and encouraging them to adopt a critical perspective on the articles. Topics covered included cognitive development, the psychosocial effects of puberty, and the importance of attachment quality.

The materials studied consisted of book chapters and articles, in both English and French, sourced from peer-reviewed journals. The course explored Piagetian theories of formal operations, brain development as revealed through imaging techniques (e.g., fMRI), and studies on attachment in both humans and non-human species. We highlighted the robustness of attachment theory from both phylogenetic and ontogenetic perspectives, examining research conducted on adolescents.

Neuroanatomy for Psychology Students [in French]

This course focuses on the different components of the central nervous system. It begins with an overview of the various cells that make up the nervous system (glial cells and neurons), including its formation during embryogenesis. Subsequent sessions explore the main structures of the nervous system, such as the spinal cord, brainstem, and cerebellum, concluding with a discussion of the components involved in sensory and motor functions.

Life Sciences (Tutorials for Students in Teaching, Education, and Training Careers) [in French]

This course is composed of several subfields. It includes a module on the components of biodiversity, discussing various groups of animal and plant species. We also cover the theory of evolution, embryogenesis, and nutrition. Additionally, we explore different approaches to teaching life sciences in the classroom with a pedagogical focus.

In another module, I evaluated presentations (master's level, M2) where students designed and presented a lesson or pedagogical sequence for teaching life sciences to primary school students. Another component of the course was the "Read, Speak, Write" module, where I prepared first-year master's students for their teaching certification exams, specifically for the life sciences section.

Bayesian statistics – Theory and Practice [in French]

8-hour workshop delivered to researchers (doctoral, postdoctoral, lecturer, or professor level). The workshop was divided into two parts: a theoretical introduction and a practical session.

The theoretical part explained the fundamentals of Bayesian statistics, including Bayes' theorem, the concept of priors, and the historical reasons why frequentist statisticians long excluded Bayesian methods. I began by introducing priors using a simple example based on binomial theory. I then demonstrated how, in Bayesian statistics, the slope of a regression line is estimated using the concept of maximum plausibility rather than simply relying on the least squares method. Finally, I introduced the brms package and explained how to perform simple linear regression using the brm function. We discussed how to evaluate the quality of parameter estimation and how to conduct post hoc contrast analyses.

The second part of the workshop was a 5-hour practical session. During this session, I guided participants through hands-on exercises that utilized the brms package to define priors, fit models, and assess model quality.

Three reviews for Cognition (peer-reviewed journal)

July 2025 September 2025 March 2026

One reviews for Animal Cognition (peer-reviewed journal)

February 2026

Budapest CEU Conference on Cognitive Development (BCCCD)

Reviewed 7 abstracts for the BCCCD 2024

PhD Day at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

Reviewed 4 abstracts for the PhD Day 2026

Member of the EPN-R Federation Council (a federation of seven research laboratories in Psychology, Movement Sciences - STAPS, and Neurosciences). As a council member, I was required to attend federation meetings every two months to participate in votes and decisions regarding its operations and research activities.

Representative of PhD students at my PhD's laboratory (Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, LECD). In this role, I was required to attend laboratory council meetings every two months and to participate in decision-making and voting processes.

Member of the organizing committee for the EPN-R federation's Research Day (research colloquium for all laboratories in the federation), three years running. This annual colloquium brings together all researchers in the federation, with oral presentations in the morning and poster sessions in the afternoon. It was held on 4 June 2021, 15 April 2022, and 14 April 2023.

Interview with podcaster and paediatric physiotherapist Jeremy Lerruite for his podcast “Le petit Podcast,” in which we spent the whole day discussing the link between humour, surprise, curiosity, and learning in young children. The podcast will be released in video format very soon.

Link to his channel here

Interview with journalist Nathalie Picard-Simonet for a column in the popular science magazine “Ça m’intéresse”, to be published in the coming months. During the interview, I discussed the development of laughter in babies, its biological mechanisms, its evolutionary function, and, more briefly, laughter in non-human animals.

Presentation of the EmoLearn project on the influence of humor on infant learning at the Paris Nanterre University Festival of Science, Friday 14th and Saturday 15th October 2022, Friday 13th and Saturday 14th October 2023.

Oral presentations on the development of humor in infants and its implications for learning, delivered at Hes.so study days in Sion, Switzerland, on November 5, 2022, and May 10, 2022.

Interview with Louie Media journalist Léna Coutrot on February 15, 2022, about the development of humor in infants and our EmoLearn research project. The podcast was published on April 4, 2022.

Effects of humour on observational tool-use learning in infants.

Master's thesis in Science and Technology with a specialization in Health (M2), Sorbonne University. Funded by the French University Institute (IUF - grant of R. Esseily). Duration: 6 months. Academic advisor: R. Esseily.

Analysis of physiological and behavioural data related to social learning and emotions in human infants.

Presentation of a master's poster (M1). Master's degree in Integrative Biology and Physiology, Sorbonne University. Duration: 2 months. Academic advisor: L. Rat-Fischer.

