Linda Paterno'

Linda Paternò received her MSc degree in Biomedical Engineering (110/110 cum laude) from the University of Pisa in 2016. In 2020, she obtained her PhD in BioRobotics with honours from The BioRobotics Institute of Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies. She is currently an Assistant Professor (RTD-A) in the Surgical Robotics and Allied Technologies Area at the same institute. Her research focuses on the design and characterization of novel soft robotic technologies, particularly compliant, shape-changing, and variable-stiffness robotic systems, and their translation into medical applications. She has contributed to several national and European research projects, including the EU Pathfinder project MAPWORMS - Mimicking Adaptation and Plasticity in WORMS, where she served as Work Package Leader and Scientific Project Manager. She also supervises and mentors students at different academic levels and regularly participates in public engagement and science communication activities. Her research has been recognized with awards including the 2025 L’Oréal Italia–UNESCO “For Women in Science” Award. She is currently a member of the Editorial Board of Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio) and an Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics, and regularly serves as Associate Editor for international IEEE conferences, including ICRA, RoboSoft, and EMBC.