Livia Taverna

Livia Taverna is a Tenured Associate Professor at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, affiliated with the Faculty of Education and the Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology. Her work focuses on child and adolescent mental health, particularly in medical contexts such as pediatric oncology, and educational psychology. She teaches courses including Developmental Psychology of Early Childhood and Psychological Wellbeing in Educational Contexts, contributing to programs like the 5-year Primary Education Master's and Social Work Bachelor's degrees.

Her research emphasizes psychosocial adaptation in children with chronic illnesses, effects of technology on child behavior, and motor skill development. Key areas include the impact of pediatric cancer treatments on cognitive and emotional outcomes, parental stress in healthcare settings, and interventions to improve school reintegration. She has pioneered studies on virtual reality for pain/anxiety management in hospitalized children and the role of play-based therapies in hospital environments.

Recent work includes analyzing cyberbullying dynamics among adolescents, technology's role in sleep disorders, and socio-emotional learning programs to combat homophobic bullying. Her contributions bridge clinical and educational psychology, emphasizing family dynamics and resilience in vulnerable populations.

Taverna collaborates with healthcare teams and educators, co-developing tools like the Kit MoFis for motor skill screening in preschoolers. Her research shows strong interdisciplinary focus, combining neuropsychological assessments with qualitative studies on children's lived experiences.