Delegate: IRCCS C. Mondino, Pavia
Delegate Short Bio: Helene Vitali
Postdoctoral researcher at the Italian Institute of Technology, with a background in Neurobiology and a PhD in Bioengineering and Robotics from the University of Genoa. She studies how sleep and multisensory integration influence development in typically developing children and in children with sensory processing disorders.
Carlo Alberto Quaranta
Child Neuropsychiatrist, PhD candidate with a project on the role of sleep in Rare and Complex Developmental Diseases at IRCCS Mondino Foundation (University of Pavia), and Visiting Fellow Researcher at Weill Cornell Medical College (New York). He studies the role of sleep in rare pediatric neurological disorders, with a particular focus on GLUT1 deficiency syndrome and rare epilepsies, combining neurophysiology, biomarkers, and the interplay between sleep and brain metabolism.
Ludovica Pasca
Child Neuropsychiatrist, PhD in Deep Phenotyping of Cerebral Malformations at the IRCCS Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia. Her research activity focuses on sleep in rare neuropediatric disorders, with particular attention to the bidirectional relationship between sleep and neurodevelopment and its relevance for deep phenotyping.
‘Renato Borgatti
Full Professor of Child Neuropsychiatry at the University of Pavia and Director of the Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit at the Fondazione IRCCS Mondino in Pavia, Italy. His research focuses on child and adolescent mental health, neurodevelopmental disorders, rare neurological diseases, and congenital brain malformations, with particular interest in early diagnosis, deep phenotyping, and multimodal rehabilitation approaches.
Michele Terzaghi
Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Pavia and Director of the Sleep Medicine and Epilepsy Unit at the Fondazione IRCCS Mondino in Pavia, Italy. His clinical and research activity focuses on sleep medicine and sleep–wake disorders, with particular expertise in parasomnias, obstructive sleep apnea, and the neurophysiology of sleep.’
Scope of Activity: Individual activity
Activity: We designed this informative brochure to engage caregivers attending our Center, as well as the broader community, in raising awareness about the importance of recognizing sleep as a fundamental component of daily life. Sleep profoundly influences relationships, emotional regulation, and developmental trajectories throughout childhood and adolescence.
By addressing both caregiver and child sleep together, we promote a shared, informed, and consistent approach. We acknowledge the bidirectional influence between caregiver and child sleep, recognizing that difficulties in one often affect the other. Importantly, this reciprocal relationship may begin as early as pregnancy, as maternal sleep patterns seem to play a role in fetal neurodevelopment and later health outcomes.
Supporting both members of the dyad therefore represents a crucial step toward increasing awareness and implementing effective preventive strategies aimed at promoting healthy sleep and overall well-being across the lifespan.
Location: Mondino Neurological Institute, Pavia
Date of Activity: 13/03/2026
