Mirror mechanism is a basic neural mechanism that transforms sensory representations of others' actions into motor representations of the same actions in the brain of the observer. Dr. Rizzolatti will describe the functions of the mirror mechanism located in the parieto-fontal network of monkeys and humans, and show that this mechanism enables one to understand others in an immediate, phenomenological way, without recourse to cognitive inferential processing.

Dr. Rizzolatti also will discuss the role of the mirror mechanism in understanding basic Darwinian emotions. He will focus on disgust, fear and happiness and will demonstrate the role of the mirror mechanism in empathic experience of these emotions, contrasting it to their mere cognitive recognition.

Dr. Giacomo Rizzolatti is Professor Emeritus of Human Physiology at University of Parma and Responsible of the CNR -URT Neuroscience of Parma. He is affiliated with the Istituto di Neuroscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – CNR, Parma, Italy; Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Parma. The main focus of Dr. Rizzolatti's research concerns the motor system and its role in cognitive functions.

Dr. Rizzolati is the discoverer of the mirror neurons. He is a Member of Academia Europaea, of Accademia dei Lincei, of the Institute de France (Académie des Sciences), and Honorary Foreign Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Foreign Member of National Academy of Science (USA).