RESEARCH
BACKGROUND
I began my
scientific career at the University of Barcelona under the supervision of Dr.
Carles Escera, where I investigated the neural mechanisms underlying auditory
perception using electroencephalography (EEG) and transcranial magnetic
stimulation (TMS). During a research stay at the University of Memphis with Dr.
Gavin Bidelman, I further specialized in the study of subcortical speech
processing and source localization. In 2019, I joined the Clinical
Neurophysiology Research Laboratory at the Department of Psychiatry of the
University of Pittsburgh, working with Dr. Dean Salisbury and Dr. Tobias
Teichert, where my research shifted toward the neurophysiology of schizophrenia
and early psychosis. There, I combined magnetoencephalography (MEG), magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI), and computational approaches to investigate auditory
dysfunction, cortical microcircuit abnormalities, and biomarkers of clinical
outcome in first-episode psychosis.
CURRENT
RESEARCH
My current
research focuses on the neurophysiology of early psychosis, with particular
emphasis on auditory circuit dysfunction as a core marker of schizophrenia. I
investigate the neural mechanisms underlying perceptual deficits, from early
sensory encoding to the dynamics of cortical and subcortical networks, and how
these abnormalities contribute to psychotic symptoms and cognitive dysfunction.
To address these questions, I combine auditory electrophysiology with
functional connectivity analyses and computational modeling of synaptic
dynamics, aiming to identify neurobiological mechanisms of psychosis and
develop biomarkers for early identification, prognosis, and clinical
stratification.
RESEARCH
TEAM
I am part of
the Comparative Minds Research Group
https://www.udg.edu/ca/grupsrecerca/comparative-minds-research-group
RESEARCH
AFFILIATIONS
Adjunct
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of
Medicine
https://www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/about-us/our-people/faculty/francisco-lopez-caballero-phd
RESEARCHER
ID
ORCID: 0000-0001-9194-2199
/ Web of Science: IQT-2286-2023 / Scopus: 57190737708
EDUCATION
2026-present |
Assistant Professor / University of Girona
2023-2026 |
Research Assistant Professor / University of Pittsburgh - Department of
Psychiatry
2019-2023 |
Postdoctoral researcher / University of Pittsburgh - Department of Psychiatry
2018 | Visiting
Scholar / The University of Memphis - School of Communication Sciences and
Disorders
2016-2019 | Ph.D. in Cognitve Neuroscience /
University of Barcelona - Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology