Personal statement

Elena Paci is a Senior Lecturer on the Bsc Biology and Bsc Biomedical Sciences courses.

She teaches physiology, anatomy and pharmacology and has a strong interest in supporting students' skills development to prepare them for a changing world.

Elena is passionate about teaching innovation aimed at creating an authentic learning and assessment experience. 

Academic qualifications

  • BSc Biology, University of Cagliari, 2013
  • MSc Neuropsychobiology, University of Cagliari, 2015
  • PhD Neural Dynamics, University of Bristol, 2021
  • PGCAP, University of Bristol, 2023.

Professional memberships

  • Fellow of the HE Academy
  • Representative of the Physiological Society.

Areas of teaching expertise

  • Physiology
  • Anatomy
  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology

Research outputs

book_section

Apps, R, Lawrenson, C.L, Paci, E and Cerminara, N.L (2022) 'Mapping structure鈥揻unction relationships within cerebellar circuits.' In: Sillitoe, R.V, ed. Measuring cerebellar function. Humana, New York, NY, pp. 69-90. ISBN 9781071620250

article

Paci, E, Swainson, A and Cerminara, N.L (2025) 'Facing the fear: a scaffolding approach to teaching life sciences undergraduates R coding.' Frontiers in Education, 9. e1504877. ISSN 2504-284X

article

Paci, E, Lumb, B.M, Apps, R, Lawrenson, C.L and Moran, R.J (2023) 'Dynamic causal modeling reveals increased cerebellar- periaqueductal gray communication during fear extinction.' Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 17. e1148604. ISSN 1662-5137

article

Lawrenson, C, Paci, E, Pickford, J, Drake, R.A.R, Lumb, B.M and Apps, R (2022) 'Cerebellar modulation of memory encoding in the periaqueductal grey and fear behaviour.' eLife, 11. e76278. ISSN 2050-084X

article

Costa, G, Spulber, S, Paci, E, Casu, M.A, Ceccatelli, S, Simola, N and Morelli, M (2021) 'In utero exposure to dexamethasone causes a persistent and age-dependent exacerbation of the neurotoxic effects and glia activation induced by MDMA in dopaminergic brain regions of C57BL/6J mice.' NeuroToxicology, 83. pp. 1-13. ISSN 0161-813X

article

Mostallino, M.C, Secci, P.P, Paci, E, Mura, M.L, Maciocco, E, Sanna, E and Biggio, G (2021) 'The plastic and functional changes in hippocampal neurons during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum are reversed by offspring deprivation.' Current Psychopharmacology, 10 (1). pp. 73-83. ISSN 2211-5560

article

Boero, G, Pisu, M.G, Biggio, F, Muredda, L, Carta, G, Banni, S, Paci, E, Follesa, P, Concas, A, Porcu, P and Serra, M (2018) 'Impaired glucocorticoid-mediated HPA axis negative feedback induced by juvenile social isolation in male rats.' Neuropharmacology, 133. pp. 242-253. ISSN 0028-3908

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Simola, N, Paci, E, Serra, M, Costa, G and Morelli, M (2018) 'Modulation of rat 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations by glucocorticoid signaling: possible relevance to reward and motivation.' International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 21 (1). pp. 73-83. ISSN 1461-1457

article

Pisu, M.G, Garau, A, Boero, G, Biggio, F, Pibiri, V, Dore, R, Locci, V, Paci, E, Porcu, P and Serra, M (2016) 'Sex differences in the outcome of juvenile social isolation on HPA axis function in rats.' Neuroscience, 320. pp. 172-182. ISSN 0306-4522