Nicola holds a Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Zurich, with a focus on developmental neuroscience. In 2023, she completed a research internship at the NGN Research Center as part of the BrainDNIU study, which investigates the effects of intrauterine growth restriction on child development. Initially, she supported participant recruitment and various administrative tasks. She later also conducted developmental assessments with study participants at two years of age.

Nicola also completed her Master’s thesis at the NGN Research Center. Her thesis investigated whether structural alterations in brain regions associated with later autism-related symptoms are also observed in children with intrauterine growth restriction.

Since completing her Master’s degree, Nicola has been working as a PhD student at the NGN Research Center, where she is a part of both the BrainDNIU study and the IMPROVE PRETERM project. In IMPROVE PRETERM, she is involved in validating the German version of the Parent Report of Children’s Abilities – Cognitive Abilities Test (PARCA-CAT), a new parent-report questionnaire designed to assess cognitive abilities in children born preterm between four and seven years of age.

Research Interests

Her research focuses on the long-term effects of perinatal risk factors, such as preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction, on brain development as well as later cognitive and overall child development.

Current Projects

• Influence of intrauterine growth restriction on brain development and consequences for later neurological development: a prospective cohort study (BrainDNIU Study)
• Validation of the German version of the PARCA-CAT (IMPROVE PRETERM Project)