Floriana Grasso

A bit about Floriana Grasso

I am a Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Liverpool, where I moved after doing my PhD in Edinburgh, at Heriot Watt University, with a thesis on Computational Rhetoric, and my first degree in Information Sciences in Italy, at the University of Bari, where I was born.

I work in the recent and very exciting research field of Argument and Computation, where I am interested in persuasiveness, and what it takes to achieve effective (and affective) communication. I approach this from two points of view: high level discourse modelling and rhetoric (modelling the speaker's goals and strategies to generate persuasive discourse), where I draw on classical argumentation theory, and cognitive modelling, especially on modelling extra-rational characteristics such as opinions, values, emotions.

I have applied this research to many fields, including Public Health Informatics, where I especially look at how to provide personalised and persuasive advice on healthier lifestyles.

I organise many workshops and events in the area of argumentation, persuasive technology and motivation. I am co-editor of the journal Argument and Computation, published by Taylor and Francis.

My Role in LuCiD

I led the design and development of the Babytalk app during Phase 1 of LuCiD.