Giulia Barbareschi is a Professor at the University of Duisburg Essen (Germany) and the Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security where she leads the Inclusive Technology and Collective Engagement group. Her research focuses on exploring how we can leverage, adapt, and develop existing and new technologies to promote more equitable societies through direct collaboration with marginalized individuals.
Her work sits at the intersection of Human Computer Interaction, Inclusive Design and Social Development. Through her research, she works collaboratively with people with different abilities, ages, genders, nationalities and social backgrounds to understand what already works on the ground, where barriers persist, and how co-designed solutions can scale responsibly across sectors.
Before moving to Germany in 2025, Giulia has worked in Japan as Senior Assistant Professor at the Keio Graduate School of Media Design in Yokohama (Japan), which she had originally joined in 2021 as Research Fellow supported by the Japan Society for Promotion of Science. working to investigate how marginalised experiences can be leveraged to spearhead technological innovations from supporting novel modalities for creative expression, developing educational toolkits, or radically re-develop traditional assistive devices for functional and playful interactions.
Between 2018 and 2021, she worked for three years at the Global Disability Innovation Hub (UK) on the flagship programme called AT2030: Life Changing Assistive Technology for All funded by UK Aid. As part of her work on AT2030, Giulia conducted research exploring how innovation can help increase access to assistive technology in the Global South, from testing new thermoplastic prosthetics for lower limbs amputees, to exploring the impact of mobile phone use for visually impaired slum-dwellers.
Giulia was trained as a physiotherapist in Italy and has worked in clinical and sport settings in both Italy and Ireland. She moved to the UK in 2014 to start her doctorate at UCL, focusing on co-development of new technologies to support wheelchair transfers in everyday situations. She obtained her PhD from the UCL Interaction Centre in 2018, and undertook an internship at the World Health Organization to support the development digital training modules for assistive technology provision in the Global South.
Beyond her research, Giulia is passionate about outreach and public engagement and has an interest in science communication and podcasting.
More information are available on Giulia’s CV.
