Paolo Bartolomeo

Inserm, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Sorbonne Université

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About

Paolo Bartolomeo is a leading researcher at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience, artificial life, and evolutionary robotics. His work fundamentally explores how spatial cognition, attention, and motor control emerge from the dynamic interaction between an agent’s neural architecture and its environment. Rather than relying solely on traditional neural substrate modeling, Bartolomeo champions a neurorobotic approach, using simulated agents evolved through artificial evolution to test neuropsychological theories. His major contributions include demonstrating the critical role of motor control in shaping spatial attention, and investigating how "place units" and cognitive maps can arise from active perception and sensorimotor contingencies. His most cited work, "Place cognition and active perception: a study with evolved robots" (2008, 17 citations), provides foundational insights into how place cells might function as building blocks for navigation. Through his adaptive neurorobotic simulations, notably the Evorobot* platform, Bartolomeo offers a powerful, embodied alternative to static models of brain function, revealing how cognition is not merely a neural phenomenon but a product of action and interaction.