Lorenzo Desideri is a senior researcher and consultant at the WeCareMore Research & Innovation Center of AIAS Bologna and the Regional Centre for Assistive Technology in Bologna, Italy. His work is dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities through assistive and information technology. He further explores how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and social robotics can support children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Lorenzo has contributed to significant national and international research initiatives and is currently involved in two Horizon 2020 projects. He coordinates a project on the development of resource centers for UNICEF in Serbia and serves as a Working Group chair in the World Health Organization’s ‘Global Network for Measuring Access to Assistive Technology’. He consults for the UNESCO Institute of Information Technology in Education (IITE), focusing on technology-supported inclusive education in Rwanda.
Lorenzo holds an MSc in Applied Cognitive Psychology and a PsyD in Health Psychology from the University of Bologna, along with a PhD in Technology in Care from the University of Maastricht. He has been teaching university courses since 2014 that delve into the interplay between technology, disability, and cognition. He currently teaches the course ‘Artificial Intelligence and Psychology’ at the Sigmund Freud University (Milan branch). Additionally, he serves as an Associate Editor for the journals “RESNA Assistive Technology” and “Disability & Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology”.