Programme

She is a Senior Researcher at the Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS), where she coordinates the Health Humanities Laboratory within the National Centre for Rare Diseases.

She holds a degree in Psychology and is a licensed psychologist and psychotherapist, with specialist training in family psychotherapy and clinical practice. She has also completed postgraduate studies in Neuroaesthetics, Institutional Communication, and the Internet of Humans and Things.

Her work brings together research, education, and communication in Health Humanities, with a focus on narrative medicine, rare diseases, public health, and interdisciplinary educational models. She has coordinated and contributed to national and international projects, and is currently the scientific coordinator of the Erasmus+ project LYRA. She previously coordinated LIMeNar and the EU-funded S.T.o.Re. project, and also coordinated the development of the ISS national recommendations on Narrative Medicine. At ISS, she previously led the National Rare Diseases Helpline and the Training Area of the National Centre for Rare Diseases.

She has developed more than 50 training programmes and delivered over 100 presentations at scientific conferences and public engagement events.

Her current interests focus on the development of Health Humanities from scientific, theoretical, and institutional perspectives, and on their application to education, care, health promotion, and wellbeing.

Prof. Giuseppe Familiari is Professor Emeritus of Human Anatomy at Sapienza University of Rome. He also serves as the University Student Ombudsman. He is vice president of the Permanent Conference of Presidents of Italian Master's Degree Courses in Medicine and Surgery. 

Until October 31, 2021, he directed the ‘Pietro Motta’ Electron Microscopy Research Unit at Sapienza University. He has been the President of the Master's Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery at the Sapienza University of Rome. Additionally, he is a member of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE), the Italian Society of Medical Pedagogy (SIPeM), and the Italian Society of Human Sciences in Medicine (SISUMED). 

His editorial roles include Associate Editor for Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology – Cancer Cell Biology, member of the editorial board of Applied Sciences, and Managing Editor of the Journal of Italian Medical Education. 

His research interests focused on medical education and encompassed access to master's programs in medicine and surgery, pedagogical innovation, and the organization of medical education, with an emphasis on teaching human anatomy. He is the author or co-author of 163 scientific publications in indexed international journals.

M.Sc. in Medicine, residency program in General Surgery

Clinical research on management and surgical treatment of colorectal and thyroid neoplasms; interdisciplinary research on the application of Information Technology in clinical medicine (terminological systems and standards) and in teaching (adaptive e-learning, knowledge representation); interdisciplinary research in teaching methods, with a special interest in case-based learning, clinical reasoning, professionalism and medical humanities.

For more than 30 yrs teacher of General and Emergency surgery (medical and nursing students) and Introduction to Clinical medicine. In this last course, I widely used elements of MH, to develop communication skill, reflective thinking and professional identity formation.

Vice-director for clinical training of a medical curriculum; member of the team in charge for the Faculty Development program at the University Sapienza of Rome. From 2013 to 2019 President of the Italian Society for Medical Education (SIPeM)

In the domain of MH my main interest has been the use of literature, movies and – more recently – graphic novels. I tested graphic novels for vicarious learning in palliative care, in an EU funded project on e-learning in palliative care.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from the Pontifical Gregorian University and a Master’s Degree in Philosophy of Culture from Roma Tre University. He further advanced his academic training by completing a Professional Master’s Degree in Narrative Medicine at the University of Eastern Piedmont, integrating philosophical reflection with the medical sciences.

For several years, he has been engaged in research in the fields of Philosophy and Medical Humanities. He serves as a Scientific Consultant at the Center for Digital Health Humanities in Rome, where he contributes to projects focused on the clinical application of Narrative Medicine, with particular attention to the integration of humanistic approaches into care pathways and to the epistemological foundations of clinical methodology.

He is the founder, lead instructor, and coordinator of the Vertical Course in Medical Humanities within the Degree Programme in Medicine and Surgery at the University of L’Aquila. He has extensive experience as a speaker at national conferences and regularly teaches in academic contexts as well as in professional training programmes for healthcare professionals.

His research places particular emphasis on medical anthropology and healthcare ethics, examining physician–patient relationships and the complexity of healthcare systems from a systemic perspective. He is currently investigating the use of Visual Thinking Strategies as a tool in medical education to enhance the observational and reflective skills of healthcare professionals.

Francesca Tusoni holds a BSc in Philosophy, a BSc in Physiotherapy and a MSc Rehabilitation Sciences from Sapienza University of Rome. She has completed several postgraduate courses in rehabilitation, research methodology, scientific writing and communication and is currently PhD candidate in Public Health at the University of L’Aquila. 

