Dr. Olivia da Costa Fialho is an Assistant Professor in Comparative Literature at Utrecht University and Senior Researcher in Empirical and Computational Literary Studies at the Huygens Institute/KNAW. Her work focuses on 'Transformative Reading,' exploring how literature alters perceptions of self and others through interdisciplinary methods combining phenomenology, cognitive science, and digital humanities. Education: BA in Letters (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), MA in Applied Linguistics (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), PhD in Comparative Literature (University of Alberta). Postdoctoral research at Utrecht University, University of Oslo, and Huygens ING/KNAW. Research: Over 15 years of grant-funded projects (e.g., NWO, ERC Advanced Grant 'MORE'), totaling €3.5M. Key contributions include the theoretical-empirical model of Transformative Reading and its application in education and medical ethics. Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams in computational studies, AI, and software engineering. Awards: ERC Advanced Grant (2022–2027), NWO grant (2014–2018). Societal impact includes workplace leadership training, school curricula (Transformative Literature Teaching), and medical ethics education programs.










