Maria Carmen Usai Maria Carmen Usai is currently associate professor of Developmental and Educational psychology.

She obtained her Master degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Padua (Italy), and then her PhD in Psychology Research Methods at the University of Genoa (Italy). Her current research interests include the development of executive functions, early literacy, learning difficulties and early school achievement. She was the Director of a first level University Master for the training of teachers on Learning Disabilities, founded by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research and director of a post-graduate specialization course in learning disabilities, at the University of Genoa. She is a founding member of a university spin-off for research and intervention in language and learning disorders. She collaborates with the Regional administration, with municipalities (i.e. Genoa, Italy) and with the Regional Direction of Schools as a consultant and supervisor for the in-service training of educational staff and teachers in the Liguria Region. She is member of the board of the Ligurian section of the Italian Association for Learning Disabilities Research and Intervention (AIRIPA Society) and component of the expert panel for the 2018 Consensus Conference on learning disorders.