Annalisa Banzi, PhD, is an art historian, consultant, and researcher at the CESPEB (Centre for the Study of the History of Biomedical Thought) of the University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan (Italy). She teaches Psychology of Perception, Psychology of Cultural Consumption, Sociology of Cultural Processes, and Semiotics of the Body at the Academy of Fine Arts of Macerata (Italy).
She holds a PhD in Human Interaction: Psychology of Consumption, Behaviour, and Communication and has developed an interdisciplinary specialisation in museum studies, psychology, and neuroscience aimed at enhancing the dissemination of museum content. She is the author of several scientific publications on these topics and served as Associate Editor of The International Journal of the Inclusive Museum (Common Ground Publishing, 2012–2013).
Her book, “The Brain-Friendly Museum: Using Psychology and Neuroscience to Improve the Visitor Experience” (Routledge, 2023), encapsulates her approach to enhancing visitor wellbeing and fostering meaningful engagement between audiences and museum collections. This volume forms the theoretical foundation for key projects, including ASBA – Anxiety and Stress in Museums, BeWe – Art and Beauty for Visitor Wellbeing, and Priming at the Museum: The Pleasure of Learning.
As part of her university teaching activities, she has designed and implemented educational initiatives focused on museum engagement and visitor experience.
She is also a member of the Scientific Committee for the series “Mariology, Person, Art, City, Culture, and Health”, within the Observatory of the Pontifical Academy Mariana Internationalis PAMI, Vatican (Italy).
Contact:
email: annalisa.banzi@unimib.it