Francesca Vitali

Francesca Vitali is a Senior Assistant Professor (RTD-B) at the University of Verona, Italy, where she has been since 2010. She earned her Ph.D. in Methodology of Research in Psychology from the University of Genoa in 2003. Her teaching spans Sport and Exercise Psychology and related topics across multiple degree programs at the University of Verona and previously at the School of Sport Sciences, University of Genoa.

• Ph.D. in Methodology of Research in Psychology (University of Genoa, 2003)
• Teaching since 2014 at University of Verona

Her research focuses on motivational processes, psychosocial benefits of sport and physical activity, psychobiosocial states in sports, gender stereotypes in athletics, and student-athlete dual careers. She has led Erasmus+-funded projects like BeWISER and Dual Careers for Mental Health (DC4MH) to address athlete employability and mental health. Her work also emphasizes attentive strategies in endurance sports and gender equity in athletic participation.

Francesca serves as Section Editor for Sport and Exercise Psychology in the journal Sport Sciences for Health and co-founded the Academic Coach project at the University of Verona to support student-athletes. She has held leadership roles in the Italian Association of Sport and Exercise Psychology (AIPS), including National President (2014–2016) and Vice-President (2024–present).