Programme

The workshop is designed as an interactive, collaborative meeting focused on developing the field rather than simply presenting individual research findings. Participants will be invited to identify key conceptual and methodological challenges and opportunities in immersive intergroup research, which will help shape the workshop discussions.

On Day 1, participants will work in small groups, with each person briefly presenting their current research, ideas, or study proposal. Groups will use these contributions to map shared gaps, unresolved conceptual tensions, and promising research directions.

On Day 2, groups will further develop their proposals and present them in a structured discussion format, including feedback from designated opponents. The aim is not to produce finalized manuscripts within two days, but to develop a shared research roadmap.

Final group presentations and other outputs will be shared publicly on an open science platform.
Keynote speakers
Prof. Salvatore Maria Aglioti (Sapienza University of Rome)

A behavioural neurologist, he is Full Professor of Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience and directs research laboratories at Sapienza University of Rome, LIFE Institute for Research and Health Care Santa Lucia IRCCS and the Italian Institute of Technology. His research in social neuroscience spans pain perception and empathy, existential neuroscience, embodied morality, and visceral–brain interactions. He employs a broad range of advanced methods, including immersive virtual reality, thermal imaging, non-invasive brain stimulation (TMS, tACS, and tFUS), transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tAVNS), and electrophysiological recordings (EEG and EGG). Thanks to collaborations with other laboratories he conducts also fMRI studies. He has published more than 350 scientific articles in international journals, numerous book chapters in English, and two books in Italian: Neuropsychology of Language and Neurophobia: Who Is Afraid of the Brain?
Dr. Domna Banakou (Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology, France & Cyprus University of Technology)

Dr Domna Banakou is a Senior Associate Researcher at Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology, where her work lies at the intersection of virtual reality, human-computer interaction, psychology, and cognitive neuroscience. She received her PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology from the University of Barcelona, an MSc in Computer Graphics, Vision and Imaging from University College London (UCL), and a BSc in Computer Science from the Ionian University, Greece. Her research investigates how immersive technologies can alter the way people perceive themselves, others, and their surrounding environment. She has made significant contributions to the study of virtual embodiment and body ownership, co-developing influential experimental paradigms showing that the characteristics of a virtual body can affect perception, agency, attitudes, behaviour, and higher-level cognitive processes. More broadly, her work combines experimental research with the design and development of immersive systems, extending fundamental research on embodiment into areas including rehabilitation, digital health, social interaction, affective touch, and adaptive immersive experiences. Prior to joining Arts et Métiers, she was a Visiting Assistant Professor at New York University Abu Dhabi. Her research spans psychology, neuroscience, HCI, and immersive technologies, with a particular interest in understanding how emerging interfaces can be designed to meaningfully influence human experience and behaviour. More information: .