THE TEAM

Alice Chirico, Director

I am Assistant Professor at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. I do research in Experimental Psychology, Media Psychology and Positive Psychology. My main current project consists in the clinical application of complex experiences, such as the Sublime, Flow and Awe, combined with art and new technologies to elicit Transformative Experiences. I am Editor and reviewer of several international impacted journals. I have published more than 80 articles on indexed journals on complex emotions, group flow, creativity, human-machine interaction and pro-environmental behaviours. I have developed the first international guidelines to induce Sublime and Awe by means of Virtual Reality (VR). I am writing the first italian book on Awe. I am actually involved as a co-PI in the Italian founded grant PROMETHEUS on science and theater for eliciting the sublime in dropout students. I am also music lover and professional singer.

Andrea Gaggioli, Co-Director

I am Full Professor of Psychology at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. My research focus is to understand and measure human experience, using a broad spectrum of methods, instruments, and technologies. At the applied level, my goal is to integrate neuroscience, digital tools, and art to design transformative experiences that improve people’s lives. I enjoy collaborating with designers, technologists, but also with philosophers and artists and getting inspired by them. I carried out my Ph.D. in Psychobiology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Milan, where I studied the key experiential dimensions of virtual reality (i.e., presence and flow). Over the last 20 years, I have been involved in several projects on VR, AR, artificial intelligence and robotics applications in mental health/wellbeing, neurorehabilitation, education/training. My research has been largely funded by the European Commission. I have published over 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Science and Nature, and served as a keynote at EuroVR, Persuasive Technology, Design & Emotion, Supporting Health by Tech conferences, and several others. My research is regularly featured in international media outlets, including The New York Times, Die Zeit, Reuters, and Scientific American.

Flavia Cristofolini, Head, Positive Education & Empowerment

A long – life learner, I have been teaching English Literature to 16-18 teenagers for over three decades (degree in Foreign Languages at UCSC and several specializations in teaching methodologies), together with working as a trainer in Socio-Affective Education for adults. I have then become a Psychologist (degree in Psychology of Clinical Interventions in social contexts at UCSC) and a Psychotherapist in the latest cognitive therapies (ACT and Mindfulness). I created FLOW, the first multimedia App in Positive Psychology and personal growth. I have been studying the applications of Positive Psychology in education, especially for girls and women empowerment, and co-writing the first book in Italy on Positive Education. I have carried out research on Transformative Learning and strengths-based Resilience Strategies.

Milica Petrovic, PhD Candidate

I am a Ph.D. candidate working on transformative interactive video storytelling. I hold BSc and MSc in Counselling Psychology from the University of Sheffield. Currently developing video storytelling for informal caregivers as a tool that will help people integrate caregiving roles into a cohesive narrative of the self. I am also interested in the gut-microbiota-brain axis and its effects on mental and physical health.

Stefano Besana, PhD Candidate

I am a Ph.D. candidate focusing on the concept of Networked Flow and its potential for enhancing the innovation potential of business teams. I am a Social Business & Digital Strategist specialized in Digital Transformation, Social Media Marketing, Social CRM, Customer Engagement, Collaborative Innovation and Enterprise 2.0. I am s part of the EY EMEIA digital center of excellence, supporting customers in the creation of digital-based strategies and business models and on collaborative and participatory working methods. I hold a degree in Educational Processes and Learning Psychology with a specialization in Adult Education and Management Consulting.

Marta Pizzolante, PhD Candidate

I am a PhD candidate at the Catholic University of Milan. My research at ExperienceLab focused mainly on aesthetic transformative experiences, supported by new technologies, such as Virtual Reality and how these technologies can foster creativity and can involve a subject into an experience that can have relevant emotional and cognitive consequences for the human being.

Francesca Borghesi, Junior Researcher

I am a research intern at Experience Lab. I’m interested in neurobehavioural sciences and their applications on psychometric models. I’m involved in Prometheus project and in scientific communication and psychometric models.

Andrea Bonardi, Research Intern

I am a research intern at Experience Lab. I am interested in the study of the promotion of well-being in sporting and artistic contexts, especially through new technologies for the enhancement of the human experience.

Paolo Sacerdoti, Partner, Collaborator, Artist, Creative

Trained as a designer and as an actor, I successfully produced and directed Italy’s first immersive theatre performance and now I’m working as creative director for large-scale events.

Lavinia Schiavone, Research Intern

I am a research intern at Experience Lab. Graduated with MSc in Psychology for well-being: empowerment, rehabilitation and positive technology. Never done learning and always seek to improve myself!

Sabrina Barlotta, PhD student

I am a research intern at Experience Lab. The Experience lab represents a junction point between The world of digital and technological innovation and psychology and a place in which to develop multiple skills. I am currently a postgraduate research intern working on a social robotics project in an artistic context and on a training in virtual reality space to induce awe emotion.

Mattia Minzolini, Research intern

I am a research intern at Experience Lab. I’m specialised in the field of Psychotechnologies by designing Mind Your Time, an application dedicated to promoting Digital Wellbeing and based on an innovative methodological approach to the problem of Hyperconnetivity.

Andrea Monaldini, Research Intern

I am a research intern at Experience Lab. Graduate in psychology for organizations specializing in consumer psychology, future psychotherapist to psychoanalytic address. Passionate about clinical psychology, philosophy and AI.

Maria Ganeo, Research Intern

I am a research intern at Experience Lab. I collaborate on the Erasmus+ KA220 project to design a well-being app for adolescents and young adults. Other main interests concern Networked Flow and creative collaboration in teams.

PARTNERS