She conceived and led the community health literacy project Salute. Istruzioni per l'uso, carried out by the Independent Researchers Group (GRI). She is currently trainer and research team member for La Schiena va a Scuola, a national primary prevention project of the Italian Physiotherapy Association (AIFI). She is contact person for the AIFI fall prevention initiative Io non ci casco and AIFI key person in the Erasmus+ project Spine friendly teachers, spine friendly schools.

She works as a freelance physiotherapist and serves as board member for the Specialist interest group on Physiotherapy for Older people and Active ageing within the Italian Physiotherapy Association.

Her research interests include health literacy, health humanities and health promotion, with a translational deconstructionist approach. She is a member of the research team in Medical humanities at the University of L'Aquila.

Dr Boccalon graduated in Medicine and specialised in Psychiatry at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome. He is a psychotherapist with individual and group analytical training. He has served as Medical Director in the Psychiatric Services of the Local Health Authorities of Reggio Emilia and Ferrara (Italy), and as Adjunct Professor at the University of Ferrara and the Salesian University Institute of Venice. He currently teaches as Adjunct Professor at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan and at the University of Catania.

He was Director of the Institute of Expressive Psychotherapy and, since 1984, has conducted extensive training and professional development activities for healthcare professionals, educators, and staff of public institutions, including the National Health Service, State Police, and Red Cross.

His main research interests concern creative processes and their application in clinical practice and professional training. He is a member of the Scientific Committee of the journal Ar-Tè and editor of the column Cura dell’Arte / Arte della Cura for Aracne. He has participated in several international scientific committees and conferences on art and psychoanalysis. Since 2018, he has been President of the International Association for Art and Psychology and is the author of over 140 scientific publications.

Nicola Modugno is an Italian neurologist focused on Parkinson's disease and movement disorders. He has built a distinguished career combining clinical practice, research, and innovative therapies at IRCCS Neuromed.

Modugno graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Rome "La Sapienza" in 1994 with top honors (110/110), specializing his thesis on arm movements in Parkinson's, published in Movement Disorders. He completed neurology residency in 1998 with honors (70/70) at La Sapienza and Queen Square, London, researching rTMS effects, published in Experimental Brain Research. In 2002, he earned a PhD in Human Movement Neurophysiopathology from La Sapienza, Neuromed, and Queen Square, with rTMS studies in Clinical Neurophysiology.

Modugno has authored over 140 publications on movement disorders, neurophysiology (EMG, TMS), and Parkinson's rehabilitation.

His work at IRCCS Neuromed explores non-pharmacological interventions, including arts and sailing-based therapies to address motor and non-motor symptoms. Key contributions include studies on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and innovative programs like Sail4Parkinson.

He teached English and Psychiatry in the rehabilitation therapist program at IRCCS Neuromed, rehabilitation to physioterapist, reumathology to technicians for radiology. Modugno frequently speaks at conferences on Parkinson's physical activity and therapies, including events by LIMPE and Parkinson's associations.

He has given a talk to last congress of Movement Disorders Society in Honolulu 2025 about the feasability and efficacy of arts and dance for PD. He has given interviews and presentations on Sail4Parkinson's benefits for patients and caregivers.

Since 1999, he has held senior neurologist positions at IRCCS Neuromed, now directing the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center. He founded ParkinZone Onlus in 2006, leading initiatives for Parkinson's wellbeing through arts and sports. Modugno serves on the LIMPE (Italian Parkinsonian Movement Disorders League) foundation in the scientific committee.

His primary focus is Parkinson's disease management, emphasizing non-drug therapies like physical exercise, sailing, theater, and nature immersion to improve motor function, mood, and quality of life. Other focus are about advanced Parkinson's disease therapy, DBS and neurophysiology. 

Antonia Chiara Scardicchio is Associate Professor of General and Social Pedagogy at the University of Bari "Aldo Moro." She holds a PhD in Pedagogy of Health Sciences and a Post-PhD in Design and Evaluation of Training Processes. Her research deconstructs linear educational paradigms, investigating epistemological foundations of reflective practices and self-awareness processes to foster systemic competencies in healthcare professionals.

Currently, she is the Rector’s Delegate for Outplacement and Soft Skills. Within the School of Medicine, she is the President’s Delegate for Curriculum Reorganization and for the integration of Arts and Literature into medical education. She is the Scientific Director of educational programs in Health Humanities, including the Scientific and Literary Review "Raccontami una storia e resterai in vita – Medical Humanities e Medicina Narrativa UniBA."

