She is a fixed-term researcher in general psychology at the University of Bologna (since October 2022), studying decision-making in the medical field. Her main areas of research include: decisions on vaccinations (factors influencing vaccine acceptance and hesitancy), shared medical decisions between doctors and patients, patient decision aids, quality of life and patient-reported outcomes (PROMs), cancer screening tests, genetic testing, risk perception and communication.
Education
She studied at the University of Padua, where she first obtained a bachelor's degree in Cognitive and Psychobiological Psychological Sciences in 2003, then a master's degree in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive-Behavioral Neuroscience in 2006, and finally a PhD in Psychological Sciences (specializing in Cognitive Sciences) in 2010. During her PhD, she was a visiting scholar at the Center for Behavioral and Decision Sciences in Medicine (CBDSM) at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA) for 18 months between 2008 and 2009.
Academic career
After a period as Research Fellow (2010-2011) and Senior Research Fellow (2011-2012) at the Leeds Institute of Health Sciences (LIHS), Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds (Leeds, UK), she returned to Italy as a research fellow, first at the Department of Surgical Oncology and Gastroenterology (DiSCOG) of the University of Padua (2012-2014), then at the Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS) of the same university (2014-2017), where she became a fixed-term type A researcher (2017-2022), with two periods of maternity leave (for a total of 19 months). She obtained national scientific qualification as a second-level professor in the competitive sector 11/E1 General Psychology, Psychobiology, and Psychometrics (valid from April 29, 2019, to April 29, 2030). Since October 2022, she has been a fixed-term researcher at the University of Bologna, with a 5-month suspension for maternity leave (between 2023 and 2024).
Teaching activities
Since 2012, he has been teaching various courses, initially as a contract lecturer and then, since 2017, as part of his institutional duties. He has taught university courses at various levels: bachelor's degree (Bachelor's Degree in Communication, Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy and Education), master's degree (Master's Degree in Diagnostic Technical Health Professions, Master's Degree in Community Psychology, Promotion of Wellbeing and Social Change, Master's Degree in Clinical Developmental Psychology), and specialist (School of Specialization in Life Cycle Psychology). He has supervised over 30 master's theses and over 20 bachelor's theses.
She currently teaches general psychology in the Bachelor's Degree Program in Orthopedic Techniques, the Bachelor's Degree Program in Environmental and Workplace Prevention Techniques, the Bachelor's Degree Program in Professional Education, the Bachelor's Degree Program in Dietetics, the Master's Degree Course in Health Prevention Sciences, and the Single-Cycle Master's Degree Course in Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics.
Scientific activity
She has participated in numerous national and international research programs as a co-investigator, including: Design for Better Health: User-Centred Design and Evaluation of Interactive Media for Health Education, Communication and Decision Making (PI: Holly Witteman, Laval University, Quebec, Canada. Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Foundation Scheme Second Live Pilot 2015-2016); “It's about protecting my community”: randomized controlled trials of personalized, digital health vaccination decision support (Vaxda) (PI: Holly Witteman, Laval University, Quebec, Canada. Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN) grant 2020-2022); MandEval: Effectiveness and Consequences of Australia's COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates (PI: Katie Attwell, University of Western Australia. Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) – 2021); Behind the “Childless Boom” in Italy: Insights via Statistical Experimental Design (CHILD ZERO) (PI: Maria Letizia Tanturri, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padua. CARIPARO projects of excellence 2018); When not having enough is enough for over indebtedness. (PI: Enrico Rubaltelli, DPSS, University of Padua. CARIPARO projects of excellence 2021).
She collaborated to the first (2011/2012) and second (2018/2021) updates of the International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS) guidelines originally developed in 2005.
She has been a reviewer for several international and national peer-reviewed journals, including: BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making; British Journal of Health Psychology; International Journal of Public Health; Medical Decision Making; Patient Education and Counseling; Pediatrics; Plos One; Psychology, Health & Medicine; Qualitative Health Research; SAGE Open; Science Communication; Scientific Reports; Social Psychological Bulletin; Social Science & Medicine; Vaccine.
Institutional and academic activities
From 2021 to 2022, she was a member of the Third Mission Commission, DPSS, University of Padua.
From 2019 to 2021, she was responsible for teaching and research activities at the Thought and Decision Laboratory, DPSS, University of Padua.
From 2019 to 2021, she was a member of the Teaching Board of the Doctoral Program in Psychological Sciences, University of Padua.
She was President of the Library Commission of the Psychology Department, University of Padua (2019-2021), of which she had been a member since 2018.
Membership in scientific committees
From 2022 to 2025, she was a member of the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG), established by the Ministry of Health.
Awards and recognitions
2013 - Award in memory of “Prof. Mazzocco” (2013 call for applications) promoted by the Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS) of the University of Padua with the contribution of Ms. Marina D'Errico, in collaboration with the Experimental Psychology Section of the Italian Psychological Association (AIP) for the work: Gavaruzzi et al. Using emotions conveyed by narratives to promote screening for colorectal cancer.
2011 – Jane Beattie Memorial Travel Scholarship, jointly sponsored by the Society for Judgment and Decision Making (SJDM) and the European Association for Decision Making (EADM), to subsidize travel to North America to attend the SJDM conference held in Seattle, Washington, USA (2011).
2010 – Award in memory of Prof. Mazzocco (2010 call for applications) for the work: Gavaruzzi T., Lotto L. Promoting screening behaviors. Framing the consequences but not only: the role of lexical valence.
2009 – Third place award for the best poster presented by students on the work: Gavaruzzi, T., Zikmund-Fisher, B., Ubel, P., Fagerlin, A. One decision at a time or the whole path at once? When the way information is provided affects prostate cancer decision making. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, November 21–23, 2009.
2009 - Award in memory of “Prof. Mazzocco” (2009 call for applications) for the work: Gavaruzzi, T., Lotto, L., Fagerlin, A., Rumiati, R. To act or not to act? When a diagnosis leads to preferring action.