Effects of humour on observational tool-use learning in infants.

Bachelor's degree in psychology (L3), Paris Cité University. Duration: 2 months. Academic advisor: L. Rat-Fischer.

Influence of humour on social learning in infants: behavioural analyses using The Observer software.

Bachelor's degree in psychology (L3), Paris Nanterre University. Duration: 2 months. Academic advisor: R. Esseily.

Study of the influence of surprise and humour on learning in infant.

Master's thesis in applied ethology (M2), Sorbonne Paris Nord University. Funded by Université Paris Lumières (UPL - Grant of R. Esseily). Duration: 6 months. Academic advisor: L. Rat-Fischer.

Influence of humour and emotional reactions on learning tool use through observation and on activation of the sympathetic nervous system in human infants.

Master's thesis in ethology (M1), Sorbonne Paris Nord University. Duration: 2 months. Academic advisor: L. Rat-Fischer.

EmoLearn – What if infants learn best by laughing?

Master's degree (M2) in Developmental Psychology: Education, Disorders, and Current Issues, University of Paris 8. Duration: 4 months (part time - 130 hours). Academic advisor: L. Rat-Fischer.

Study of the influence of surprise and humour on learning in infants.

Academic gap year between M1 and M2 of the master's degree in Integrative Biology and Physiology, Sorbonne University. Funded by the French University Institute (IUF - grant of R. Esseily). Duration: 5 months. Academic advisor: L. Rat-Fischer.

Developing a methodology to identify surprise in a humorous context in infants aged 17 to 22 Months.

Bachelor's degree (L2) in Animal Biology, Paul Sabatier University Toulouse 3. Duration: 2 months. Academic advisor: L. Rat-Fischer.

Social affiliation in facilitating learning in infants.

Master's thesis in ethology (M2), University of Rennes 2. Funded by the French University Institute (IUF - grant of R. Esseily). Duration: 6 months. Academic advisor: L. Rat-Fischer.

Social affiliation in facilitating learning in infants in a humorous context.

Master's degree (M1) INP-AgroToulouse (National School of Agronomy of Toulouse). Duration: 2 months. Academic advisor: L. Rat-Fischer.

Effect of affiliation on social learning in 18-month-old human infants.

Master's thesis in ethology (M1), Sorbonne Paris Nord University. Duration: 2 months. Academic advisor: L. Rat-Fischer.

Role of affiliation in facilitating social learning in infant.

Master's thesis in ethology (M2), University of Rennes 2. Duration: 6 months. Academic advisor: L. Rat-Fischer.

The influence of the uncertainty on curiosity behaviour in infants.

Master's degree (M1) in Psychology, specializing in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Development, Université Libre de Bruxelles. Duration: 4 months (part time - 400 hours). Academic advisor: A. de Heering.

The influence of the uncertainty on curiosity behaviour in infants.

Master's degree (M1) in Psychology, specializing in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Development, Université Libre de Bruxelles. Duration: 4 months (part time - 400 hours). Academic advisor: A. de Heering.

Study of the influence of surprise and humour on learning in infants.

Master's degree (M2) in Philosophy, Sorbonne University. Duration: 2 months. Academic advisor: R. Esseily.

What is the function of curiosity? From the influence of novelty and surprise on infants' learning to its adaptive role in primates.

Master's degree (M2) in Psychology, specializing in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Development, Université Libre de Bruxelles. Duration: 4 months (part time - 400 hours). Academic advisor: A. de Heering.

Influence of uncertainty on surprise facial expressions in infants: a review of surprise facial expressions as markers of surprise or attentional processes in infants.

Master's degree (M1) in Speech and Language Therapy, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Duration: 4 months (part time - 400 hours). Academic advisor: A. de Heering.

How uncertainty influences infants' exploration and exploitation behaviour: Does the Goldilocks effect influence one more than the other?

Master's degree (M1) in Psychology, specializing in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Development, Université Libre de Bruxelles. Duration: 4 months (part time - 400 hours). Academic advisor: A. de Heering.

How attention and arousal influence the relationship between uncertainty and curiosity in infants: an attempt to disentangle the Goldilocks effect.

Master's degree (M1) in Psychology, specializing in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Development, Université Libre de Bruxelles. Duration: 4 months (part time - 400 hours). Academic advisor: A. de Heering.

How uncertainty influences infants' social gazes: Does the Goldilocks effect affect exploration and surprise in the same manner?

Master's degree (M1) in Psychology, specializing in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Development, Université Libre de Bruxelles. Duration: 4 months (part time - 400 hours). Academic advisor: A. de Heering.

Defence in English on 27 August 2025. Supervised by Irene Prof. Irene Cogliati Dezza. Master's degree (M2) in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology, Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Defence in French on 27 August 2025. Supervised by Prof. Carole Fantini Hauwel. Master's degree (M2) in Psychology, specializing in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Development, Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Defence in French on 27 August 2025. Supervised by Prof. Carole Fantini Hauwel. Master's degree (M2) in Psychology, specializing in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Development, Université Libre de Bruxelles.