Cosimo Marco Scarcelli (Principal Investigator) is Associate professor at the Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology of the University of Padua. He teaches Gender and Media and Digital Culture, Gender and Society and he is member of the board of PhD Programme in Social Sciences: Interactions, Communication, Cultural Constructions.
From 2023 he is the director of the BD programme in Communication.
His research deals with: sexuality, gender and digital culture; intimacies; pornography; masculinities; love and emotions; young people.
He is an editor of Journal of Gender Studies and from 2016 to 2021 he served as vice-chair and then chair for ECREA’s Gender, Sexuality & Communication section.
Francesca Comunello (Head of Research Unit) is a Full Professor in the Department of Communication and Social Research, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, where she teaches “Digital communication” and “Gender and media studies”.
Lorenza Parisi (Head of Research Unit) is Associate Professor at Sapienza University of Roma where she teaches 'Gender and media studies' and 'Sociology of Communication' Her research interests are in the field of Internet studies with particular interest in participatory cultures, health communication and in critical algorithm studies. She has explored digital media from a gender perspective also exploring the use of dating apps and the related gender roles. She has published in journals such as: The Sociological Review, Information, Communication, & Society, and Sociologica.
Vittoria Bernardini is a postdoctoral researcher at the FISPPA Department of the University of Padua in the PRIN 2022 project Digital practices, Gender, and Intimacy in Teens' everyday life (Di.G.I.T.). Her main research interests include gender, gender-based violence and digital practices. She previously held research positions at the University of Tuscia and at Sapienza University of Rome, where she obtained her PhD in Communication, Social Research and Marketing in 2021. Since 2021 she has been YECREA Representative in the Gender, Sexuality & Communication section of ECREA (European Communication Research and Education Association).
Manolo Farci is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences, Humanities, and International Studies (DISCUI) at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo. He is the Journal Manager of Mediascapes Journal. His primary research interests lie in the field of media and Internet studies, with a particular focus on the relationship between digital media and the social construction of masculinity. His most recent publications include: Media digitali, genere e sessualità (Mondadori Università, 2023) co-authored with Cosimo Marco Scarcelli, and he edited Dizionario mediologico della guerra in Ucraina (Guerini e Associati, 2023) with Davide Bennato and Giovanni Fiorentino.
Valentina Fedele is Associate Professor in Cultural Sociology. Her main researches and publications are focused on social and cultural intersectional narratives supporting the construction and the reproduction of contemporary masculinities and femininities, and their influence on the definition of gender hegemonic models and roles, affecting social and familiar relationship. She has experience in qualitative research methods and, from 2019 to 2024, she has been an elected member of the Scientific Board of the Centre of Women’s Studies Milly Villa (University of Calabria), being involved in different international research projects on gender discrimination, sexual and gender based violence, prevention of emotional and sexual abuse among youth.
Francesca Ieracitano is assistant professor in sociology of communication at the Department of Communication and Social Researcher-Sapienza University of Rome. Through a socio-technical perspective, she investigates processes and practices of construction of gender, ethnic, and generational discrimination on digital platforms. Her research topics are: digital disconnection and the online risk behaviors of young users, including cyberbullying, digital dating abuses, and online hate speech. She has published in the following journals: BMC Public Health; Children & Society; Information, Communication and Society; New Media and Society. Social Science Computer Review; The Communication Monograph.
Flaminia Musella (Ph.D. in Statistics) is Associate Professor in Statistics at Education Department, Roma Tre University. She teaches Statistics and Data Analysis. She is interested in analyzing socio-economic and managerial phenomena; her main research interests are Bayesian networks both from a computational point of view and in an applicative way with a particular focus in managerial problems. She is also interested in applying SEM models in socio-educational issues. She is involved in several national and European research projects. She has been consultant for some National Organizations and Enterprises for carrying out customer satisfaction analysis. Since recently, she is interested in Gender Gap analysis by a statistical point of view. She is the author of many publications in relevant journals. She was Program Manager of International Business Administration. She is member of National Evaluation Unit at Link Campus University.
Maria Francesca Murru is Associate Professor in Sociology of Media and Communication at Università degli Studi di Bergamo. Her research interests are focused on online public spheres and mediated civic participation. She is currently engaged in research projects dealing with conspiracy ideation and adoption of AI systems in newsmaking processes.
Paola Panarese is Associate Professor of Sociology of Communicative and Cultural Processes at the Department of Communication and Social Research (CoRiS), at Sapienza University of Rome, where she teaches Gender and Media Studies, Brand Communication, and Sociology of Consumer Experience.
Her scientific interests are focused on Gender and Media Studies, Young People’s Leisure and Lifestyles, Brand communication and Cultural Heritage.
She is co-director of Mediamonitor Minori Research Observatory, director of GEMMA (Gender and Media Matters) Research Unit and chair of the Master’s degree in Gender and Media Studies, at Sapienza, University of Rome.
Geraldina Roberti, Ph.D. in Communication Sciences, is Associate Professor of Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes at Sapienza University of Rome, where she teaches Sociology of Consumer Experience and Brand Communication. Her main research interests revolve around essential aspects of consumption and youth lifestyles. Her works include “Identity, Values and Consumption Practices”, in Kumar D.V. (Ed.), Revisiting Social Theory: Challenges and Possibilities, London, Routledge, 2024.
Mariacristina Sciannamblo, PhD, is Senior Assistant Professor at Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Communication and Social Research. Her research experience sits at the intersection of Science and Technology Studies, Feminist Technoscience, Communication Studies, and Participatory Design. Her research work examines the cultural politics of high-tech, with a focus on how sociotechnical practices produce different positioning and power asymmetries. She is the PI of the national research project "Gendering Internet. Violence, Resilience and Empowerment in digital spaces" funded by the European Union - Next Generation EU. She is a member of the Editorial Board of Tecnoscienza: Italian Journal of Science & Technology Studies and of the Advisory Board of the Participatory Design Conference.
Raffaella Maiullo is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Communication and Social Research at Sapienza University of Rome, working on the PRIN 2022 project Digital Practices, Gender, and Intimacy in Teens’ Everyday Life (Di.G.I.T.). Her main research interests include gender, sexuality, and social transformations in everyday relationships. She holds a PhD in Social and Political Change from the University of Turin, with a dissertation on sexuality, gender, and adolescents. She earned a degree in Sociology and Social Research, focusing on masculinity on Tinder and online courtship strategies. Since 2020, she has been a founding member of Opificio Sociologico, an interdisciplinary association dedicated to action research and social participation. Since 2023, she has been a member of the editorial board of the journal Cambio and the scientific committee of Asso Influencer. She also explores topics related to influencer marketing and the social responsibility of online content creators.
