Chiara Lucifora

Chiara Lucifora is a Junior Assistant Professor (fixed-term) at the Department of Philosophy, University of Bologna. Her research focuses on Cognitive Sciences, integrating Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality (VR) to study human cognitive and behavioral processes in ecological environments. She is an Associate Researcher at the Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC-CNR) in Rome and collaborates with national and international teams across computer science, philosophy, and neuroscience. As Lab Manager of the XR-GRACE Laboratory, she explores immersive technologies' impact on empathy, moral reasoning, and social cohesion. Her work bridges neuroscience, ethics, and technology, addressing topics like fear conditioning, vaccine hesitancy, and AI's role in creative processes.

Education & Experience:

• Researcher at University of Bologna since 2023
• Associate Researcher at ISTC-CNR, Rome
• Collaborations: IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, University of Messina, Human-Tech Institute, IfADo Lab

Research Interests:

• VR applications in experimental psychology
• Cognitive processes in ecological environments
• Moral psychology and decision-making
• AI integration in psychological practice
• Neuroethical challenges in autonomous systems

Her recent studies investigate fear extinction learning, vaccine hesitancy predictors, and empathy enhancement via VR.

Lab & Teams: Leads the XR-GRACE Laboratory, focusing on extended reality (XR) for cognitive and social research. Collaborates across disciplines to develop innovative VR paradigms for therapeutic and educational applications.