A mentor, a scientists, but over all a great man

About one year ago, we started a research activity with the group of Prof. Alessandro Zuddas, director of the Microcitemico child neuropsychiatry clinic in Cagliari, on the digital biomarkers in children with autism spectrum disorders. The tools and techniques were our background, clinical application and the scientific underpinnings of the physiological signals changes were his. Together, with the continuous support of Dr. Federica Donno, with all the difficulties of spontaneous research activity, we started analyzing data and conceiving new developments, with an enthusiasm that also spread to our bioengineering students. Every meeting with Alessandro was enriching and inspiring, the spur to go on, and it was nice to talk with an excellent scientist and physician with such great humanity, empathy, and humility. Unfortunately, we had a chance to enjoy his expert guidance for a little time, too much little. On July 9, 2022 this great person passed away, leaving an immense and unbridgeable void.

This post is to remember Prof. Alessandro Zuddas and to promise him something. Although that was not the main MeDSP Lab research topic, we will strive to increase our efforts in that field, to advance the research we started together, hoping he will be proud of us, at least a little bit, while smiling from up there of our errors and our wrong assumptions, as he was used to do with his clean and honest smile.