My background is fundamentally hybrid: PhD in Robotics, Cognition and Interaction Technologies (University of Genoa, Italy); BSc-MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience (University of Padua, Italy). I work at Rehab Technologies, joint lab of IIT and INAIL, and I investigate the neurocognitive and psychophysiological processes underlying the interactions between users and (robotic and digital) medical devices for rehabilitative, assistive, prosthetic, and surgical applications. In particular, I use methods of neuroergonomics in user-centered design to shape virtual and augmented settings for enhancing processes of human-technology integration like embodiment and presence, empowering the user engagement in motor and cognitive tasks. My perspective strongly adopts the approach of value-sensitive design to consider human values within the process leading to novel technologies.
I'm the Coordinator of ENACT (Employing Neuroergonomic solutions to Attenutate the Cerebellar Tremor), a project supported by AISM (the Multiple Sclerosis Italian Association) with a grant of its Foundation to design and develop wearable technologies and interactive environments to investigate, assess, and mitigate the cerebellar tremor (in terms of intention tremor of upper limbs), and to enhance motor and cognitive rehabilitation procedures for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). ENACT works in synergy with the RAISE (Robotics and AI for the Socio-economic Empowerment) ecosystem for innovation in Liguria Region, supported by the Italian PNRR: in this context I co-coordinate activities related to digital twins in rehabilitation. Previously, I have worked, as member of the Biomedical Robotics Lab in the Advanced Robotics research line, to the user studies in surgical robotics within the EU-funded project µRALP and, as co-coordinator, to the user-centered design of assistive technologies for people with Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) within TEEP-SLA, a project supported by Fondazione Roma and Fondazione Sanità e Ricerca.
Furthermore, I'm involved in education activities and public events to talk about cyborgs, robots, and virtual worlds. Among them, I lead the GAMEABILITY initiative, aiming at teaching high school students how to design video games for people with disabilities, making the learners aware of problems and difficulties faced by players with special needs.
I'm an Associate Editor for IEEE Access and Frontiers in Neuroergonomics - Cognitive Neuroergonomics, and a member of the Editorial Boards of the International Journal of Medical Robotics and Computer-Assisted Surgery (Wiley) and of BMC Digital Health (Springer Nature). I'm also a member of the Stakeholders Committee of the PhD Program in Computer and Control Engineering of Politecnico di Torino.
