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Junior Fellows

FRANCESCA EPISCOPO

Francesca Episcopo holds a degree in law summa cum laude from the University of Pisa (2014), with a specialization in private law and comparative private law. She earned a MJur (Magister Juris – Master of Laws) at the University of Oxford (2016) and a Ph.D. in private law at the University of Pisa (2019). She also qualified for practicing as a lawyer in Italy (2016). Since 2018 Francesca is a research fellow at the Dirpolis Institute, where she works on various European projects (such as the H2020 project INBOTS), studies (such as SAFENES, a study commissioned by the European Commission), and initiatives on the regulation of robotics and artificial intelligence. Her research mainly focuses on liability rules and insurance models for robotics, standardization, product safety certification, data protection and management, robo-ethics, and users’ acceptance of robotics and AI. She was invited to discuss several issues connected to the regulation of robotics and AI at the European Parliament, during the EYE - European Youth Event, as well as before the ITRE Committee, during the EYE Parliamentary Hearings.

MARIA CRISTINA GAETA

Maria Cristina Gaeta holds a JD (summa cum laude) from Suor Orsola Benincasa University of Naples, and a Ph.D. in Private Law (summa cum laude) from the Federico II University of Naples. Currently she is a Fellow at the Research Centre of European Private Law (ReCEPL) and at the Integrated laboratory of innovative technologies for social sciences “Scienza Nuova” (Living Lab Utopia), Suor Orsola Benincasa University of Naples, as well as member of the Academy of European Private Lawyers. Maria Cristina has been a Visiting Researcher at Queen Mary University of London, at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies of London (2017), and at the University of Àvila, Spain (2013-2014). Her research interests range from Robotics and Artificial Intelligence to Internet of Things and Product Liability. She is author of several publications and member of the Editorial Board of the European Journal of Privacy Law and Technologies and Familia Journal. She is a practicing attorney in Naples.

NICOLETA CHERCIU

Nicoleta Angela Cherciu, holds an LL.M. in International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution from the University of Bucharest (2016) and is a qualified practicing lawyer in Romania as of 2015. She has expertise in private practice, as she previously worked as a litigator in one of Romania’s biggest law firms where she advised and represented clients on IP, insolvency, and commercial matters. Afterwards she joined as legal counsel a software company in the field of Robotic Process Automation where she negotiated and drafted software and technology-related agreement within the company’s US legal team. As of 2020, Nicoleta is a Research Felllow in Private Law at Scuola Superiore Sant’ Anna and a EURA Junior Fellow. Her research focuses on the liability of online platforms and personal data protection.

MIRKO FORTI

Mirko Forti holds a Master's Degree in Law cum laude from the University of Pisa (2014) and a PhD in International and European Law from the University of Genoa (2020). He also qualified for practising as a lawyer in Italy (2017). He has spent different periods as a visiting PhD student in institutions like the European University Institute (2019) and the University of Edinburgh (2019). His research effort focuses on the legal consequences of the deployment of new technologies in everyday life. He is an author widely published both in national and international journals on issues like privacy, data protection and digital platforms. Mirko Forti is a research fellow in Law and Technology at the Dirpolis Institute at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies since 2020 where he mainly works on the H2020 European project Neuheart.

SIRA GROSSO

Research Fellow at the University of Pisa, Sira holds a JD joint degree from the University of Pisa and the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, a Ph.D in Criminal Law from the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Florida. During her PhD she served for four months as a law clerk at the Civil Court of Livorno, Italy. Sira has been Visiting Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law, Freiburg, Germany, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, London, UK, at the Florida International University, Miami, Florida, and at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, where she was also a Lecturer at the Honors program in 2017. She is author of several publications on prestigious national and International journals about Medical Negligence, the legal impact of the Evidence-Based-Medicine, Legal Compliance and Responsibility, and Strict liability crimes.  She presented her research at several international conferences in Europe, US, and China. Sira is also a practicing attorney in Italy.

PIERLUIGI CUCCURU

Pierluigi holds a JD (summa cum laude) from the University of Pisa. Currently is a  Ph.D. in Law candidate at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa. He has been a research assistant at the University of Leicester and a visiting researcher at the Brussels School of International Studies, Belgium,  and at the Unversity of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. His research interests include regulation through technical standards, EU internal market law, and contract automation through blockchain. Pierluigi is a practicing attorney in Rome; his expertise embraces EU digital payments, open banking, and digital identity.