Giuseppe Riva

Giuseppe Riva, Ph.D., internationally recognized as a leading expert in the application of virtual reality (VR) technology, serves as the Director of the Humane Technology Lab at the Catholic University of Milan, Italy, and holds a Full Professorship in General & Cognitive Psychology. Additionally, he directs the Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab (ATN-P Lab) at the Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan. Renowned for his extensive contributions to the field, Riva's work, which spans across prestigious journals like “Science”, “Nature”, “American Psychologist”, “Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking”, “Journal of Internet Medical Research”, and “positions him as the most published scholar in VR research globally, according to Scopus and the ISI Web of Science. www.giusepperiva.com

"Exploring the Mind: Enhancing Human Experience through XR Neuroscience"

Extended Reality (XR) technologies, encompassing Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), offer a revolutionary approach to mental health treatment, backed by meta-analyses and systematic reviews. These technologies have proven effective against a spectrum of mental health issues, including anxiety, stress-related disorders, obesity, eating disorders, and in pain management. The effectiveness of XR lies in its foundational mechanism: embodied simulations, akin to the brain's method of regulating and controlling the body through simulated experiences. This keynote explores how XR's predictive simulation of sensory experiences, mirroring the brain's embodied simulations, offers a novel clinical strategy. By designing XR experiences that emulate both external and internal worlds, we can potentially alter body experiences and facilitate cognitive modeling and change, offering a groundbreaking approach to mental health therapy.