Speakers

Pasquale Cascarano is an Assistant Professor at Department of the Arts of the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Italy. He obtained his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Bologna in 2022, where he specialized in variational and learning models for image and time series inverse problems for industrial, biological and medical applications. His research interests focuses in the use of computer science in various sectors of the creative industry (cinema, art, and fashion) and in the fields of medicine and biology. Research interests are particularly focused on the study, development, and application of Artificial Intelligence and Extended Reality paradigms. Engaged in research projects, collaborating with various national and international public and private institutions.

Alejandro Carbonell-Alcocer is a full-time postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Audiovisual Communication and Advertising. He is part of the consolidated research group Ciberimaginario and is a member of the Educational Innovation Group in Communication, Digital Technologies and Open Education innovation group at Rey Juan Carlos Unviersity. Academically, he holds an International Doctorate in Social Sciences in Communication, a Master's Degree in Teacher Training with specialization in Audiovisual Communication and a Bachelor's Degree in Audiovisual Communication (Rey Juan Carlos University). He is specialized in the design and development of digital communication and journalistic, interactive and multimedia projects, as well as in the technical-creative management of national and international research projects. His scientific activities focus on scientific communication and sustainability, media and environmental education, and digital and immersive communication. He has published 14 articles in high impact international scientific journals such as Comunicar, El Profesional de la Información, Cogent Social Sciences, Journal of Cleaner Production, Multimodal Technologies and Interacion and Revista Mediterránea de Comunicación, among others. He has done a research internship at the Institute for Simulation & Training (IST) at the University of Central Florida in the United States (3 months), funded by Santander Bank and URJC. He has also given training courses to researchers and students at the Portuguese Catholic University in Porto (STA, Eramus+).

Shirin Hajahmadi is a Ph.D. student at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Italy. She specializes in the intersection of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, and Cognitive Science. Her research focuses on the design, development, and evaluation of Extended Reality (XR) applications aimed at enhancing cognitive functions. Shirin's work includes developing VR applications to improve spatial navigation, creating XR educational tools for individuals with special needs like autism and dyslexia, and studying the impact of XR virtual assistants on social dynamics. Her projects leverage cutting-edge technology to enhance cognitive functions and user interaction in digital environments.

Alberto was trained from a young age at the Rey Juan Carlos University, where he studied a Bachelor’s Degree in Audiovisual Communication and a Master’s Degree in Teacher Training specialising in Audiovisual Communication and Processes, which he successfully completed in 2019 and 2021, respectively. To complete his training, he has taken several courses and workshops where he has acquired important professional skills in education and the audiovisual field. He is currently a pre-doctoral researcher in the Cyberimaginary Research Group developing an industrial doctorate in collaboration with the company Prodigioso Volcán SL. His research is based on the development of innovative models of immersive communication applied to immersive journalism using extended reality technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality, through open source platforms such as the HTML framework A-Frame. In addition, he carries out transfer activities on his research and collaborates in different audiovisual projects. Since 2018, he participates in several research projects both nationally and internationally with the Ciberimaginario group.

Research assistant in the Ciberimaginario group at Rey Juan Carlos University. Graduated in Audiovisual Communication at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and Technician in Higher Level Training Cycle in Audiovisual Projects and Entertainment Production. She has done internships as a production assistant in Antena 3 Noticias and as a production assistant in other television channels. For two years she has worked in the technical department of the URJC through the collaborative grant «Laboratories and Studio TV» performing support functions in the realization on sets with educational material, content creation for the web, social network management and recording and realization of events of the Faculty. In 2019, she participated in the realization and audiovisual production of the Seminar of audiovisual creation with 360 technology taught at the URJC exercising the functions of producer and audiovisual producer.

Giacomo Vallasciani is a research fellow at the Virtual and Augmented Reality Lab (VARLab) at the University of Bologna. He holds a degree in Computer Science with a specialization in Software Techniques. His academic and professional journey has equipped him with a strong foundation in software development and a keen interest in emerging technologies. Currently, his research focuses on the integration of artificial intelligence and extended reality (AR/VR) technologies, particularly in the fields of education and creative industries. His work aims to explore innovative applications of AI and XR to enhance learning experiences and foster creativity.