Her scientific production includes the 2014 Italian Prize for Pedagogy (SIPED) for Il sapere claudicante (Mondadori) and the 2021 "Riccardo Massa" National Prize for Curare, Guardare (FrancoAngeli). These works delve into the interconnections between scientific and symbolic languages, structuring an approach to medical education rooted in the epistemology of complexity.

Dr Arianna Viarchi graduated in Biotechnology and in Dentistry from the University of Perugia. She is currently in the second year of the Specialization School in Pediatric Dentistry and in the first year of the PhD in Clinical Medicine and Public Health, curriculum Epidemiology, at the University of L’Aquila.

Her research activity focuses on epidemiology, healthcare access, language and communication barriers, and psychological needs in vulnerable populations. She has contributed to the development of a person-centred care model for Ukrainian child war refugees, based on individual and multidimensional assessment. She also gained field experience in fragile healthcare settings through four missions in Africa and activities in Italy.

She presented her works at meetings of the College of University Teachers of Odontostomatological Disciplines (CDUO) and at congresses of the Italian Society of Pediatric Dentistry (SIOI) and the Italian Society of Hygiene (SItI).

Currently serves as PhD students’ representative.

Her main field of interest is epidemiology, with a focus on vulnerable populations, person-centred care, and access to healthcare.

Marco Testa is a cardiologist with postgraduate specialization in cardiology and a longstanding academic affiliation with Sapienza University of Rome, where he has contributed to research and teaching at the intersection of clinical medicine and the humanities.

His research activity spans cardiovascular disease management, health system organization, and the integration of narrative medicine into clinical practice and professional training. He has developed and coordinated a Centre for Narrative and Participatory Medicine at AOU Sant'Andrea (Rome), applying digital narrative tools across multiple clinical departments.

As a teacher and speaker, he has designed and delivered narrative medicine modules for healthcare students and professionals, drawing on philosophy of care (Mortari, Charon), visual arts, and cinema as pedagogical resources. He has presented at national and international conferences on topics ranging from person-centred care to end-of-life ethics and clinical communication.

He currently serves as Director of the Cardiology and UTIC Unit at Ospedale Santa Maria della Stella, Orvieto (USL Umbria 2), and as President of SIMeN – Società Italiana di Medicina Narrativa, where he leads institutional initiatives connecting narrative medicine with clinical practice, health policy, and interprofessional education.

His main fields of interest are narrative medicine as a clinical dimension, the philosophy of care, and the translation of humanities into healthcare practice.

Dr. Giampaolo Martinelli, MD is Consultant Cardiothoracic Anaesthetist at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. His early career included helping to establish a new cardiothoracic unit in Wolverhampton, where he worked across cardiac anaesthesia and intensive care and developed a particular interest in perioperative transoesophageal echocardiography, point-of-care lung ultrasound and postgraduate teaching. In 2015, he moved to St Bartholomew’s Hospital, joining the newly integrated team providing cardiothoracic anaesthesia and intensive care for complex cardiac, thoracic and aorto-vascular surgery.

A main passion of his involves the humanisation of the hospital environment through the innovative use of art and music to support healthcare workers and patients. He collaborates internationally with artists, educators and healthcare professionals, using image‑based teaching methods to foster critical thinking, communication, teamwork and empathy in medical education and clinical practice.

In intensive care, Dr Martinelli is involved in developing and implementing non‑pharmacological interventions to reduce delirium and improve patient comfort and wellbeing, combining environmental, sensory and relational approaches to create more healing‑centred critical care space.

Megan Tjasink is a Principal Art Psychotherapist at Barts Health NHS Trust and a Doctoral Clinical Research Fellow at Queen Mary University of London. She holds a BA in Fine Art and an MA in Art Therapy (both with distinction) and is completing a PhD in Social Psychiatry focused on art therapy to reduce burnout among healthcare professionals.

She is Chief Investigator of the CHArt study, a multi-site randomised controlled trial evaluating a group art therapy intervention developed for clinicians working in acute hospital settings. The study represents a significant evidence milestone for art therapy, demonstrating that group art therapy can significantly reduce burnout risk and psychosocial distress among hospital clinicians.

Megan has over 20 years of clinical experience in NHS medical settings and was a founding member of Cancer Psychological Services at Barts Health, where she developed art psychotherapy provision for oncology and palliative care contexts.

She is an experienced educator and supervisor, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and regularly teaches and presents internationally. Her research has been featured in national and international media, including the BBC.

Main fields of interest: art therapy in medical settings, clinician wellbeing, burnout prevention, oncology and palliative care, and creative reflective practice in healthcare.